Let’s be honest. There is a control freak in every one of us—the one who won’t let anyone else touch our PowerPoint presentation, clean our house, or even buy our toilet paper. In some instances, being in control is a good thing, but according to a survey by Real Simple, it may also be at the expense of our happiness.
The survey reached 3,230 women between the ages 25 to 54. After collating the participants' answers, researchers found that there are more than a handful of tasks that women have trouble letting go of. In fact, nearly half of the women answered that they wouldn’t ask anybody else to clean their house even if they could afford it. Meanwhile, more than two-thirds wouldn’t hire anyone else to take care of their children even if it’s in the budget.
Now being responsible is by no means a bad characteristic, but taking on too much responsibility can take a toll on overall happiness. The survey revealed that 55 percent of women who delegated tasks to their spouses at least once a week were more satisfied with their lives, while only 43 percent of those who stay in charge of everything reported the same satisfaction.
What does this mean? Should we leave everything in the hands of our assistants or our spouses? That probably isn’t a good idea. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t let a few things go. Buying groceries or cleaning the kitchen—perhaps we can delegate these tasks to somebody else. After all, we have to take responsibility for our own happiness as well.
For more on happiness, check these out on FN:
(Photo by Mathias / Afroboof via Flickr Creative Commons)
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