No Playing Around: Why Having Hobbies is Crucial

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“Find three hobbies you love.
One to make you money.
One to keep you in shape.
One to be creative.”

The busiest of us might say we have no time for hobbies, and others may think they are nothing more than a distraction from what matters, but studies show there’s no more room for excuses.

The benefits of having hobbies include:

1. Helping structure your time.

Setting goals can be a great way of not just making sure you take the time to work on your hobby, but of providing a real sense of achievement. You don’t need to set deadlines, that’s the whole point, but structuring stages in the evolution of your hobby can certainly leave you with a feeling of pride.

2. Improving job performance.

An article published in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology by San Francisco State University’s Kevin Eschleman found that, when an employee and their colleagues were asked to describe an employee’s performance, as well as their interactions in the office, they found that those who undertook creative pursuits outside of work were ranked 15% to 30% higher than those who didn’t.

3. Making you more interesting.

Only being able to talk about work can make for some awkward social interactions. What’s more, meeting people with similar interests can result in friendship, and a new way of expanding your hobby.

4. Giving you a chance/reason to relax.

Might this be the most important reason to have a hobby? Creativity can provide an avenue of recovery after a long day of work, while simultaneously helping you prepare for the next. Simple.

Below is our version of the ‘hobby trilogy’:

Hobbies_Venn

What works for us with our hobbies, as it does in all aspects of our life, is finding a balance between challenge, growth, and love.

Challenge/Growth might include learning a new language.

Love/Growth could mean listening to a podcast.

Challenge/Love might be found in writing a book.

And if you can find a hobby that combines all three? Even better.

What are your hobbies? How do you balance your time between hobbies and work? Let us know in the comments.

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