The Richest Resource You're Not Thinking About
What Time Affluence Is, Why It Matters, and What the Research Says
If you had to guess which has a greater impact on happiness, time or money, which would you choose? If you said time, science would back you up. At least, that's what happiness researchers are increasingly finding.
Of course, this assumes your basic needs are met, like food, water, shelter, and enough money to get by. But once those are covered, the research is clear. We still live in a world that celebrates working all the time and sees being busy as a sign of success. Yet this culture leaves most of us feeling constant pressure to keep up and the feeling that there is never enough time. Researchers call this time poverty. And it turns out it's one of the strongest signs of stress, unhappiness, and poor health in today's world.
What Is Time Affluence?
Time affluence, a term introduced by psychologists Tim Kasser and Kennon Sheldon in 2009, means feeling like you have enough time, that you are not rushed, and that you can spend your time the way you want.
It’s not just about having a lot of free time on your calendar. Someone can have a busy schedule and still feel time-affluent if they feel in control and know why they are doing what they do. On the other hand, someone with lots of free time can still feel time-poor if they feel overwhelmed, lost, or pulled in too many directions.
The term is meant to sound like financial affluence. Just as being wealthy means having enough money, time affluence means having, or feeling like you have, enough time. And just as feeling poor can depend on who you compare yourself to, time poverty also depends on how you see things, shaped by what others do at work and what you believe.
The Research: What Does the Science Tell Us?
1. Time affluence predicts happiness better than money
The most compelling finding in this field is that feeling time-rich is a stronger predictor of well-being than feeling money-rich. One of the leaders in this field, Ashley Whillans and colleagues surveyed more than 4,600 Americans in 2016 and found that people who prioritized time over money reported greater happiness independent of income, hours worked, age, or marital status.
Another pioneer in the field, Cassie Mogilner Holmes, has produced complementary findings. Her research consistently shows that when people reflect on their time rather than their money, they report more happiness, feel more connected to others, and make choices that prioritize experiences over possessions.
Kasser and Sheldon's original work also found that time affluence is linked to feeling happier, more satisfied with life, and having more positive feelings, and is linked to less anxiety and stress. These results were true even when income was taken into account.
2. Buying time boosts happiness — if you reinvest it wisely
If time is so valuable, would buying more of it make you happier? Research suggests yes.
In a 2017 study, Whillans and colleagues found that people who spent money on services that saved them time, such as housecleaning, grocery delivery, or lawn care, were more satisfied with life than those who spent the same amount on material things. This was true for people with different incomes and in six countries.
Interestingly, most people avoid spending money this way. We often think spending money to save time is not worth it, but it usually makes us happier.
Just getting rid of tasks we find tiring has a clear positive effect on how we feel, but what you do with the extra time also matters. Using that time for meaningful projects, spending time with others, or genuine relaxation seems to amplify the benefits.
3. Busyness has become a status symbol — and it's making us miserable
Why do so many people feel time-poor even when they have discretionary hours? Part of the answer is cultural. Researchers Silvia Bellezza, Neeru Paharia, and Anat Keinan published a paper in 2017 showing that in the United States, busyness has become a signal of social status. Being busy and broadcasting that busyness signals that one is in high demand, talented, and important.
This is a fairly new cultural change. In the past, having free time was a sign of status. Today, working too much is seen as something to be proud of. Because of this, even people who have enough time often feel they should be doing more and feel guilty when they are not. This way of thinking makes people feel like they do not have enough time, even when they actually do.
4. Small interventions can shift the feeling of time
One of the more surprising findings in this field is that giving your time to others by volunteering, helping a friend, or just doing something nice actually makes you feel like you have more time, not less. This happens because connecting with others is valuable, and feeling proud and capable from helping out makes you feel like you have more time.
Other research has found that doing things that fill you with awe, like looking at a beautiful view or getting lost in music, makes you feel like you have more time and helps you be more patient.
What Can You Do With This?
Here are a few practical takeaways this research supports:
Protect time for what matters most. Time affluence is partly about having free time and partly about feeling you can use it how you want. Making sure you set time aside for important things like relationships, rest, hobbies, and exercise helps you feel richer in time.
Consider spending money to save time instead of buying things. If you can afford it, paying others to do tasks you find tiring (not the ones you enjoy) can give you more free hours, which can really improve your well-being, especially if you use that time for things that make you happy.
Resist the pressure to always be busy. Feeling busy all the time is partly about fitting in. Noticing when you are acting busy or using it as part of who you are can help you step back and regain the mental space that feeling time-rich requires.
Give your time to others sometimes. Even though it sounds strange, helping others can make you feel like you have more time, not less. Small acts of giving your time can change how time-rich you feel.
Look for moments of awe. Whether it's a walk in nature, a visit to a museum, listening to great music, or just a few minutes of real wonder at something amazing, these moments seem to help us feel like we have more time.
The Bottom Line
Time affluence is not about doing nothing or having an empty calendar. It's about feeling in control of your time, using it on purpose, and building the feeling that you have enough. The research is clear: feeling like you have enough time is a stronger cause of happiness than having a lot of money, and it is more in our control than we might think.
What if the real flex wasn’t how much money and clout you have, but how much ownership you have over your time?