Most people aspire to be more productive; whether you’re trying to keep up with the tasks assigned to you at your 9–5 desk job, or just want to do more with your days when you’re working from home. Productivity is often something everyone wants, but not many can ensure it consistently.
For most people, having a hobby that they can dedicate their time to outside of work is the perfect way to enhance productivity. We know what you’re thinking, distracting yourself with fun hobbies surely can’t be a good way to boost productivity. However, with the right hobbies you can boost your brain power while you’re having fun – sounds like a good deal, right? Keep on reading to find out more about five of our favorite hobbies that are proven to enhance your productivity.
Gaming
Most people think that playing online games is rotting our brains and killing our attention spans, but actually, it could be doing a lot more good than people think.
Playing table games online, in particular, is a great way to keep your brain working and can test your strategic and problem-solving skills. Some people look at poker, for instance, as just a gambling option, however, it’s a deeper game in terms of logical thinking and can be played not only online but also with friends, at home. Whether you’re a passionate chess player who was inspired by The Queen’s Gambit and wants to try out some new chess strategies, or like the thrill of playing at an online poker table to try and outwit your opponents, there are plenty of table games you can play.
Regardless of what table games you choose to play, the skills that you need are highly transferable to other areas of your life. The focus and attention to detail that’s required to figure out if you’ve got a winning hand in poker is similar to the focus you need when preparing an important slide deck at work, for example.
Cooking
When you’ve had a busy day, it can be tempting to throw a meal in the microwave or order a takeaway, but that is nowhere near as beneficial as cooking a meal yourself, from scratch.
We all want to enjoy the food we’re consuming, but when we are buying things in packets or getting them delivered to our door, it’s not the best experience. When you’re preparing a meal from scratch, you have to concentrate on the ingredients in front of you and will rely on your improving culinary skills to create a dish that you’ll enjoy – all of these skills teach you important planning and focus skills that will help you become more productive.
Reading
Some of the most successful people in the world are known to be huge readers. People like Bill Gates, the founder of Microsoft, is a particularly avid reader who consistently reads upwards of 50 books every single year and will take himself away for ‘reading weeks’ where he dedicates an entire week solely to his favorite hobby. If these people are passionate about reading, there must be something beneficial about it, right?
There are many studies out there proving that reading strengthens your brain, enhances your overall health, boosts happiness, and reduces stress. Even if you don’t have the time to read 50 books every year, just a few pages a night could be just what you need to be extra productive.
Painting
If you want to find a productive hobby that allows you to destress and mellow out, there’s nothing better than the joys of painting.
You don’t have to be the most creative person ever to enjoy painting, sometimes the process of sitting still and working on a piece of art is all you need to feel relaxed, even if you’re not creating something worthy of being hung in The Louvre.
You can get into this hobby just for the joys of painting, or you could use it as a way to get beautiful artwork for your home or to give as gifts to your closest friends and family. Whatever purpose you envisage for your art, painting will give you time for self-reflection and much-needed peace and quiet which will motivate you to become more productive in other areas of your life.
Exercising
The final hobby that everyone should get into if they want to lead a more healthy and productive life is regular exercise. Most people understand that exercise is extremely important for our physical health, but it has just as many benefits for our mental health as well.
People who make the effort to exercise regularly, whether that’s going to the gym or going for a walk around the local neighborhood, often have a much higher quality of life with less stress and higher productivity. Exercise releases endorphins that make you feel good and boost your energy to provide renewed focus on whatever tasks you need to complete throughout the day.
You don’t need to be out there running marathons every day or lifting heavy weights to get these benefits, low-intensity exercises like swimming, walking, and yoga are all just as beneficial for your mental health.
