Time Affluence

Time affluence is a critical concept for well-being, representing the opposite of time famine, which is the subjective feeling of having too little time. Shane Parrish, with insights from Laurie Santos, highlights that time famine triggers stress responses similar to actual famine. It impairs well-being by making people feel rushed and stressed, as they constantly triage their activities and miss out on social connections: 1.

Strategies to achieve time affluence include doing less to create free time and using discretionary income to buy back time. For example, purchasing pre-cut vegetables or hiring help for routine tasks can free up time, leading to greater happiness. Reframing current expenditures as time-saving can also improve one's sense of well-being: 1.

For further exploration, see the episode "Evidence-Based Strategies for Being Happy with Laurie Santos" on the The Knowledge Project 1.