Work-life can sometimes be overwhelming. We can easily find ourselves drowning in deadlines, working long hours, and slowly but surely, we have no time to ourselves. It’s not just a matter of having spare time to relax and unwind (which is also super important), but rather having the time to just be you. When we need to come into work early, or stay late, any spare minute that we have becomes about recuperating and recharging for the next leg. Our life becomes focused on work, and work begins to define us.

Either we’re working or preparing for work, or recovering from work. And when we don’t have time to explore who we are as a person, it can cause us to lose our sense of self. What are your interests? What do you enjoy doing? What do you wish you had more time to do? Prioritizing yourself first allows you to discover these avenues. It might seem trivial, but even just reading a book, going fishing, or playing an instrument can do wonders for your psyche if it’s what you enjoy doing.

Getty Images/DigitalVision/Klaus Vedfelt

We need to set time aside for our hobbies, as they help us to grow. When we do something that we’re good at or have a skill for, it boosts our confidence. You then want to invest more time in it and build yourself up. Hobbies allow us to be mentally productive and destress at the same time. Just a few hours a week can help alleviate some stress and anxiety. Some hobbies require a lot of practice, and this can also help to master the art of patience as well. And the rewarding end-result only supplements as further encouragement. These benefits can all then flow back into your work ethic. Positivity breeds positivity, and if you’re enjoying yourself in one aspect of your life, it’ll more than likely influence your productivity in other areas of your life too.