Ever heard it said that "if you want something done, ask a busy person"? Recent research indicates that something similar happens with people who volunteer their time to help others: if you want to find someone who has plenty of time, ask a person who gives their time away.
A new report, soon to be published in Psychological Science, suggests that people who volunteer their time actually have an increased sense of leisure time than people who don't. People's perception of "having time" increases when they volunteer, as opposed to spending time on one's self or wasting time.
Here's how it may work: helping others increases a person's sense of self-efficacy, so their time feels fuller and more accomplished. And when a person recalls those accomplished periods of time, they percieve them as longer. (Ever gotten so absorbed in a project or conversation that several hours slipped by in a snap? It's like that!) So giving one's time to help others can help you feel like you've got more time overall.
If you're curious, here's the entire paper, or a summary.
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