Americans struggle with being 'time poor' — study suggest a simple way to turn weekends into vacations

Most people want to earn a certain amount of money or have job security to live a stable and fulfilling life. However, while working, a person might forget that they need time to unwind, relax and do things they like. A recent study from UCLA highlighted how Americans are 'time poor' and leave their vacation days unused year after year. The study pointed out how many people in the country work long hours and don't use their vacation days. An analysis was done on over 200,000 Americans, and the results linked a lack of vacation to lower levels of happiness in adults. Now, whatever the reason might be behind this, the study has a solution for people to feel happier through a simple practice.

While it is a well-known fact that it might not be possible for many people to take vacation days, for financial reasons or otherwise, there is a way people can feel like they're on vacation from the comfort of their homes without taking additional time off. The researchers made a group of people treat weekends like regular weekends while others were asked to treat the weekend as a vacation. The negative and positive effects of the two practices, as well as the participants' satisfaction when they returned to work on Monday, were checked. 

The study found that treating a weekend like a vacation increases happiness and also allows people to focus better on the present moment. One set of people were told, "Treat this weekend like a vacation. That is, to the extent possible, think in ways and behave in ways as though you were on vacation." The other set was told, "Treat this weekend like a regular weekend. That is, to the extent possible, think in ways and behave in ways you normally would on a weekend." The results showed that the participants from the first group felt more positive effects, including increased satisfaction when they came back to work on Monday.

The researchers also studied the effects of prioritizing time off from work and using that time for doing things that made a person feel happy. The results might have been mixed, but people who treated their weekend as a vacation were happier on Monday. The people who treated their weekend as a staycation did fewer household chores and work-related commitments and felt more fulfilled with how they had spent their time away from work. The study also found that treating a weekend like a vacation also made the time more enjoyable for people.

However, the study also cautioned people that they shouldn't replace normal vacation days with weekend vacations as they are great for the emotional well-being of a person. The idea was to set a basis to show how time off improves a person's well-being and happiness levels. At the same time, it was also pointed out that the study didn't show whether people would eventually experience more stress as their work piles up because of taking weekends off in the future.