Research commissioned by Immediate and conducted by psychologists at the University of Sussex, reveals the profound connections between people’s leisure activities and their emotional states and overall wellbeing.

The Joy Test, which had nearly 10,000 respondents across two quantitative surveys and six focus groups, explored the emotional impact of taking part in selected popular leisure activities, including those in some of Immediate’s core content areas: gardening, cooking and baking, and TV and radio consumption. It also examined what, if any, emotional impact engagement with Immediate’s brands had on people’s interaction with their leisure activities.

The research reveals that people’s chosen leisure activities provide profound psychological benefits that go far beyond simply passing the time, with respondents reporting a range of positive emotional, mental, and personal benefits – including increased levels of joy, wellbeing, and personal fulfilment.

Analysis focused on some of Immediate’s key content areas – gardening, cooking and baking, TV viewing, radio listening – showed the more brand touchpoints people had engaged with, the more joy, intrinsic motivation, perceived competence, flow, and immersion they experienced in relation to their chosen activity. The key findings when comparing preferences for the four key leisure activities are:

1. Gardening and cooking support joy, flow states and wellbeing

2. Media consumption provides relaxation, knowledge, and connection

3. Brand touchpoints amplify psychological experience

4. Social connection around activities supports wellbeing

5. Social media scrolling brings the least joy

Sean Cornwell, CEO, Immediate, says: “The Joy Test provides invaluable data showing that our brands are not merely content providers, but facilitators of deep psychological wellbeing and personal fulfilment. The clear correlation between engaging with multiple touchpoints and a greater sense of joy, competence, and flow is a powerful validation of our multi-platform strategy and our wider mission of helping people get more from the things they love.”

Professor Robin Banerjee, Professor of Developmental Psychology at the University of Sussex, who led this work, says: “The Joy Test provides compelling evidence that an important key to psychological fulfilment and wellbeing could lie in simply being intentional with our leisure activities. These findings underscore the importance of dedicating time to hobbies that are emotionally rewarding and socially enriching. The research highlights the profound, and often unseen, contribution of media brands that support aspirational leisure activities, guiding consumers beyond mere passive consumption to active personal growth.”