It sounds counter-productive to make time for your hobbies when you’re growing in your career. However, when stress is high, the tunnel vision methodology can burn you out. Most successful employees, even when they’re working past the 9-5 grind, dedicate time to a hobby.
Yes, we get it. You’ve hit a wall and are experiencing pandemic fatigue. It’s not just you. Many leaders are reconsidering their entire business models to achieve a work-life balance after the chaos of last year.
So, the next time you’re exhausted and bring extra work home with you, consider stepping back. If your new remote job is blurring the previously established boundaries of work and life, consider this a sign to add a new addition to your routine.
Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Facebook, spoke at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and said, “At Facebook we often ask [job candidates], ‘What is something that you’ve built that is outside of the jobs you’ve done?’ Often that’s one of the best ways people can show passion and leadership.” He continued, “I probably learned more coding from random side projects that I did than the courses I took in college.”
Hajmil Carr, President and CEO of TrueLine Publishing echoed the value of hobbies saying, “My hobbies are an integral part of my efficacy and performance at work because they are rooted in pure passion. By delving into practice regarding something that you truly care about, you learn mastery.”
Still unconvinced? Here are some other reasons:
Improves job performance
If you think that having a work/life balance is unrelated to your job performance, there are studies to prove you wrong. Taking up skills that don’t directly impact your job, indirectly impacts your overall aptitude. For example, people who read books have heightened brain activity, especially in the area of the brain associated with language reception. Exercising improves cognitive performance during the workday. People who pursue creative hobbies have been shown to have enhanced performance and problem-solving abilities. Studies have even found that playing video games provide cognitive benefits, like improved memory.
Outside of that, the obvious reason hobbies improve job performance is because it gives you a break from thinking about work. It’s a mental break, which most people need after spending 8-or-so hours working. Stress is a big issue and research has shown that employees with hobbies have a lower likelihood of experiencing burnout.
Networking
When you’re trying to find a way to build connections with people, it’s difficult when you exclusively live and breathe work. The main goal of networking is to create relationships. What do you have in common with the people you are trying to network with? It may be your favorite sports team, the type of pets you own or your favorite hiking location.
When you consider these things, it can make it easier to invite them out as a means of building a connection. The connections you build out on the golf course are going to be more memorable than the ones conducted in an office building.
Enhances your resume
It’s common for hiring managers to try to learn about your life outside of work during the interview process. What you do in your free time gives a small window into how you’ll fit into the company’s culture. While you shouldn’t choose hobbies with the sole intention of impressing an employer, it’s good to look at the stuff you already enjoy doing and expand upon it.
Finding silence between life and work can be difficult. It’s simple in that when you’re happy, you’re going to bring that to the workplace. If you can carve out time to focus on yourself the results will speak for themselves.