Why does 'work-life balance' bring happiness instead of 'no work'?
In recent years, more and more people are emphasizing '
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) has caused major changes in the working environment, and has prompted many people to reconsider ``what is work for my life?''. In the United States, the mass turnover of workers called ' Great Resignation ' has become a social problem, and it makes me realize that many people are thinking about reducing the weight of work in their lives.
In fact, many people think that they should be able to live a happier and healthier life if they don't have to work, but strangely enough, there are people who once quit working because they were able to afford it. Even so, it is not uncommon to start some kind of work after a while. Considering this point, it is not necessarily true that 'not working makes life happy', 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 about ``when, where, and how you work'', but ``why you work''. “Work has consistently been positively associated with our well-being and is a big part of our identity . , points out that work is also about identity.
In an experiment in which subjects were presented with two options, ``wait for 15 minutes until the start of the experiment'' or ``walk to another venue for 15 minutes to participate in the experiment '', a reward was presented to determine if there was an unavoidable reason. Nearly all of the subjects, except for those who were given the option, chose the more comfortable option of ``waiting in place for 15 minutes''. However, the experiment found that those who walked for 15 minutes were much happier than those who waited for 15 minutes. In other words, it was suggested that a busy state with work to be done may increase happiness even if the person himself/herself 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 that people derive from fulfilling their roles and fulfilling their potential.Since elements such as work and effort are central to eudaimonic happiness, sometimes demanding tasks can lead to satisfaction. and bring pride.
A 2021 study also confirmed that people's happiness tended to rise as they had more free time, but began to decline after five hours a day. This result may explain why some people prefer to pursue hobbies that require effort and perseverance during their leisure time, or take up a side job when they already have a full-time job. Ku said it could explain.
Even if there is too much leisure, people fall into a state of unhappiness. What is the point of increasing happiness when there is a lot of leisure? -GIGAZINE
A 2022 study of tens of thousands of people in various countries showed that while more than half of people prefer hedonistic happiness without suffering, about a quarter are eudaimonic. Approximately 10-15% of people want to pursue a variety of experiences, preferring a meaningful life based on personal well-being. Ku argued that thinking about different approaches to happiness and life and knowing what kind of happiness you want to pursue is the key to finding the optimal work-life balance.
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