Work and Hobbies: You Can Embrace Both
Work and hobbies don’t seem to go together. Hobbies are usually things people do for fun and for themselves. Work is thought of as the thing that is not fun, wears you out, and is only done because you need to make money to live. It’s a sad reality that work has developed that kind of reputation for so many.
Not everybody has that opinion of work, but when you’re forced to work 40 plus hours a week, it can be draining, especially when work eats up all the time you would rather spend engaging in the hobby that you thoroughly enjoy and feeds your soul.
What if you were told that you can do both and be happy? Work is work, but it shouldn’t take away from you enjoying life in it’s fullness. Sure you have to be up early for work tomorrow, but perhaps it’s time to live a little and have a hobby that keeps you up later than 10 o’clock. It’s ultimately your choice, but if you want to know how you can embrace work and hobbies, here are some things you can do:
Cut Back on Hours at the Office
It’s time to really evaluate your life and circumstances right now. You might think that you need to work 40 hours a week, plus all of the overtime you can get so that you can afford the home you live in and the car you drive and that vacation once or twice a year, but really think about what you’re spending money on and think if it is worth your time spent at work and your happiness.
Maybe you don’t need to work as much as you think you do. Just consider it. Maybe you can cut back on hours at the office, spend more time doing creative things, and just chill with your family. You might not need as much as you think you need, and less time doing what you hate and more time doing what you love might just change the entire paradigm of how you view your life.
Just Do Something
Many people don’t even try to go out and find a hobby for themselves because they’re stuck in a mindset that they always have to answer to work. That’s valid, but just because you have work the next morning doesn’t mean you can’t spend a Tuesday night taking a salsa lesson until ten or learning a new foreign language.
When you were in school, you were the master of combining hobbies with work. Just because you’re older doesn’t mean you should lose that drive to experience life and do what you want to do. Next time somebody asks if you want to audition for a play or take a painting class, don’t say no. Pick up knitting, join a karate class, or take a partner dance class with your spouse or friends. It will give you a new zest for life and an excitement for how you can bring that new life into work.
Work And Hobbies Balance Can Lead To More
And if you have a passion to pursue something, it doesn’t mean you have to quit work. You can get some awesome ideas on side hustles and how to start working part time on your dreams at these recent Ms Career Girl articles:
Side Hustle Gold: Four Inspiring Women’s Stories
Five Ways to Turn Your Hobby Into a Side Hustle
Images: Balance Richard Stephenson Joy kristin klein
