Why “work-life balance” instead of “no work” brings happiness?

In recent years, more and more people have been emphasizing “work-life balance,” the pursuit of a balance between work and personal life, but some people may think that they do not want to work at all and that “no work,” not work-life balance, is ideal. However, Lis Ku, senior lecturer in psychology at De Montfort University in the UK, argues that many people are happier with some work than with no work at all, and explains why.

Work-life balance: what really makes us happy might surprise you
https://theconversation.com/work-life-balance-what-really-makes-us-happy-might-surprise-you-168446

The pandemic of the new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) caused a major change in the work environment, prompting many people to rethink “what does work mean for my life?” and what work means to their lives. In the U.S., the “Great Resignation,” or the mass turnover of workers, has become a social problem, and many people are thinking about reducing the importance of work in their lives.

In fact, many people believe that they would lead happier and healthier lives if they did not have to work. Strangely enough, it is not uncommon for even those who once left the workforce because they were able to afford it to begin some kind of work after a while. With this in mind, it does not necessarily follow that not working is happiness in life, and simply reducing working hours as much as possible does not seem to be the ideal work-life balance.

Ku argues that the perfect work-life balance is not necessarily a matter of when, where, or how we work, but rather why we work. Work is consistently and positively associated with our well-being and is a large part of our identity.” When you ask yourself who you are, you will turn to explanations about work,” he said, noting that work is also a part of identity.

In an experiment in which subjects were offered two options: “wait on the spot for 15 minutes for the experiment to begin” or “walk to another venue for 15 minutes to participate in the experiment,” nearly all subjects, except those who had a compelling reason or were offered a reward, chose the easier option of “wait on the spot for 15 minutes. However, the experiment revealed that subjects who walked for 15 minutes were much happier than those who waited for 15 minutes. In other words, the results suggest that being busy with work to do can increase happiness, even when the subject wants to “take it easy.

The idea that work and effort contribute to happiness is related to the psychological concept of eudaimonic happiness. Eudaimonic happiness is a term that refers to the happiness people derive from fulfilling their roles and realizing their potential, and since elements such as work and effort are central to eudaimonic happiness, sometimes demanding tasks bring satisfaction and pride.

The 2021 study also confirmed that people’s happiness tended to increase as they had more free time, but began to decline after five hours per day. This result may explain why some people prefer to devote their leisure time to hobbies that require effort and perseverance, or to start another side business when they already have a day job, something that provides some kind of outcome, Ku said.

A 2022 study of tens of thousands of people in various countries showed that while more than half of people prefer hedonic happiness that does not involve suffering, about a quarter prefer a meaningful life based on eudaimonic happiness, and about 10-15% of people prefer to pursue a variety of experiences Ku argued that thinking about different approaches to happiness and life and knowing what kind of happiness one wants to pursue is the key to finding the optimal work-life balance.

Satoshi

Hello, I’m Satoshi. I’ve been working as a staff member for an organization for over a decade. During that time, I’ve had various experiences, from launching new businesses to streamlining operations using information I’ve gathered from the internet and my own experiences. Of course, I’ve been successful with the help of colleagues and superiors, and I’m grateful to them. Nowadays, I find myself in a position where people from various backgrounds ask me for advice and share their knowledge. However, being constantly approached has made me realize that I need to protect my own time. So, I’ve decided to start a blog called ‘Satoshi Lab’ to share knowledge. I hope that by writing about my thoughts and experiences, people will enjoy reading and find it helpful in their own journeys.