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Belfast Telegraph
24-05-2025
- Science
- Belfast Telegraph
Want to have the best day ever? Scientists say they know the exact formula – so I gave it a try
Has science really cracked the code for how to 'have a great day'? Our intrepid investigator decided to put it to the test to find out (spoiler alert: the schedule did include work, but also time for lounging in the sun eating ice cream and hanging out with family) A few weeks ago, scientists in Canada made an exciting new discovery. They had unearthed a detailed formula for a 'Great Day'. Researchers at the University of British Columbia analysed data from the American Time Use Survey, which recorded the way thousands of people spent their time. After trawling through hours of data, they calculated the ideal amount of time we should spend on different activities. The most surprising element is that it involves six hours of work.
Irish Independent
01-05-2025
- Science
- Irish Independent
Want to have the best day ever? Scientists say they know the exact formula – so I gave it a try
A few weeks ago, scientists in Canada made an exciting new discovery. They had unearthed a detailed formula for a 'Great Day'. Researchers at the University of British Columbia analysed data from the American Time Use Survey, which recorded the way thousands of people spent their time.
Epoch Times
30-04-2025
- Lifestyle
- Epoch Times
The Rule of 1,000 Hours in Retirement
By Jacob Schroeder From Kiplinger's Personal Finance The real national pastime isn't baseball. If you go by how Americans actually spend their leisure time, it's something even slower: watching TV. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' American Time Use Survey, Americans spend nearly three hours a day watching television, making it the country's most popular leisure activity. Among retirees, that number rises to more than four hours a day. 'Unfortunately, many people think they're going to be someone different in retirement, but they're not. In fact, it's you times two,' says Robert Laura, founder of the Retirement Coaches Association. That's because even after leaving work, many retirees fall into familiar routines, convinced they'll have more time later. This is a common psychological bias known as future time slack. But free time in retirement isn't unlimited. Look closely at how retirees spend their time, and it adds up to roughly 1,000 hours a year of meaningful, discretionary time. Related Stories 4/23/2025 4/24/2025 When it comes to building a fulfilling retirement, research and experts say that how you spend your time can be just as important as how you spend your money. And for the four million Americans reaching retirement age each year, the clock is already ticking. What Is the 'Rule of 1,000 Hours' in Retirement? The American Time Use Survey (ATUS) tracks how Americans spend their hours each day. It shows that the average adult enjoys about five hours of leisure time per day, or around 1,800 hours a year. But not all of that time is high-quality. A closer look shows that the largest share is spent on passive activities like watching TV, scrolling online and casual socializing. When you account for how much leisure time is absorbed by low-effort habits, the truly discretionary, meaningful time—the kind you can intentionally spend on hobbies, passions, travel, volunteering, or learning new skills—shrinks to about 1,000 hours a year. And that's just an estimate. Unexpected obligations, caregiving needs or health issues can chip away at it even further. That's why the 'rule of 1,000 hours' offers a more realistic framework: It's the amount of time retirees can reasonably expect to control and use with purpose each year. Arguably, that time may be more valuable than money. As the authors of one academic paper put it, 'Time is a precious commodity in later life, made even more so by challenging post-retirement circumstances.' When Free Time Becomes a Challenge Many people underestimate the hidden losses that come with leaving work. 'You lose more than you gain in retirement,' says Laura. While retirees gain time, they can also lose routine, structure, social connection, mental stimulation and a sense of purpose. As Laura notes, 'Golfing, fishing or watching the grandkids doesn't replace all of those things.' In fact, his research shows that 76 percent of retirees have seen someone struggle with the transition, and 51 percent say it takes longer than a year to adjust. This helps explain why millions of retirees return to work after stepping away. According to T. Rowe Price, about half (48 percent) of retirees who work say they need to for financial reasons, while a similar share (45 percent) chose to work for social and emotional benefits. Psychologists have also found that too much unstructured free time can actually lower well-being. A study published by the American Psychological Association reported that while well-being rises with more free time, it peaks around two hours per day and begins to decline when people have more than five discretionary hours daily. However, other retirees encounter the opposite problem, Laura adds. 'Some retirees say they're busier than ever, but the tasks are meaningless. Over time, that leaves them feeling used rather than helpful.' Awareness is the first step. The next is creating a plan for how you'll spend your time in retirement, just as carefully as you planned for your finances. Making the Most of Your 1,000 Hours Financial experts agree that a retirement plan works best when it's built around more than just numbers. 'When you stop working, you lose not just a paycheck but also a built-in schedule. That structure has to be replaced with something meaningful,' says Melissa Caro, CFP® and founder of My Retirement Network. She works with clients to brainstorm how they want to spend their days. 'Once they map out an ideal week or month, we can align the financial plan around it. When time, money and purpose are in sync, that's when retirement feels truly fulfilling.' Research backs this up. A 2022 study published in Acta Psychologica found that retirees who proactively prepare for life after work report more engagement in leisure activities, higher well-being and lower levels of stress. Not all activities deliver the same benefits. A 2020 study identifies three clusters—physical, intellectual and social activities—that are linked to better mental and physical health outcomes later in life. Staying active, learning new skills and maintaining strong social connections can help retirees thrive far beyond just filling time. That requires being intentional with how you use your time, says Jan Valecka, CFP® and principal of Valecka Wealth Management, who advises clients to dream five to 10 years ahead and budget for experiences like travel. 'If they have the money set aside, they're more likely to take the trip and not feel guilty about spending it. We spend a lot of time encouraging clients who have done a good job saving to enjoy their money, because either they'll go first class—or their kids will.' Laura also recommends writing down what the perfect retirement schedule looks like. 'It helps people realize how much time they need to fill—and how quickly retirement can start to feel like a Groundhog Day scenario if they don't plan.' It's a fitting reference. In the 1993 film, Bill Murray's character famously asks: 'What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was exactly the same and nothing that you did mattered?' Perhaps that desire to avoid reliving the same life over and over is why two-thirds (66 percent) of today's retirees say they prefer trying new things in their leisure time versus doing things they've already experienced. Workers most often associate retirement with the word 'freedom.' How you spend those 1,000 hours is ultimately up to you. If a movie marathon on TV happens to be your activity of choice, you might catch The Lord of the Rings airing during the holidays. And maybe, amid the adventure, you'll hear the wizard Gandalf's wise reminder: 'All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.' ©2025 The Kiplinger Washington Editors, Inc. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors. They are meant for general informational purposes only and should not be construed or interpreted as a recommendation or solicitation. The Epoch Times does not provide investment, tax, legal, financial planning, estate planning, or any other personal finance advice. The Epoch Times holds no liability for the accuracy or timeliness of the information provided.
Forbes
27-04-2025
- Business
- Forbes
A Method For Maximizing Memories With Money
Sahil Bloom recently shared a jarring stat: 'By the time your child turns 18, you've spent ~95% of the time you will ever spend with them in your lifetime,' based on research from the American Time Use Survey done by Our World in Data. At first glance, many parents feel a sting of, 'Geez, am I being [or have I been] a poor steward of the limited time I've been given to spend time with my kids!?' But I don't think this is a revelation rooted in guilt. Making Is Great. Maximizing, Even Better. Furthermore, as someone with two older kids (21 and 19) and one much younger (17 months), I can tell you that some of the most priceless moments I've spent with the older kids occurred after they were 18. And perhaps that's the point. This statistic is simply a reminder to heighten our awareness, to better appreciate those younger moments that often feel more like monotony or even drudgery—and then to do a better job crafting experiences that will maximize those valuable memories that we hope will mark our relationships with friends and family at any age. And by the way, spending money on experiences is the way to get the most bang for our buck. Or, as Kumar, Killingsworth, and Gilovich put it in their 2020 study, "People derive more satisfaction from experiential purchases (e.g., travel, entertainment, outdoor activities, meals out) than material purchases (e.g., clothing, jewelry, furniture, gadgets), both in prospect and retrospect." So, how can we maximize these experiences—these memories we're creating—and increase the rate of return on the money we invested? Perhaps from an unlikely place. I recommend applying an evidence-based approach to relationship management that I learned from author, consultant, and former actuary Mo Bunnell: One of the best pieces of parenting advice I ever got was that, to optimize the lessons I hope to instill in my children, I need to give up on the proactive lecture [sigh] and instead be ready to deliver the important (and hopefully concise) insight reactively, at the moment that the kids express their curiosity. While I've not always followed this excellent advice, it has borne much fruit when I have— especially on the big stuff. With stuff like faith, family, work, money, education, sex, drinking, drugs, and rock-and-roll, it's been more natural to address these matters when the kids make a comment or ask a question. And trust me, parents, if we have ears to hear, they will signal their curiosity, and we will learn from our kids. This works no differently in crafting the best experiences of any size or scope, and with anyone, but especially our family members. If and when we become students of those we love, they will show us what interests them. Then, we have an opportunity to pour fuel on the fire of that nascent curiosity. If your kids show interest in trains, why not ask them on a Saturday morning if they would be interested in going to a nearby train station? If they show interest in plants or flowers, ask them if they might like to plant a seedling or build a raised-bed garden with you. They show interest in music, ask them if they'd like to go to a concert. Now, I realize that we can't make every shred of curiosity into an extravagant occasion—and nor should we. Money is great memory fuel, but while most experiences cost something, they need not be expensive to captivate our attention and leave a meaningful mark. And with kids (of any age), we may need to redirect their curiosity into a more reasonable (or less costly) direction—but without putting a wet blanket on their inquisitiveness. 'Well, going to the moon may not be in the cards, but what about a trip to the planetarium?' 'What's a planetarium?' 'Ooh, it's a special place where…' One of the keys to memory maximization is giving our loved ones a chance to have some agency in the experience we're planning. You might love live music, and you may have good reason to introduce your kids to music you love—but what about asking them who they would like to see in concert? Maybe you even create a rhythm of going back-and-forth between who chooses the next musical act you'll see. This is an approach that I have directly benefited from, as I've now had unforgettable experiences seeing U2, Kendrick Lamar (twice), Mumford & Sons (twice), JID, My Morning Jacket, J. Cole, Tame Impala, and many smaller acts, all with my young adult kids—and you can guess which ones were their ideas. (You might be surprised. 😊) Here, we divert from Mo Bunnell's method and back to the wisdom gained from the above-referenced study: 'People derive more satisfaction from experiential purchases … than material purchases … both in prospect and retrospect." (Italics are mine.) You know this to be true, right? One of the key factors adding to our most memorable experiences is anticipating that experience and rehashing thereafter. Before all those concerts, for example, we made up playlists enshrining our favorite songs that we would listen to weeks in advance and on the way to the show. Then afterward, we'd bounce back-and-forth discussing our favorite moments of each show—and creating a sharable playlist from the night's setlist. Now, years beyond any of those events, every time one of those songs comes on when we're all together (or apart), we're immediately taken back to the sights and sounds of these indelible memories. The total value derived from those memories has long ago exceeded any investment—and that is my hope for you. So, what memory can you begin planning to maximize this week? What information have your loved ones already shared that you can use to spark their curiosity? What experience can you build together, anticipate, and remember forever? P.S. I had the opportunity to talk to Sahil Bloom recently about his new book, 'The 5 Types of Wealth," which was the inspiration for this post. You can click HERE to enjoy that conversation.
The Guardian
15-04-2025
- General
- The Guardian
The best day ever: have scientists found the secret of happiness?
Name: The perfect day. Appearance: Data driven. The perfect day? Huh. Good luck with that. You seem down – is your day going badly? Honestly, it's a mixed bag. The world is sliding into geopolitical chaos and climate collapse while Jeff Bezos sends Katy Perry into space, but on the plus side, I've just made a great sandwich. Would you like to know how to make it better? My sandwich? Impossible. No, your day. Let me guess. Is it generational wealth? No, there's a new formula for how to have a good day. A formula – what is this, GCSE chemistry? It's social science, actually. Researchers at the University of British Columbia have used machine-learning techniques to analyse data from the American Time Use Survey and work out how the amount of time people devoted to various activities determined whether they rated their day as 'better than typical'. I see. So what's the formula? Well, there's six hours of family time and two hours with friends, plus an hour and a half of extra socialising, for a start. Exhausting. Do introverts not contribute to the American Time Use Survey? Some of them seem to: one of the findings was that, while socialising was an important part of a better than average day, there was little benefit beyond two hours of it. That makes sense – there's a limit to how long I want to spend talking with Dave next door about the bins. 'Some activities may be best in small doses, like a touch of salt when baking cookies,' the research team theorised. 'While other activities may be akin to chocolate chips, where more is almost always better.' Very true. What else should I be doing? Well, speaking of chocolate chips, there's an hour of eating and drinking in there. Easy. Anything else? Two hours of exercise. Twice as much time exercising as eating and drinking? Madness. Data doesn't lie. Better than average days involved work, too, though not more than six hours of it. Yes, six hours of work is plenty. I need time for zoning out watching TikToks of medieval dog names and murderous emus. Sorry, no – you should only be having an hour of screen time. So how am I supposed to relax? Well, here's the strangest finding from this research: 'Time spent relaxing was always negatively associated with having a good day.' What? Strange, isn't it? The research team think it's because most of that time is spent watching TV. In the age of prestige streaming? Unlikely. It's probably because these days, we need lives stuffed with work, exercise and other people to distract ourselves from impending doom. Sssh, eat your sandwich. Do say: 'Such a perfect day, drink sangria in the park.' Don't say: 'For a period not exceeding one hour, followed by a two-hour high-intensity interval training workout.'
