High achievement, low joy

The authors surveyed 1,500 Harvard Business School alumni navigating demanding careers and personal obligations. On average, respondents worked 50 hours a week and managed another 12 hours of nonwork responsibilities. That left 26 hours for discretionary activities — yet respondents only spent a median of 10 of those hours on anything joyful.

The authors' research shows that while jam-packed schedules contribute to the problem, this low bandwidth isn't the only culprit.

Participants experienced significantly more joy during their limited free time than while working or doing chores. But, importantly, "how people spent those extra hours was more important than how many hours they had," the authors write.

Alumni like Maria, a partner at a private equity firm and mother of three, demonstrate the paradox. Her days are filled with strategic decisions, mentoring calls, and hands-on parenting. Yet, "while her calendar seems to incorporate every type of productive activity and obligation, it leaves no time for spontaneity or pleasure, " the authors write. Others echoed similar themes: professional success and personal meaning were abundant, but joy remained elusive.

5 ways to reclaim joy

To better understand how some professionals manage to reclaim joy despite their demanding schedules, the authors identified five practical strategies that consistently made a difference.

1. Engage with others.

According to the authors, shared experiences almost always increased joy, regardless of personality type.

"When subjects engaged in any free-time activity with others, it almost always felt more enjoyable (and almost never felt less enjoyable) than doing the same activity alone, " the authors write. For example, Caleb, one of their survey respondents, reported that watching TV solo left him feeling "empty and sluggish," while watching with family sparked connection and conversation.

2. Avoid passive pursuits.

After long days, passive leisure like scrolling social media or zoning out with television may feel tempting, but they offer limited satisfaction.

In fact, "active solo pursuits scored 2.4 on a scale from 0 to 3 for joy, while passive ones scored 1.7. " Taylor, an investment firm leader, used to unwind with video games or by watching sports until she started playing soccer with friends. "[S]he found herself newly energized," the authors write.

4.  Diversify your activities.

More isn't always better, even when it comes to repeating your favorite hobbies. The authors' research suggests that "spending too many hours on an activity can start to diminish its benefit altogether."

For example, Jeremy, who fell deep into online chess during the pandemic, found that his happiness returned only after he rebalanced his time with other interests, like fitness and friends. 

5. Protect your free time.

Letting work encroach on leisure time is a sure way to diminish joy.

"[F]or every additional hour people devoted to work each week, their sense of joy in life decreased," the authors note. Conversely, time spent on leisure brought both greater happiness and deeper engagement at work.

Jane, a senior developer at a design firm, learned this the hard way. After a layoff forced her to slow down, she started baking, spending time outdoors, and reconnecting with friends. She now fiercely protects that time — even after taking on a new, demanding job.

When people use their limited free time with intention and joy, the impact reverberates across their lives.

"[W]hat happens in one domain inevitably spills over into the others," the authors explain. Using time poorly leads to exhaustion and disengagement, while joy fosters energy, clarity, and motivation.

That dynamic was deeply felt by many participants, but perhaps no one articulated it more clearly than Jane, who reflected on her shift in priorities.

"Before, I never made room for fun because I thought it was a distraction from my goals," Jane said. "But after the layoff forced me to slow down, I discovered that allowing myself to feel more joy gives me patience and more energy to tackle challenges in my life. Now I don't feel guilty when I take an hour for myself to recharge. I know doing this genuinely makes me even better at my job."