Scheduling 'Free Time' May Circumvent Enjoyment

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Do you feel like too much of your life is scheduled?

A new study says maybe you should back off a bit on planning when it comes to your free time.

The research showed that if you're scheduling fun things, like going to the coffee shop or browsing a bookstore, you might not enjoy them as much as if you were a little more spontaneous.

"It becomes a part of our to-do list. As an outcome, they become less enjoyable," Selin A. Malkoc, one of the study's authors, told the Washington Post. "When scheduled, leisure tasks feel less free-flowing and more forced — which is what robs them of their utility."