In a series of studies, researchers have examined the effects of a common belief in modern society: that productivity is the ultimate goal and that time is wasted if you just have fun.

The people who most strongly agreed with this belief not only enjoyed leisure time less but also reported poorer mental health outcomes, said Selin Malkoc, study co-author and associate professor. in Marketing at Fisher College of Business at Ohio State University.

“There is a lot of research to suggest that leisure has beneficial effects on mental health and can make us more productive and less stressed,” said Malkoc.

“But we find that if people start to believe that leisure is a waste, they can end up being more depressed and more stressed.”

On the bright side: Some skeptical people might enjoy fun activities if hobbies were part of a larger goal and not an end in itself.

“If leisure can be defined as having some sort of productive purpose, it helps people who think leisure is a waste to achieve some of the same benefits,” said study co-author Rebecca Reczek, Ohio State professor of marketing.

The study was published online on August 21, 2021 in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology.

In one study, 199 students rated how well they enjoyed a variety of leisure activities and completed assessments measuring their levels of happiness, depression, anxiety, and stress.

They were also asked to what extent they agree with five statements that rate the degree to which they think leisure is a waste (such as “Time spent on leisure activities is often time wasted.”)

The results showed that the more participants thought that leisure was a waste, the less they enjoyed leisure activities.

This was true whether the leisure activity was active (exercising) or passive (watching television), social (hanging out with friends) or lonely (meditating).

In addition, the more they thought of hobbies to be a waste, the lower their happiness levels and the higher their levels of depression, anxiety and stress.

In one study, 302 participants online were asked what they did to celebrate Halloween a few days after the holidays in 2019. Some of the activities they could choose were fun for themselves, like going to a party. Others served a larger purpose, like getting your kids out for a ride or treatment.

Participants were asked to rate how much they enjoyed their Halloween experience.

The results showed that those who felt that leisure was more unnecessary reported less enjoyment of activities, such as parties, which were all about pleasure.

“But those who took part in fun activities that fulfilled responsibilities, like a ride or a treat with your kids, didn’t see such a reduction in how they enjoyed their Halloween,” the co-author said. study Gabriela Tonietto, Assistant Professor of Marketing at Rutgers Business School.

The negative view of leisure is not just an American problem. A study, which compared people in the United States, India and France, found that the French were less likely than those in the United States and India to believe that leisure was a waste, which is consistent with cultural stereotypes. But for those in France who disdained leisure, the bad effects were the same.

“We live in a global society and there are people everywhere who hear the same messages about the importance of being busy and productive,” Reczek said.

“And once you believe it and internalize the message that leisure is a waste, our results suggest that you are going to be more depressed and less happy no matter where you live.”

The researchers were struck by how negative views of leisure affected the enjoyment of all that was fun, regardless of the situation or the length of the leisure activity.

In one study, students were asked to watch a funny short video of a cat in the middle of other parts of an experiment. Some have read articles before that showcased recreation as a way to deal with stress and increase energy. Even then, the same effects persisted.

“These are students who come into the lab to take surveys, which can be annoying. In the middle of that, we give them a fun video to watch, which you think would be a nice break – and even then, some attendees didn’t like it as much, ”said Malkoc.

“They had no way of using time more productively. We gave them a break from other, more boring pursuits. And yet those who think leisure is a waste didn’t think watching videos was a waste. as much fun as the others. “

The study showed that changing people’s beliefs about the value of leisure is not easy. A different approach might therefore be needed, the researchers said.

For those who think that leisure is a waste, “it may be helpful to think about productive ways in which individual leisure activities can serve their long-term goals,” said Tonietto.

In other words, relate every leisure activity to something you want to accomplish, she said.

“Find ways to make fun activities part of a larger goal in your life,” Malkoc added. “Think about how productive, instrumental and useful it is. “

Mike Norton of Harvard University was also a co-author.