Do you suffer from “Leisure Guilt”?  

It's a new term coming out of the United States, and refers to people who feel guilty or uneasy about spending time on leisure rather than on something perceived as productive.  

• In a US survey, 64% of people reported having experienced leisure guilt at some point.  
• In the daily-life study, participants experienced leisure guilt during roughly one in every seven leisure activities.  
• People high in leisure guilt enjoyed their leisure time less, spent slightly less time in leisure activities, and felt less happy afterwards. For some, they even felt worse after doing something relaxing than when they were doing work or something seen as productive.  
• Doing leisure activities with other people was linked with less leisure guilt. 

The findings suggest that the problem is not necessarily a lack of leisure time. Rather, some people struggle to psychologically "permit" themselves to enjoy leisure. As a result, leisure becomes contaminated by productivity concerns, reducing its restorative value.  

This may help explain why some people:  

• Struggle to disconnect from work  
• Feel anxious during holidays  
• Continue checking emails during time off  
• Feel restless or guilty when relaxing  

If that’s you there could be some ways to reduce your sense of guilt:  

• Reframe leisure as an investment, not an indulgence – having leisure time will help you be more productive in the future.  
• Frame leave as essential recovery rather than a reward. 
• Establish some rituals at the end of the day or week to demonstrate to yourself that you’ve worked hard and deserve the time off.  
• Do things with other people as it’s associated with less guilt. 
• It's ultimately helpful to try and move your value of yourself away from always being linked with how much you produce. Find other meaning in your life alongside your work. 

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