Enjoy Life, One Moment at a Time: Daily Activities & Experiential Well-Being

Health and aging scholars have long been interested in the relationship among physical activity, leisure, and satisfaction with life. Research suggests that productive engagement with physical activity enhances quality of life and happiness in older adults. Likewise, participation in leisure activities such as attending concerts, shopping, going to the movies, dining in restaurants, and visiting friends and relatives contributes to greater subjective well-being. One recent Polish study examined the relationship between the type and relative importance of a broad range of activities and a sense of enjoyment and experiential well-being in 200 community-dwelling adults 65 and better.

The author used the Experiential Sampling Method (ESM) to explore the association between activity enjoyment and 1,809 daily activities, including their subjective assessment by study participants vis-à-vis experienced stress, activity importance, and the level of effort involved. Short (approximately 3-minute) twice-daily telephone interviews were used to collect activity reports from participants. Activity-level study measures included type of activity and the presence of others during the activity (e.g., family or friends). Individual-level measures included satisfaction with life in general, age, gender, income, perceived health, marital status, parenthood status, and area of residence. The authors found that the most enjoyable activities were those that nurtured spiritual or social connectedness such as religious practice, childcare, and socializing with friends. Going on walks and taking care of pets and animals were also on the list of most enjoyable activities. Running errands, using medical services, and caring for adults were the least enjoyable activities, and were also associated with higher levels of stress. Overall, a higher level of enjoyment predicted a higher satisfaction with life in general.

Given the small sample size of 200 adults, this study is not representative of the entire older adult population. However, it highlights how even those in poor health can still enjoy daily activities, particularly when carried out in the presence of friends or by alternating challenging activities such as physical exercise with more relaxing ones such as enjoying an interesting book.

 

Want to keep up with recent research that’s relevant to aging services? Use the form below to subscribe to our monthly InvestigAge email.

 

SOURCE:

Jarosz, E. (2021). What makes life enjoyable at an older age? Experiential wellbeing, daily activities, and satisfaction with life in general. Aging & Mental Health, 1-11.

URL: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13607863.2021.1916879

Self-Fulfilling ProphecyHow Perceptions of Aging Affect Our Later Years

Learn how older adults’ perceptions of aging—and their self-perceptions—can have serious effects on their health, behaviors, and even longevity.

Download FREE Copy
twitterlinkedinFacebookmail

    Add insight to your inbox

    Join our email list to receive information about the latest research from Mather Institute. Just complete the form below to subscribe.

    Thank you!

    You are now subscribed to the email list.
    A confirmation has been sent to the email you provided.

    Continue to Website Share with a Friend
    Close