Science says the more you give, the happier you'll be (hint: it's not money)

Let me tell you about Jason.

Jason leads a team of 15 and prides himself on being extremely productive. He gets up before dawn, following a strict routine as he heads to the office before the rest of the family is up. Throughout the day, he responds to most emails and Slack messages within minutes, and gets through a long day at work before heading home.

But not everyone on Jason's team likes his management style.

"He's never available to talk," says a team member. "Email is one thing...but it's nearly impossible to have a face-to-face conversation. He's just too busy."

It's not just Jason's team that feels this; her family often feels neglected. It's not intentional, there just isn't enough time in the day. Work comes first, resulting in many missed family dinners, football games, and dance recitals.

Recently, Jason had an epiphany. After some serious self-reflection, he realized he had clung to a priceless gift, a gift he needed to start sharing with others.

The gift was his time.

Giving time to others is a simple way to get the most out of your relationships, which is a key benefit of emotional intelligence, the ability to understand and manage emotions. Let's see why time is more valuable than money, what research has to say about donating your time, and how it can help you feel more happy.

(If you find value in the principle of "giving time", you might be interested in my course on emotional intelligence, which includes 20 additional rules that help you develop your emotional intelligence. Check out the course here.)

“The most precious resource we all have is time,” said Steve Jobs. He was right, of course; there is always more money to be made. But the time is over; once it's gone, it's gone.

That's why it's so important to live with intention when it comes to spending your time. In a time when everything seems to be fighting for your attention, it's all too easy to spend time in a way you'll later regret. On the other hand, when you share your time with others, you value them. This leads to stronger, deeper relationships...which, in turn, leads to a greater sense of commitment and happiness.

There is research to back this up.

For example, research firm Gallup found that employees whose managers held regular meetings with them were almost three times more likely to be engaged at work than their counterparts who didn't have regular meetings. Employees who communicated daily with their managers were the most engaged.

But responding to emails is one thing; showing a personal interest is another. The Gallup study also found that employees valued communication, not only about their roles and responsibilities, but also in their lives outside of work.

Of course, this type of investment takes time. But it's time well spent.

But what about our personal lives?

In a study by psychologists at the University of Zurich, participants were tasked with meeting three people they liked over the course of a week, to give them a “gift of time.” (The gift had to be more than the time they would normally spend with each person). Compared to another group who wrote their memories in a daily journal, the "time givers" reported greater happiness. The longer they continued the practice, the more happiness they reported.

You can do the same.

This week, why not plan your own time? Just pick someone you'd like to spend some of your time with, then plan to do something with that person that you wouldn't...