Hobbies Make You a Better Entrepreneur

Many entrepreneurs find it difficult to disengage from their businesses and nurture their personal lives. If this feels familiar, consider this: not taking time for relaxation and recreation harms not only your personal life, but also your business. Having hobbies is healthy for both your body and your business.

Studies show that people who engage in hobbies, especially creative ones, perform better at work. Many people even report a sudden burst of insight about how to solve work problems while focusing on a totally unrelated activity. Hobbies are highly personal and are based around your interests, but not everyone has a clear idea on where to start. Try one of these seven hobbies that can make you a better entrepreneur:

Spend time outdoors

Depending on where you live there are a wide variety of potential outdoor hobbies you can pursue. Walking, hiking, skiing, fishing, horseback riding, swimming, surfing, bird-watching, golfing, and joining a local amateur sports league are all good examples. Not only do most outdoor activities require you to move your body in one way or another (contributing to physical health and fitness), looking at and being in nature has been shown to reduce your blood pressure and help reduce the physiological and psychological effects of stress. In other words, being outside is good for your insides!

Support causes that matter

Nowadays, social activism is practically required in business. Consumers want to do business with people who care about something other than making money, so when you pursue something you care about, not only are you helping the community (children, animals, the environment, etc.), you're also benefiting your brand.

Find a cause that you care about and pursue it. You'll most likely connect with potential new friends, colleagues, and clients, and even if you don't, you'll feel good about helping others.

Engage in creative pursuits.

Creativity is the mother of innovation, so if you want to come up with new ideas for your products and services, you need to flex your creativity muscle. The type of creative activities doesn't matter nearly as much as the fact that you're pursuing them. Color in a colouring book, take up a new arts and crafts project, paint a room in your house, learn ballroom dancing, sing or learn a musical instrument, arrange flowers, build a table (or a bird house), play chess, garden, restore an old car, journal/ write poetry, take photographs, homebrew a craft beer, hone your baking skills, or become an amateur chef. Any activity that helps you think differently in life can help you think creatively in business!

Still not sure? Become a connoisseur! Choose something you really like (beer/ wine, books, art, etc.) and learn more about it. You never know, your extracurricular passions could help your business in ways you've never even imagined!

Hobbies are a fun and effective way to relax your mind and carve out time to do something different than business building. Hobbies can also make you a better entrepreneur through the lessons learned while pursuing them. What will your next hobby be?