Tips for Managers: The Value of Hobbies
Even if you love nothing more than diving into the depths of the business world or you’ve got a burning passion for working, having a hobby to lose yourself in during your free time has some amazing benefits that should be explored.
Managers tend to have a lot on their plate (which, of course, you’ll already know), so learning how to relax and escape from work now and then is extremely important, and engaging in a hobby is an excellent way of doing this.
Whether collecting something, marital arts, reading, climbing, or working out, whatever you decide to go for, hobbies are intrinsically linked with learning and, therefore, personal and professional development.
Tips for Managers: The Value of Hobbies
If you feel like now is the right time to pursue a new hobby (or pick up an old one), but you’re worried that it’s not a productive enough way to spend your time, it’s worth taking a look at some of the benefits you can relish from doing so.
Stress-Relief
Modern life is stressful. It’s fast-paced, highly connected, and, frankly, unfair sometimes. Navigating the contemporary workspace is challenging, especially if you’re a leader suffering from burnout.
This isn’t a great look when trying to inspire your employees or lead a team toward success.
Avoiding burnout means distancing yourself from work when you get the opportunity. What better way to do this than to indulge in a hobby you love?
Many incredibly successful CEOs and leaders like to explore their hobbies and love to share their passions with others. This passion is reflected in their work—check out Mike Savage, New Canaan, for a perfect example.
Losing yourself in a new path of discovery for a while can be a delightful stressbuster, especially if it lets you disconnect from the digital world, like reading, boxing, swimming, or painting.
Keeping Your Mind Dexterous
Mental agility is a must for leaders and managers, especially those who regularly need to make impactful decisions quickly.
If you don’t get enough external input (from something other than work-related issues), then you might find your brain has a more challenging time staying engaged.
Staying alert and engaged is tough if you aren’t fulfilled enough by work, so picking up a hobby that interests you differently can fill the gaps. For example, if you don’t have the proper role or space to connect with your creative side, you could think about picking up a hobby like writing, painting, or playing an instrument.
A hobby can help your mind engage with the full spectrum of wonder the world offers. It’s important to note that no matter how much you love work, it’s still just working at the end of the day – a happy and healthy life requires various inputs.
Making Connections
Hobbies are a great way to meet people, and as you’ll likely know as a manager, networking is an integral part of modern business.
However, it is a great way to make friends outside of the working environment. Seeing the same people day in and day out has its benefits, but it’s important to widen your support group away from your job.
This way, you don’t have to have work on your mind constantly, even when you’re just trying to hang out with your friends. Playing team sports like soccer, baseball, and football can help you find these new connections, or if you’d instead not go the physically active route, you could always join a book club.
Gaming can also be incredibly social, especially if you play titles that emphasize teamwork.
Whatever you decide to go for, it’s important to remember that having a life outside of work is a must.
For managers (who typically need to rely on good people skills), making connections and interacting with others regularly can be superb methods of growing their soft skills. The more people you meet, the better you’ll be at socializing and interacting with other individuals in the first place.
Fighting Depression
Depression is severe, and it needs to be taken seriously if you’re battling it. There is actual science behind the idea that hobbies can improve mental health, so if you’re struggling right now, a new hobby could be a way to start improving your situation.
It might feel like taking up a hobby is the last thing you want to do if you’re suffering from depression, but it’s certainly worth thinking about for its many potential health benefits. Don’t let social stigma get in the way of exploring a new hobby either – everything should be for everyone, including you.
Bolstering Your Knowledge and Understanding
Learning a new hobby can help you discover more about yourself, the world around you, and the people who live there.
A greater understanding of yourself can be a huge business advantage, but it can also help you enjoy your experiences more.
As are reading and writing, martial arts are an excellent example of this. Remember, hobbies aren’t mutually exclusive; there’s no limit to what you can try out, so don’t hold back when searching for a new path to explore.
You may get the opportunity to explore a new field and relish all the knowledge that comes with that. Say, for example, you specialize in accounting and have never had an opportunity to think about the creative side of advertising – taking art classes may be a way to fill in gaps in your knowledge.
This could make you a much stronger candidate in the process. People who have hobbies are fascinating, and interesting people get jobs!
Staying Fit and Healthy
Active hobbies can help you stay fit and healthy, and better yet, if you’re enjoying yourself, it doesn’t even feel like a chore.
Hobbies like soccer and hiking are great ways of staying fit and meeting new people, and they may help you see a bit more of the world while you’re at it.
Managers need to be physically able to handle long days and difficult problems, and without the right level of fitness, this can be a real struggle.
A Healthy Work/Life Balance
Everyone strives to find the ideal work/life balance. It’s vital to avoid burnout and not lose sight of personal goals.
Managers who need to take on a wide range of responsibilities at any given time are likely to struggle with finding that balance if they don’t have an avenue to relax and take their minds off the situation.
Time away from work is essential; filling that time with something you love won’t feel like wasted time.
Workaholics often struggle with tasks that aren’t directly involved with work, but this only reiterates the importance of a good hobby. The more you have in your life that’s not work-related, the more complete a picture of living you’ll benefit from.
Increasing Your Confidence
Hobbies involve learning new skills and knowledge. It takes absolute confidence to do this, and the more you do it, the more your confidence will grow – it’s a cycle of goodness that anyone suffering from a lack of confidence can benefit from. Managers lacking confidence might lack the authority to pilot a team successfully.
When they do have confidence, they can thrive in today’s world.
