Tips for Managers: The Value of Hobbies
Even if you love nothing more than getting down 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 every now and then is extremely important, and engaging in a hobby is a great way of doing this.
Be it collecting something, marital arts, reading, climbing, or working out, whatever you decide to go for, hobbies are intrinsically linked with learning and, therefore, both 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 quite frankly, unfair at times. Navigating the modern workspace is tough, especially if you’re a leader suffering from burnout.
This isn’t a great look when you’re trying to inspire your employees or lead a team toward success.
Avoiding burnout means distancing yourself from work when you get the opportunity and what better way to do this than to indulge in a hobby that you love?
Many incredibly successful CEOs and leaders like to explore their hobbies, and they love to share their passion with others. This passion reflects in their work – check out Mike Savage New Canaan for a perfect example.
Losing yourself down a new path of discovery for a while can be a delightful stressbuster, especially if it lets you disconnect from the digital world for a while, like reading, boxing, swimming, or painting.
Keeping Your Mind Dexterous
Mental dexterity is a must-have for leaders and managers, especially those who regularly need to make impactful decisions in the blink of an eye.
If you don’t get enough external input (from something other than work-related issues), then you might find your brain has a harder time staying engaged.
Staying alert and engaged is tough if you aren’t fulfilled enough by work, so picking up a hobby that manages to interest you in different ways can fill in the gaps. For example, if you feel like you don’t have the right kind of 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 that the world has to offer. 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 a range of different inputs.
Making Connections
Hobbies are a great way to meet people, and as you’ll likely know as a manager, networking is an important part of modern business.
It is, however, 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 in a direction away from your job.
This way, you don’t have to have work on your mind all the time, 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 rather not go the physically active route, you could always join a book club.
Gaming can also be an incredibly social endeavor, especially if you choose to play titles that place the emphasis on 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 on a regular basis 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 incredibly serious, and it needs to be taken seriously if you’re battling it. There is real science behind the idea that hobbies can improve mental health, so if you’re struggling right now, then taking up 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, and that includes 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 better enjoy your experiences.
Martial arts are a good example of this, as are reading and writing. Remember, hobbies aren’t mutually exclusive; there’s no limit to what you can try out, so don’t hold back when you’re searching for a new path to explore.
You may get the opportunity to explore a totally 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 end up making you a much stronger candidate in the process. People who have hobbies are interesting, and people who are interesting 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 at all.
Hobbies like soccer and hiking are great ways of staying fit and meeting new people, and it may help you see a bit more of the world while you’re at it.
Managers need to be physically able to take on the toll of long days and difficult problems, and without the right level of fitness, this can be a real struggle.
A Healthy Work/Life Balance
Everyone is striving to find that ideal work/life balance – it’s vital for avoiding burnout and losing sight of your personal goals.
Managers that need to take on a wide range of responsibilities at any given time are likely going to struggle with finding that balance if they don’t have an avenue in which to relax and take their minds off the situation.
Time away from work is important, and if you fill that time with something you love, it won’t feel like wasted time at all.
Workaholics often struggle with tasks that aren’t directly involved with work, but this only serves to reiterate 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 real confidence to do this, and the more you do it, the more your confidence will grow – it’s a cycle of goodness that anyone who’s suffering from a lack of confidence can benefit from. If managers lack confidence, they might lack the authorities voice necessary to successfully pilot a team.
When they do have confidence, they can thrive in today’s world.
