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Why Marketers Need a Hobby

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us all to come up with healthy ways to cope with stress, isolation and disaffection. Continuing to work from home has further blurred the lines between professional and personal life. Recent surveys have found that 61% of workers prefer a mix of in-office and at-home work, and 66% of business leaders are considering office…

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced us all to come up with healthy ways to cope with stress, isolation and disaffection. Continuing to work from home has further blurred the lines between professional and personal life. Recent surveys have found that 61% of workers prefer a mix of in-office and at-home work, and 66% of business leaders are considering office reconfigurations that support “hybrid” work.

The benefits of hybrid working models—like going to the office a day or two a week—are appealing to some but are not favored by many. Some of the predictions we made last year about the societal and economic fallout from the pandemic have actually come to pass.

For many marketers, stress has manifested itself as a decline in their work performance, as they are constantly dealing with distractions while working from home. As tension rises, others feel like their creative spirit is dwindling with fewer human interactions. Adding to the problem, many people are still sleeping at odd hours and working endlessly without a break, failing to spend any quality time with their families.

While it certainly may feel rewarding to be so invested in your work, it is also important to understand that everyone needs to be able to take a break and switch off from time to time. All of these factors contribute to a generally unhealthy lifestyle and it is taking a toll on mental well-being. A great way to recharge your batteries, enjoy your free time, and look after yourself is to take up a new hobby.

You may think that you do not have a huge amount of free time for hobbies, but there are a handful of well-suited hobbies for those with a busy lifestyle. As new COVID variants emerge and government leaders once again consider implementing more constraints on our day-to-day lives, let’s look at a few hobbies that might help you keep it all together as we enter the new normal:

Photography

Photography is the perfect hobby for marketers because it is a great way to activate the creative side of your brain while weaving it into your everyday work life. It’s an activity that you can easily practice during breaks in the day, while on the move between meetings or when you are traveling.

Today, most of us have a super high quality, high definition camera in our pocket—right on our smartphone! So, you can immediately take photos without any need for expensive equipment or training. If you’re so inclined, there are many online courses available to help you learn to improve your photography skills and how to take advantage of use many of the native features and functions within your smartphone camera. With a good eye and a little practice, you might even be able to turn your hobby into a side hustle selling your photographs or capturing memories for friends and family.

Reading

Do you spend most of your day looking at a screen? Is most of your communications coming at you through your social media feeds at work? Do you find yourself moving from one Zoom meeting to another throughout the day? Do you still have that great book that you’ve been wanting to read, but you can’t seem to find the time, sitting on your night stand at home? You’re not alone!  “Screen routines” seem to have taken over our daily life.

But now we know that too much screen time can be bad for your health, and that reading a book is a great way to break that routine. In addition to giving your eyes a break, reading can bring a wide range of benefits to your life and can be a great way to disconnect from your daily travails and immersive yourself in a great story. If you’re more into non-fiction, there are also endless options and lots of great books that could help you become a better business leader. For the latest and greatest ideas on transformational marketing, check out Strategic Analytics and Marketing, Interrupted.

Online Gaming

Busy entrepreneurs often need a quick and easy hobby that they can do when they have a spare five minutes, and online gaming is ideal for this. It is easy to learn bet builder rules, and you can then start creating personalized win strategies on just about any game, which will help to make the event much more fun and engaging whether you are betting on match outcomes, goal scorers, penalty cards, or just about anything. One great example of a top-notch mobile-optimized site is the reputable online casino NetBet.

The iGaming space is also a great place for marketers to get ideas for engaging with your customers with innovative campaigns, as the gaming industry is on the cutting edge when it comes to targeting, engaging, converting and retaining customers using advanced marketing technologies. So in addition to having a little fun with online gaming, you might learn a trick or two from a marketing perspective.

Recreational Sports

If you prefer to be a participant more than a spectator, picking up a recreational sport may be just the hobby for you. Many recreational sports have a great social aspect to them, like golf, tennis and skiing. So in addition to the physical benefits, you also get a chance to catchup with your friends and make new ones along the way.

The hottest new recreational trend and fastest growing sport in the US is Pickleball, a racket sport that combines elements of badminton, ping pong and tennis. Pickleball can be played in singles or doubles and is fun, social and friendly. The rules are simple and the game is easy for beginners to learn, but can develop into a quick, fast-paced, competitive game for experienced players. Of course, a little healthy competition is a great way to challenge yourself to take your game to the next level!

The Takeaway

Many marketers don’t engage in hobbies because they feel they don’t have the time, or perhaps they’re waiting for that next planned vacation in a few months to recharge their batteries. But let’s face it, everyone needs a little time every week to enjoy themselves and clear their mind of their daily tasks. It’s worth finding at least one activity that you can enjoy in your (limited) free time. Hopefully, this post will give you a few ideas for hobbies that you can enjoy that should fit into a busy lifestyle. Maintaining a good work-life balance requires you to be accountable for your work whilst being kind to yourself. If you’re looking for more productivity tips and self-improvement opportunities, sign up for the TopRight blog! You can also follow me @TopRightPartner.

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