Leisure Guilt

Across four studies, we investigate a novel psychological construct: leisure guilt-the feeling of guilt or unease about spending time leisurely rather than productively-and examine its links to daily leisure and well-being. In Studies 1a to 1c, we developed and validated the Leisure Guilt Proneness (LGP) Scale, which is internally consistent, stable over time, and predictive of poorer leisure experiences and lower well-being. In Study 2, we employed the experience sampling method to capture leisure guilt dynamics in everyday life. On average, people experienced leisure guilt during 14% of leisure occasions, with higher rates among women, individuals with lower socioeconomic status, and younger adults. Leisure type also mattered: leisure guilt was more common during solitary than social leisure. Lastly, individuals high in LGP reported experiencing reduced psychological benefits from leisure. Our findings identify leisure guilt as a potential barrier to the psychological benefits of leisure and daily well-being.