They say the magic thing about your home is that it feels good to leave, and it feels even better to come back. While we would love to believe home is where the heart is, a study finds spending time with family doesn’t always make us happy.
According to researchers at Southern Methodist University, people tend to be happier when they’re spending time with friends rather than when they are home with their romantic partner or children.
This news seems rather harsh but before you start to worry, there is a catch— and the reason should be obvious.
The study reveals the majority of time people spend with friends involves fun, social events, whereas the time they spend at home mostly with family involves unpleasant activities such as chores.
“Our study suggests that this doesn’t have to do with the fundamental nature of kith versus kin relationships,” Prof. Hudson explains in a university release.
“When we statistically controlled for activities, the ‘mere presence of children, romantic partners, and friends predicted similar levels of happiness. Thus, this paper provides an optimistic view of family and suggests that people genuinely enjoy their romantic partners and children.”
So there you have it. If you want to be happier with your spouse, you can maybe try attending ore social events together or organizing date nights!
