In a recent study, college students were asked to spend some of their leisure time watching a funny video while doing boring survey work. Some of the students had read about the benefits of leisure but did not enjoy the video. This research highlights the importance of linking leisure activities with our goals. We should look for ways to use leisure time in productive ways to achieve our goals. If we view leisure as a waste of time, we should think of how we can link leisure activities to our goals and values.
Enjoyment
Students were asked to rate the importance of their enjoyment of leisure time by watching funny videos or reading articles. The study concluded that students were more likely to enjoy their leisure time when they were paid. This finding was in sharp contrast to the previously reported findings that people enjoy leisure time unpaid. While the authors acknowledged that this study’s findings suggest that people who are paid to participate in leisure activities are more likely to enjoy them, it is still unclear whether or not pay is a necessary condition for enjoying leisure.
The research team at Columbia University surveyed 302 online participants to determine how much they enjoyed participating in different activities during their Halloween weekend. Some activities were purely fun and some served larger goals. Others were social, passive, and solitary. The researchers asked subjects to rate how much they enjoyed participating in the activities, and then asked them to indicate whether they would participate in these types of activities again. Despite the study’s findings, it is still important to note that people who do not spend time engaging in leisure activities are more likely to experience negative mental health outcomes.
Motivation
We examined the role of perceived autonomy support in leisure-time physical activity to understand motivation for physical activity. Results show that perceived autonomy support is an important predictor of leisure-time physical activity. The authors also found significant differences in the standardized path coefficients for self-determined and autonomous motivation. The final model explained 7% of the variance in leisure-time physical activity and 36% of the variance in self-determined motivation. This suggests that the factors that influence motivation are related to self-determination.
The self-determination theory suggests that individuals who perceive themselves as autonomous will seek out needs-satisfying behaviours. These findings are consistent with research demonstrating that individuals who perceive themselves as autonomous will seek out physical activity. This prediction is supported by a recent panel study and meta-analysis. It is possible to explain why autonomous motivation is related to social support and intention. However, we must keep in mind that autonomy is a multifaceted concept with multiple levels.
Choice
There are a number of reasons that people spend their time doing the things they love. A major factor is economics. Increasing wages increase the amount of labor available. This, in turn, reduces the amount of leisure time people have. The marginal utility of an additional hour of leisure time is equal to 20 hours of labor and six minutes of leisure. So, if a person earns $10 an hour, spending one additional hour of leisure is equivalent to earning $10 an hour.
Perceived competence
The need for competence in leisure time involves the need to feel competent and effective in interacting with the environment, using one’s abilities and handling challenging tasks. Perceived competence is the degree to which people feel they have the necessary skills to be successful and competent, and it is strongly related to psychological rewards. This need can be satisfied through participation in leisure activities, which are generally challenging, while satisfying the need for relatedness.
The researchers investigated the relation between initial self-perceived physical competence and reported leisure-time physical activity. They found that self-efficacy and perceived behavioral control significantly correlated with MVPA and leisure-time physical activity. However, when participants’ perceived competence increased, their physical activity levels also rose. These findings were consistent with other studies examining the motivational role of perceived competence in physical activities. Perceived competence is one of the primary factors in motivation, as it promotes self-efficacy and physical activity.
Physical activity
Ideally, the amount of physical activity during leisure time should be moderate or vigorous. This type of physical activity does not require any specific skill or training and can be performed at the discretion of the person. Recreational walking, sports, and exercise are all examples of leisure time physical activities. According to the Compendium of Physical Activities, leisure time physical activity should be measured in metabolic equivalents (METs). An MET is an estimate of the amount of energy consumed during a particular activity. A brisk walk is equivalent to three METs.
The Danish study, which analyzed 104,046 people, found that the amount of physical activity a person does during leisure time decreased their risk of dying from heart disease. However, it found no significant relationship between the amount of physical activity a person receives at work and the risk of death. However, a higher level of physical activity in the leisure time was associated with a lower risk of death than the lowest level of activity.