Whether it’s making a sweater for a friend’s newborn, going skiing, or taking ballet lessons, there are many well-documented benefits to having a pastime that you like. These include reduced stress and an increased sense of belonging and purpose.
Having a hobby is a great way to relax and enjoy life. But they can also make you a better worker. A licensed professional counselor named Rebecca Weiler claims that happiness overflows into one’s professional life when one is actively involved in and satisfied by one’s personal life, such as when one pursues significant hobbies. It has the potential to enhance your concentration and motivation while working.
The abilities you hone while enjoying your hobbies may not only improve your performance at work, but they may also make you more marketable to prospective employers. Weiler explains that employers may find individuals with hobbies like performing in improv groups appealing because of their ability to think on their feet and their comfort level while speaking in front of large audiences.
Accordingly, both your personal and professional lives can benefit by engaging in a pastime that you enjoy. But what if you’re not good at keeping yourself occupied? You have company. Weiler claims that many of her clients, particularly the younger generation, come to counseling in search of fulfilling pastimes.
Obviously, a large portion of the population is either uninterested in or unable to pursue any kind of recreational activity. They may yet be able to locate one, though. Anyone can jump on the hobby bandwagon, whether they’re twenty-five or eighty-five years old! If you’re having trouble settling on a pastime, consider the following suggestions.
- Turn a Past Interest into a Hobby.
Even if you don’t currently have a pastime, there’s probably something you enjoy doing occasionally. If you want to turn it into a serious passion, you only need to find the right approach. One thing that Weiler mentions is that she always asks individuals what they like to do for leisure. “What starts out as ‘eating’ or ‘watching sports’ can quickly transform into ‘taking cooking classes’ or ‘joining a softball team.’”
Determine how you can turn the things you currently like doing into hobbies. Got through all of Netflix’s stand-up specials… twice? Investigate improv classes. Do you find that playing fetch with Fido occupies the most time in your day? Consider participating in a rescue organization’s volunteer program. Do you enjoy perusing the internet for tidbits of pop culture trivia? Joining a quiz team might be fun.
Really, what matters is that you’re already pursuing your passions. Finding ways to expand upon your interests is the simplest approach to discover activities that you genuinely enjoy, which will in turn make you a more complete person and better employee.
- Rediscover What You Loved When You Were a Kid
Before adulting, life, and work got in the way, consider the things you used to love doing for fun.
How did you spend your time as a child? Have you ever spent a lot of time decorating the fridge with finger paintings? So, enrolling in an art class could be something to consider. Do you remember a time when you would dress up and put on performances for your friends? The next best thing would be to see a local acting company. On the other hand, if you’re the type of student who looked forward to Field Day all year long, you might want to consider joining a league for adult flag football or kickball.
Getting back into the swing of things as an adult might be as simple as picking up one of your favorite pastimes from when you were a youngster.
- Complete an assessment
For some, what may seem like the most enjoyable pastime might actually be quite painful, and vice versa. Most people’s favorite pastimes are those that play to their individual interests, skills, and character traits.
Several personality tests, says Weiler, can point you in the direction of potential enjoyable pastimes. Which two are the most efficient? Among these are the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, which can shed light on your personality type, and the Strong Interest Inventory, which can aid in the identification of important interests. By taking one of these tests, you can learn more about your interests and discover which ones are a good fit for your personality.
So, you could discover that you’re an ENFJ after taking the Myers-Briggs test. Volunteering for a nonprofit may appeal to the ENFJ’s sense of purpose because of the personality trait’s emphasis on social interaction, enthusiasm, and selflessness. On the other hand, if you’re an INTP, you put a premium on logic, therefore picking up programming languages and spending your leisure time creating video games and other computer software could be right up your alley.
The most important thing is to keep trying new things until you discover a pastime that you truly enjoy. Keep reaching out to people, building relationships, and trying new things until you find what truly excites you. The search for a satisfying pastime will lead you to a rewarding discovery; along the way, you will gain knowledge and make friends.
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