How people spend their free time can actually have a big impact on their success in the professional world.
Did you feel uncomfortable about not checking your email on a day off? Or even worse, are you always there to dial your cell phone by checking LinkedIn, the latest emails arrived, the Whatsapp group of colleagues?
Have you ever tried to enjoy your free time from work? No??
I try to explain to you how to enjoy your free time from work.
You finally have time to take a day off from work. Sleep a little longer than usual, have breakfast and look forward to a well-deserved day of relaxation.
How comfortable you feel relaxing on your sofa at home… you feel a feeling of discomfort… because you should be at work. Try to push the thought away while picking up a magazine you've been wanting to read for a few days, but haven't had the time, not until now.
After arriving / arriving at page 12, you are wondering if you should at least check your email.
After all, you know you deserve and need a day off.
Why do you feel you are doing something wrong?
Enjoy your free time from work.
The challenge of the knowledge worker
Unless you're at the front desk, working in a store, or anything else that requires you to physically be in a certain place to do your job, you can fall into the category called knowledge workers.
As a knowledge worker, you are paid to apply your knowledge to what you are working on. There are many definitions of the term knowledge worker.
I quote that of Merlin Mann:
“A knowledge worker is a person who adds value to information”.
Being a knowledge worker is both a blessing and a curse. Since you can do most of the work in your head, it can be done from anywhere. Sure, you need a computer or a phone to communicate with colleagues and clients, but essentially, you can work from anywhere with electricity and wi-fi.
This is a curse. This means it's easy to never quit your job completely. You find yourself checking your email while you wait for your friend to arrive. You are thinking about your budget before falling asleep and in the shower in the morning.
What does your employer pay you for?
It's easy to get busy, especially if you've been working in the same place for a long time. There may be a gap between your primary function and area of ​​responsibility and what is filling up most of your day. This might be fine if you are managing your core responsibilities, but if you are running late on that area, this is where you need to start making changes in order to enjoy some free time.
The fact that you are reading this is because you recognize that you sometimes try to enjoy your time off work, but without success. This sets you apart from many of your peers. There is a very large number of people who try to get away with doing as little as possible.
It is not possible to enjoy your free time from work if you are unable to relax. You cannot relax without knowing that you have done all the important things. You can't be sure you've done all the important things if you don't keep track of your next commitments, responsibilities, projects, and actions. I try to put some points:
Exercise
Exercise is important for physical and mental health. By taking a half hour after work or on a weekend you can burn calories and oxygenate your brain, giving you momentum after a stressful day. Regular exercise also helps you stay disciplined, which can be invaluable in a demanding work environment and can reduce the long-term effects of stress.
You will also look better and feel better, which will give you more self-confidence.
Read
Reading is a lifelong skill, and successful people never stop reading new books. Whether it's fiction or non-fiction, books help you better understand the world around you. They introduce you to new characters, new environments, new cultures, new philosophies and new ideas and may even help you build new skills (I, for example, love textbooks).
Likewise, regular reading helps build your vocabulary and semantic understanding, giving you greater communication skills - and something to make little speeches about during those particularly difficult business meetings.
Learn new things
Strive to never stop learning. If you increase your skills, your resume will benefit. Think of free workshops, or online courses. etc.
Network
Many networking events exist outside of corporate business hours. Get out of your comfort zone and meet new people. Try to expand your network of contacts: they will be new opportunities when you look for other career paths.
Have a hobby
Focusing solely on work might seem like a quick path to success. With nothing else distracting you, you can channel all your effort into your job and do in a week what most people would require two people to do.
But this approach has a bad downside: it stresses you, prepares you for burnout, and prevents you from developing skills in any other area. Finding and pursuing a hobby, on the other hand, helps you relieve stress, put your job in perspective, and build skills that integrate with those you use at work.
It's a breath of fresh air that keeps you grounded, and if it's a social hobby, it also offers networking opportunities.
Spend time with friends and family
Focusing too much on your career is counterproductive. If you want to be successful in life, you need to prioritize your personal relationships - your bond with your friends and family. No matter how successful you want to be and climb the corporate ladder quickly, you cannot neglect your friends and family.
If you don't spend your free time this way, it doesn't mean you have no chance of being successful. However, picking up a few of these strategies can improve your skills, improve your mindset, and expand your network to levels that will increase your chances of success in the workplace.
