Pursuit of Happyness lies in valuing time not money

Washington D.C: A recent study has claimed that valuing time more than the pursuit of money is linked to greater happiness.

In six studies conducted by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology researchers found an almost even split between people who tended to value their time or money and that choice was a fairly consistent trait both for daily interactions and major life events.

Lead researcher Ashley Whillans said that it appears that people have a stable preference for valuing their time over making more money, and prioritising time is associated with greater happiness.

During the study, the researchers found an almost even split with slightly more than half of the participants stating they prioritised their time more than money. Older people also were more likely to say they valued their time compared to younger people.

Whillans said that if people want to focus more on their time and less on money in their lives, they could take some actions to help shift their perspective, such as working slightly fewer hours, paying someone to do disliked chores like cleaning the house, or volunteering with a charity.

She added that having more free time is likely more important for happiness than having more money.

The story is published in the Journal Social Psychological and Personality Science.