Hobbies That Bring the Most Joy
Listening to music brings us more joy than any other leisure activity studied. Just five minutes of your favourite songs generate far more positive feelings than five minutes of scrolling through social media. Photo: Unsplash
Researchers at the University of Sussex, together with media company Immediate, examined 21 common leisure activities. Nearly 2,200 people were asked how much joy their hobbies actually bring them.
The frontrunner in terms of frequency was scrolling through social media. It ranked among the three most popular activities and was also the one people engaged in most often.
But when it comes to enjoyment, scrolling landed at the very bottom: 21st out of 21. No other activity scored lower.
Scrolling flops, music and reading top the list
The study highlights a clear mismatch between how we tend to spend our free time and what genuinely boosts our wellbeing. What many people already sense intuitively is now backed by data.
The activity that brings us the most pleasure is listening to music. On a scale from 1 to 7, music scored 6.16.
It was followed by playing a musical instrument (6.04), reading (6.00) …
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Sources
University of Sussex / Immediate: Secret to joy revealed – stop doom scrolling and be more intentional with your leisure time
Nature Medicine: Hobbies for mental health
Great Lakes Psychology Group: 14 Hobbies for Mental Health Support
Nature Medicine: Hobby engagement and mental wellbeing among people aged 65 years and older in 16 countries
Frontiers in Public Health: Creating arts and crafting positively predicts subjective wellbeing
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