Hello My Fellow Social Workers,
With a new year upon us, now is the perfect opportunity to look at ways we can enrich our lives. Some are making travel plans for the future while others are taking courses or volunteering. Yet there is another option that for many of us, will give us that needed break from our social work jobs - hobbies.
With a quick search on the internet you can get hundreds of hobby ideas online. Many can be done alone if you like solitary pursuits while others can be done in groups. They might take you outside of your community or there are those that can be done in the comfort of your own home. There is likely as many hobbies as there are types of personalities!
I admit, I wish I had more hobbies. I would say blogging is my primary hobby although I definitely have interests in other areas. Most days when I finish work I just like to come home and relax and hobbies usually get put to the back burner. And then my weekends are used to catch-up on errands or to visit with family and friends.
But having hobbies outside of work is healthy for your body and mind. And as my mother keeps telling me, I focus a lot on my work! But being a social worker carries so much responsibility and at times the work can feel crushing. Sometimes you just need quiet time to do nothing and relax. But if you find you have a little but of extra time outside of work I would seriously consider pursing a hobby. It can give you something interesting to talk about, provide you with additional skills (that do not relate to your job) and help you to meet interesting people you might never have had the opportunity to meet before. And the great thing about hobbies is they can be put on hold when need be and you can easily pick them up again when you are ready. And you don't have to stick with the same hobby forever, you can change it up based on your interests!
As Always,
Patti
