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Why It Helps Moms to Have Something Just for Themselves

A research study shows that a mother’s emotional well-being is closely linked to how her daily life is structured—work, home time, and personal activities. When moms feel happier and more balanced, they connect better with their children.

PSYCHOLOGY INSIGHTS

7/26/20231 min read

a candle sitting on top of a bathtub next to a window

1. What the Study Looked At

Researchers studied how motherhood and different types of work schedules affect a woman’s daily emotional well-being. They used data from the UK Time Use Survey, where women wrote down:

what they did every day
how much they enjoyed each activity

Women were grouped into:

mothers vs. non-mothers
full-time workers
part-time workers
homemakers
mothers on maternity leave

The researchers compared these groups to see how work and motherhood together influence daily happiness.

2. What They Found

1) Mothers reported more enjoyment

Overall, mothers showed higher emotional well-being than women without children.

2) But work schedule changed the results

When researchers looked at job type, the “motherhood happiness boost” became much smaller. This means work–life structure has a big influence.

3) Part-time work or home-based roles were linked to greater enjoyment

Mothers who worked part-time, stayed at home, or were on maternity leave had the highest enjoyment levels.

4) Full-time working moms enjoyed motherhood—but work itself was less enjoyable

Full-time moms still reported more enjoyment than full-time non-mothers, but:

they spent less time working, and
work ranked among the least enjoyable activities.

3. What This Means for Everyday Life

Being a mom can feel emotionally rich and meaningful — when the daily routine allows space for joy and balance.
It’s not only being a mother that affects well-being; it’s how life is arranged: workload, free time, home time, and personal space.
Full-time moms who feel stressed can benefit from shifting even a bit of their time toward activities they enjoy.
All moms benefit emotionally when they include hobbies, social time, or fulfilling work in their weekly life.
When moms feel better emotionally, they become more present, calmer, and more connected with their children — improving family well-being overall.

Reference

Keldenich, C. (2021). Work, motherhood and women’s affective well-being. Review of Economics of the Household, 20, 1345–1375. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11150-021-09588-1