What you do in your free time can affect your performance in the workplace. While baking cookies or training for a marathon might not seem related to your job, they're hobbies that can improve your professional skills and abilities. Even if a hobby doesn't add a skill set, it could recharge you enough to give you better workplace performance. Find out which hobbies you can take up to help you at work.
If you already practice yoga, you may already know that this activity can improve your work performance. One of the main benefits of yoga is that it teaches mindfulness and self-awareness. By doing yoga regularly, you can be more in tune with yourself and learn how to better cope with your emotions.
When you're self-aware, you can analyze your strengths and weaknesses. Then, you can use that knowledge to create a plan for improvement. Furthermore, yoga teaches techniques like meditation. On a stressful workday, meditation could be the key to remaining calm and focused. Many yoga practitioners feel as if they deal with challenges better thanks to yoga.
There's also the issue of sleep. Yoga has a tendency to help individuals sleep better. And with more sleep, people perform better. Regardless of the type of yoga you do, you can enjoy a long list of benefits.
Whether you're a musical protege or you've never touched an instrument in your life, playing an instrument is one way to improve your work performance. There are several lessons you learn through music that translate well to the workplace.
For instance, musicians know that practicing really does lead to perfection. When you first pick up an instrument, you can barely use it. But daily or weekly practice quickly makes you a talented musician. When you're at work, you can apply the same concept. If you fail at a new task, you'll be less discouraged in knowing that practice will eventually lead to success.
All musicians need to have strong listening skills. As you learn how to play your instrument of choice, you develop an ear for listening. In the workplace, you use these listening skills to impress your boss and to be a better team player. No matter what job you have, strong listening skills will help you.
Finally, there's the development of creativity. When someone plays an instrument, they express their creativity. This creativity can help you think outside of the box in the workplace. As you become more creative, you're able to improve problem-solving and come up with ideas that impress others.
Any volunteer opportunity is likely to help your career along. When you volunteer, you learn new skills. Some of these skills transfer to the workplace. For instance, you might volunteer as a schedule coordinator at an animal shelter. This role would help you build leadership and organizational skills.
Volunteering also gives you a sense of community. Putting the needs of someone else above your own comes with a sense of satisfaction. At work, you might start thinking more of your team and your collaborative goals. It won't be long before a manager realizes you're such a good team player.
It doesn't hurt that hiring managers often see volunteering as a desirable trait. When you're ready for a new job, your volunteer experience shines brightly on your resume. Similarly, your manager might see you volunteering as a reason to consider you for a promotion.
When you work with others, there's bound to be conflict. Unfortunately, many people struggle to work as a team. By joining a team sport, you can better prepare yourself for collaboration in the workplace. You probably won't like everyone on your team, but you develop the ability to overcome differences and relate to anyone.
If you take a leadership role on the team, you can use those skills to be more of a leader at work. Even if you're not the team captain, you can practice motivating your teammates and encouraging growth.
Team sports require physical activity, which has several benefits. Exercise improves mental health because it changes your levels of serotonin and stress hormones. After a rough day at work, playing a sport can help you let go of your troubles.
Improv classes aren't just fun. By doing improv, you learn how to think on the spot. At work, you won't be caught silent when someone says something unexpected. The creativity nurtured during improv can help you make more of an impact on your company's leadership.
Oftentimes, people are nervous about doing improv. But once you start doing it, you learn to let go of your concerns about what everyone else thinks. Letting go of those concerns means you'll be more open to pitching your own ideas at work.
If you want to be good at improv, you need to listen well. As you might expect, this skill helps you be a better worker. After a few months of improv classes, you might find that you pay more attention at meetings and interact better with your coworkers.
Taking up this hobby might bring joy to your spouse or kids, but it can also help you at work. Sure, you can bring in your cookies to impress your coworkers or boss. But you can also use the activity to develop some new skills. For one, you can learn organizational and time management skills. The next time you feel overwhelmed at work, your newfound skills will come in handy.
As an extra benefit, cooking or baking is a stress reliever. If you're someone who enjoys spending time in the kitchen, you can use it as a way to unwind after work. The smiles you get from people eating your creations can also boost your mood.
No matter what hobby you have, you can find a way to use it to improve your work performance. When you enjoy yourself outside of work, you tend to be a better employee. So, if you don't already have a hobby, it may be a good time to find one.
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