Love to knit or do you prefer whitewater rafting?
Maybe you love to sell your jewelry on Etsy or you give scrapbooks to your family as gifts each Christmas.
Whatever it is that you – and your co-workers – love to do on your time off, one of the most surprising ways to learn more about your co-workers is to discover their hobbies.
For example, maybe you’ll find out that the soft spoken receptionist for the sales department loves to scream out rock and roll songs at the neighborhood karaoke bar. Or you’ll learn that your “tough as nails” supervisor has won the Annual Chili Cook-off for the past three years running.
When you take the time to share your hobby with others you deepen their understanding of what you enjoy which can increase their appreciation for who you are as a team member.
Why it’s important to choose a hobby
While some hobbies are more expensive than others (e.g. collecting antique cars), all of them offer many benefits with little to no drawbacks.
Can relieve stress
Hobbies allow us to disengage from our everyday work and other obligations, relieving stress and helping to rejuvenate our minds and our bodies.
Challenge your brain
While some hobbies require more thought than others (e.g. playing chess) when you ask your brain to do something different, such as learning a new hobby, it stimulates your mind and forces it to form new thought patterns.
Allow you to leave a legacy
A homemade quilt, passed down through the family, a story about your childhood, a scrapbook filled with your dreams, travels, family photos and stories…all of these are wonderful ways to leave a legacy for the generations that follow you.
And they’re all a type of hobby that is easily learned and can also be passed down from generation to generation.
Make a little extra cash if you want
Whether your goal is to make your hobby pay for itself, or you’d like to earn some extra income doing what you love, hobbies can be an enjoyable way to make money.
If you have a hobby that you love to do, use this month – National Hobby Month – as a good excuse to share that information with your co-workers.
You may find out that one or more of them have similar interests outside of work, or each of you may be entirely different. It doesn’t really matter what kinds of hobbies you enjoy, the most important thing is taking the time to learn more about each other and find ways to forge connections that help you function together as a well oiled machine.
