Have you been stressed out lately and find yourself with no free time? When was the last time you did something that you really enjoyed?
With work taking over the major part of our lives, it might be extremely difficult even to remember the last vacation with family or friends. If you haven’t realised the importance of doing leisure and other recreational activities, it’s time to put it into perspective.
Leisure is a period of time spent outside of work and domestic activity. It gives us a feeling of control – as job demands might not give us that freedom. It also helps to widen horizons. You can learn new things, meet new people from diverse backgrounds and gain valuable perspective. Your self esteem increases and you get relief from stress and boredom.
There are two major types of leisure activities – active leisure activities that may/not include using mental strength such as adventure sports; and passive leisure activities like relaxation: going out for movies or spending time with friends.Now that we know most of the advantages that come out of leisure activities, let us look at how to accommodate more leisure time into our already busy schedules. This works both professionally and personally.
As a supervisor, if you’re feeling the need to take some pressure off, take that holiday that you’ve put off for the last 3 years. If you are a parent, do something for yourself – read a book, or even take a nap! The children will see and realise how important it is to unwind and will practice the same one day.
Methods to handle time conflicts:
Once in a while learn to say no to things that might interfere with your plans to spend time with your family.
At work, prioritise jobs accordingly. You don’t have to finish all tasks in your to do list the same day if you have been effective at work.
Schedule your leisure time as you would for your work (like making a to do list) and home grocery list. This will make you want to tick that task off once you complete!
You can also build your career in the leisure industry – outbound/inbound tourism, sports management, hospitality and some functions in large corporations. This is an expanding employment sector, providing opportunities for rapid career progression. Check out www.lifestylecareers.com.au for new opportunities.
You might love your work, but remember that it is only a part of your life – in order to lead a balanced life, one should have interests outside of work.
Relaxation and leisure activities need to be permanent features of our lives if we are to live life to its fullest.
Leah Gibbs is the Founder and Business Manager of Lifestyle Careers.
Lifestyle Careers is an online recruitment job board. Our niche and specific focus is the advertising of flexible employment and work at home positions. It is designed for professionals wanting to balance their work and personal life.
