How Hobbies Can Improve Our Work-Life Harmony: Leather Crafting Experience

Abuzar Talibov
May 14, 2023
2 min read

Updated: Oct 29, 2023

In his book called "Die Traumdeutung" (EN: "The Interpretation of Dreams") in 1899, Sigmund Freud claimed that "dreams are not random, but instead are the result of a complex and dynamic interplay between conscious and unconscious thoughts and emotions."

Similarly exploring our dreams and pursuing hobbies can both offer a window into our innermost desires and bring a sense of fulfillment to our lives.

Achieving balance in our lives is essential for a happy and fulfilling personal and work life, just like in nature. An imbalance can lead to negative outcomes such as low satisfaction, mental stress, reduced productivity, challenging behaviour at work and so on.

Actually, similar results should be a trigger for the companies to implement a specific strategy to support employees in building a balance.

In the below-given graph, we can see the work-life balance in Europe:

Source: OECD, Better life index, 20111. 10 is the highest rating; values for 36 countries range from 2.9 to 9.8.

If we look at the statistics of companies, solely 24% of the work-life imbalance is arising from the companies rather than subjective factors. And only 23% of companies in the USA are ready for promoting the work-life balance:

Briefly explain it's like a well-balanced diet, we need to nourish our minds and soul outside of work, so we improve our emotional well-being, which might lead to more productivity and creativity at work. Of course, there can be other objective and subjective factors that might affect our stress levels, but based on research by Utah State University participating in a specific activity indeed reduces the stress level.

The hobbies should be selected in a way that doesn't causes further stress, for example, that can be learning new things, whether it's a new language, a musical instrument, or a new sport, which will definitely improve cognitive function and enhance problem-solving abilities. Below you can find a sample list of hobbies that are specifically beneficial for the work-life balance:

Gardening
Cooking
Playing Sports
Dancing
Singing
Running
Photography (Nature)
Crafting

Through my personal experience, I have come to realize that a seemingly random hobby can actually have numerous benefits. Almost a year ago I decided to start with leather crafting, which was chosen specifically as it was easy to learn and start, and on the other hand, it didn't require a certain skill set to achieve the result. When choosing any kind of hobby, it's important to be patient and be aware that it might take time for us to see the achievement and enjoy what we do in our spare time.

The key learning is that independent of the preferred hobby, focusing on the moment might separate our thoughts from the daily stress we have. In leather crafting, focusing on the process of cutting, stitching, and shaping leather can be both satisfying and challenging, providing a sense of accomplishment and pride in the finished product. Perhaps it's worth noting that, here one needs to avoid the approach of perfectionism since hobbies are the way to help us clear our mind.

One of the works that was crafted in 3 hours: