Millionaires Tend to Be Happier in Life Because of This Simple Thing That Has Nothing to Do With Money

InspirationFebruary 11, 2020

It’s no secret that millionaires live a charmed life. With almost unlimited resources at their fingertips, they’re able to get everything they may need or want to enjoy life. No wonder this segment of the population is reportedly happier than the average person. But this bliss isn’t solely because of money.

More Time for Leisure

Millionaires usually spend their off days being active

According to a Medium publication report, another important factor that makes millionaires happier is how they spend their time, more specifically how they spend their leisure hours. In fact, kicking back to have some fun or relax reportedly accounts for 46% of both regular people and millionaires’ time, according to a study published in the Social Psychological and Personality Science journal.

However, the difference is that millionaires spend more time doing ‘active activities’ compared to the rest of the population. The research surveyed over 800 millionaires in the Netherlands as well as a sample of about 1,200 people.

The rich tend to prefer doing things such as socializing, hobbies and maintaining relationships during their off time. According to the results of the study, about 22% of their time are devoted to these compared to the 15.7% that regular people allot.

Another interesting finding is that the two groups spend about the same time working. However, millionaires have the advantage of having more autonomy at work. In the end, though, it’s important to note that these statistics are specific to the Netherlands and might not be the same in other parts of the world.

Time & Wealth Building

Millionaires reportedly spend 5 1/2 hours a week reading for pleasure while average people only spend two hours

The Dutch study also corroborates the results of other previous research on the topic, specifically one by Affluent Market Institute director Sarah Stanley Fallaw.

Her focus was on 600 millionaires in America and ended up with findings linking an individual’s dedication of their thoughts and activities with how much they grow their wealth. Financial independence is influenced by factors like money, time, and energy, Fallaw concluded.

Another beneficial habit that millionaires have been observed to do is allotting time for both leisurely reading and exercise on a weekly basis. And they outdo the regular person in these aspects as well. For example, people with seven-figure net worths exercise about six hours a week while their less rich counterparts only devote two and a half hours to the activity.

What Most People Do Wrong

Wealthy people know how to manage and avoid distractions, Fallaw observed

Aside from not putting more time towards activities that can improve one’s self, the average person also makes the mistake of wasting their hours on social media or video games.

While perusing Instagram or Facebook in itself isn’t inherently a bad thing, some people tend to overdo it. Millionaires reportedly only spend an average of two and a half hours a week on social media while others devote 14 hours.