The real national pastime isn’t baseball. If you go by how Americans actually spend their leisure time, it’s something even slower: watching TV.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ American Time Use Survey, Americans spend nearly three hours a day watching television, making it the country’s most popular leisure activity. Among retirees, that number rises to more than four hours a day.
“Unfortunately, many people think they’re going to be someone different in retirement, but they’re not. In fact, it’s you times two,” says Robert Laura, founder of the Retirement Coaches Association.
Sign up for Kiplinger’s Free E-Newsletters
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice on investing, taxes, retirement, personal finance and more - straight to your e-mail.
Profit and prosper with the best of expert advice - straight to your e-mail.
That’s because even after leaving work, many retirees fall into familiar routines, convinced they’ll have more time later. This is a common psychological bias known as future time slack.
But free time in retirement isn’t unlimited. Look closely at how retirees spend their time, and it adds up to roughly 1,000 hours a year of meaningful, discretionary time.
When it comes to building a fulfilling retirement, research and experts say that how you spend your time can be just as important as how you spend your money. And for the four million Americans reaching retirement age each year, the clock is already ticking.
What is the “rule of 1,000 hours” in retirement?
The American Time Use Survey (ATUS) tracks how Americans spend their hours each day. It shows that the average adult enjoys about five hours of leisure time per day, or around 1,800 hours a year.
But not all of that time is high-quality. A closer look shows that the largest share is spent on passive activities like watching TV, scrolling online and casual socializing. When you account for how much leisure time is absorbed by low-effort habits, the truly discretionary, meaningful time — the kind you can intentionally spend on hobbies, passions, travel, volunteering or learning new skills — shrinks to about 1,000 hours a year.
And that’s just an estimate. Unexpected obligations, caregiving needs or health issues can chip away at it even further. That’s why the “rule of 1,000 hours” offers a more realistic framework: It’s the amount of time retirees can reasonably expect to control and use with purpose each year.
Arguably, that time may be more valuable than money. As the authors of one academic paper put it, “Time is a precious commodity in later life, made even more so by challenging post-retirement circumstances.”
When free time becomes a challenge
Many people underestimate the hidden losses that come with leaving work.
“You lose more than you gain in retirement,” says Laura.
While retirees gain time, they can also lose routine, structure, social connection, mental stimulation and a sense of purpose. As Laura notes, “Golfing, fishing or watching the grandkids doesn’t replace all of those things.” In fact, his research shows that 76% of retirees have seen someone struggle with the transition, and 51% say it takes longer than a year to adjust.
This helps explain why millions of retirees return to work after stepping away. According to T. Rowe Price, about half (48%) of retirees who work say they need to for financial reasons, while a similar share (45%) chose to work for social and emotional benefits.
Psychologists have also found that too much unstructured free time can actually lower well-being. A study published by the American Psychological Association reported that while well-being rises with more free time, it peaks around two hours per day and begins to decline when people have more than five discretionary hours daily.
However, other retirees encounter the opposite problem, Laura adds. “Some retirees say they’re busier than ever, but the tasks are meaningless. Over time, that leaves them feeling used rather than helpful.”
Awareness is the first step. The next is creating a plan for how you’ll spend your time in retirement, just as carefully as you planned for your finances.
Making the most of your 1,000 hours
Financial experts agree that a retirement plan works best when it’s built around more than just numbers.
“When you stop working, you lose not just a paycheck but also a built-in schedule. That structure has to be replaced with something meaningful,” says Melissa Caro, CFP® and founder of My Retirement Network.
She works with clients to brainstorm how they want to spend their days. “Once they map out an ideal week or month, we can align the financial plan around it. When time, money and purpose are in sync, that’s when retirement feels truly fulfilling.”
Research backs this up. A 2022 study published in Acta Psychologica found that retirees who proactively prepare for life after work report more engagement in leisure activities, higher well-being and lower levels of stress.
Not all activities deliver the same benefits. A 2020 study identifies three clusters — physical, intellectual and social activities — that are linked to better mental and physical health outcomes later in life. Staying active, learning new skills and maintaining strong social connections can help retirees thrive far beyond just filling time.
That requires being intentional with how you use your time, says Jan Valecka, CFP® and principal of Valecka Wealth Management, who advises clients to dream five to 10 years ahead and budget for experiences like travel. “If they have the money set aside, they’re more likely to take the trip and not feel guilty about spending it. We spend a lot of time encouraging clients who have done a good job saving to enjoy their money, because either they’ll go first class — or their kids will.”
Laura also recommends writing down what the perfect retirement schedule looks like. “It helps people realize how much time they need to fill — and how quickly retirement can start to feel like a Groundhog Day scenario if they don’t plan.”
It’s a fitting reference. In the 1993 film, Bill Murray’s character famously asks: “What would you do if you were stuck in one place and every day was exactly the same and nothing that you did mattered?”
Perhaps that desire to avoid reliving the same life over and over is why two-thirds (66%) of today’s retirees say they prefer trying new things in their leisure time versus doing things they’ve already experienced.
Workers most often associate retirement with the word “freedom.” How you spend those 1,000 hours is ultimately up to you. If a movie marathon on TV happens to be your activity of choice, you might catch The Lord of the Rings airing during the holidays. And maybe, amid the adventure, you’ll hear the wizard Gandalf’s wise reminder:
“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
More Retirement Rules
-
Six Reasons to Disinherit Someone and How to Do ItWhether you're navigating a second marriage, dealing with an estranged relative or leaving your assets to charity, there are reasons to disinherit someone. Here's how.
-
Should You Still Wait Until 70 to Claim Social Security?Delaying Social Security until age 70 will increase your benefits. But with shortages ahead, and talk of cuts, is there a case for claiming sooner?
