You mean we don't have to do the laundry? A recent survey has revealed paying someone to do your chores can make you happier and for a modest amount of money to boot. The research suggests that most people spend money to gain pleasant experiences like vacations, new clothes or wine, but research shows people should also consider buying their way out of unpleasant experiences such as housecleaning, shopping or preparing meals.
One of the researchers Professor Elizabeth Dunn said :" Although buying time can serve as a buffer against the time pressures of daily life. Few people are doing it even when they can afford it."
She added the benefits of that extra time "aren't just for wealthy people". Many people suffer from a second shift syndrome, they feel they have to do it all themselves. After they put in a full days work at the office, they then come home to start their second shift leaving no real time to enjoy themselves.
USA, Canada, Denmark & Netherlands all participated in the study. As part of the study researchers gave $40 to participants to spend on a material purchase one weekend and then a time saving service on another weekend. They found people were happier when purchasing a time-saving service. Interestingly enough, the researchers found that many people did not readily want to purchase time saving services despite being able to easily afford it.
"We thought the effects might not only hold up for people with quite a bit of disposable income, but to our surprise, we found the same effects across the income spectrum" said Professor Dunn of British Columbia University.
"Feelings of time stress are in turn linked to lower well-being, including reduced happiness, increased anxiety and insomnia".
Buying yourself some time by having the mundane tasks done for you is a relatively small price to pay. As a concierge service The Mad Tasker specializes in doing the mundane for you.
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