Why we are happier at work than at home

Sharon Ni Chonchuir looks at new research that suggests people are less stressed in their jobs than at home, bringing a whole new meaning to the work-life balance debate.

NEW research suggests we have been looking at the work-life balance in the wrong way. Work may represent more than just a means of paying the bills — many of us feel happier there than we do at home.

Those of you who were secretly relieved to return to work after the summer holidays will have already realised this. While colleagues count down the hours until they clock out, you see work as a refuge, a place where you are less stressed than you are at home.