When you think about wealth, you might picture yourself pulling up in a new car or wafting around a sprawling apartment. These are things you can possibly afford when you have a fat paycheck from a fancy job. You work hard, seek high-paying career moves, log long nights and weekends — and have a lot to show for it as a result.
Financial wealth is a goal many people strive for, but according to TikTok, it isn’t the only way to be rich.
“There’s a type of wealth not a lot of people talk about, and most high-earners don’t have it,” creator @lhuijuni.ldn says in a viral clip. “There’s a concept in psychology called ‘time affluence’ — and it completely changed how I think about wealth.”
Time affluence is the feeling that you have enough time to do the things you want, like taking an art class on Tuesday nights, sleeping in on Saturdays, and meeting up with friends on Sundays. It’s so important that some studies show people who are time rich are happier than those who earn more money but are constantly bogged down by work.
“Once your basic [financial] needs are met, money stops being the main driver of your well-being,” the creator went on to say. In other words, at a certain point, it doesn’t matter how much you make. “What really matters is whether you feel in control of your time.” Below, three experts share how to get your life back and feel rich in the process.
