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Updated August 24th, 2021 at 15:11 IST

New study says leisure is 'wasteful', may make you more 'depressed, stressed'

A new research published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology has suggested that feeling like leisure is "wasteful and stressful".

Reported by: Apoorva Kaul
leisure
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A new study has suggested that feeling like leisure is "wasteful and unproductive". The researchers have informed that this condition may lead to less happiness and higher levels of stress and depression. Researchers tried to find the effects of a common belief in modern society about wasting or utilising time.

Feelings like leisure increase stress levels 

Published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, one of the studies saw participation of 199 college students rated how much they enjoyed a variety of leisure activities and completed assessments. While doing their assignments, students measured their levels of happiness, stress, depression and anxiety. The researchers asked the college students about how much they agreed with five statements assessing the degree to which they believed leisure is wasteful. In a press release, Selin Malkoc, co-author of the study and associate professor of marketing at Ohio State University's Fisher College of Business, suggested that people who strongly agreed with the belief not only enjoyed leisure less but also reported poorer mental outcomes. According to the study, some skeptical people could enjoy fun activities.

"But we find that if people start to believe that leisure is wasteful, they may end up being more depressed and more stressed," said Malkoc. 

The participants felt that leisure is part of a larger goal and not an end in itself. Around 302 online participants were asked what efforts they made to celebrate Halloween a few days after the holiday in 2019. They informed me that some of the activities they chose were for their own fun, like going to a party. According to the study, others served a larger goal, such as taking their kids out trick or treating. 

The study further showed that people do not enjoy leisure activities much if they start believing that leisure is wasteful. Rebecca Reczek, professor of marketing at Ohio State and co-author, suggested that "if leisure can be framed as having some kind of productive goal", that helps people feel leisure is wasteful. The researchers further highlighted how the negative views of leisure affected the enjoyment of funny things despite the fact that how short the leisure activity was. They have suggested that it is difficult to change people's beliefs about the value of leisure and a different approach for it was needed.  

"If leisure can be framed as having some kind of productive goal, that helps people who think leisure is wasteful to get some of the same benefits," said Rebecca Reczek.

IMAGE: Unsplash

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Published August 24th, 2021 at 15:11 IST

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