A new study has highlighted just how much free time mom needs in her life to be “happy.” The words “free time” are not ones that are often thought of in motherhood. When someone becomes a mom, their whole life changes, and it seems like they never have time for themselves. There is always someone to feed, care for, and schedule, and it is not uncommon that mom puts herself last on the list. While many may think that we would all be happy if all we had was free time, to do and think anything we wanted to, but it may not be that easy.
According to Huffington Post, there is an amount of free time that is the “perfect” amount and it was proven by science. This new research looked at how Americans spend their time, and they did it by looking at data from two large-scale surveys. The results can be read in full here.
While the study did find that people who had more free time generally had a higher level of wellbeing, there was a limit. It turns out that there can be too much of a good thing when it comes to free time, and it is more about achieving a balance.
It turns out the magic number of free time is 2 hours. While this may seem impossible for moms, she may need to get creative and also be a bit stricter with herself. When the kids go to bed at night or have nap time, mom may need to just say no to doing chores or housework, and instead capitalize on some free time. This may seem easier said than done, but moms should be prioritizing themselves once in a while. It is also reassuring to know that too much free time can be harmful.
The study found that those who had 5 hours of free time felt worse about their well-being. Marissa Sharif was the lead author of the paper and she said that there can definitely be too much free time. This goes against what a lot of people think, which is that the freer time you have, the happier you are. That is because as much as mom detests doing chores or other motherly duties, they stimulate her brain and help give purpose to her life. If she spends too much time idling and not partaking in everyday life, she could find herself feeling more depressed, due to the lack of stimulation.
Sources: Huffington Post, APA