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B2 COURSE - Unit 14 PDF

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121 views

B2 COURSE - Unit 14 PDF

Uploaded by

Eugenia
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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B2 COURSE

Unit 14 - Hobbies & leisure

Read the following article “Career coach: The value of hobbies” published by Joyce E. A. Russell in the
Washington Post. Useful vocabulary is highlighted in bold:

Recently I asked an executive I was coaching, “What hobbies do you have?” He paused, looked at me
blankly, and then replied, “Actually, I don’t really have any,” followed by another long pause. As he
reflected on this, it seemed to suddenly strike him that his life was way out of balance. He was living
and breathing his work, which was his own company. The little free time he had, outside of his
business, was spent driving his kids to their various activities and watching them play sports and take
music lessons. While he loved spending time with his kids, he felt that something was missing in his
life. He also reported that he often felt tense, stressed and was increasingly having difficulty
controlling his temper. Many of us can relate to this lifestyle. We have long given up on having
any personal time in order to devote our energies to our work or families. But rarely do we give
ourselves time for our own activities. Yet finding time for ourselves is key to our own sanity. It can
actually improve all the other aspects of our lives. Having a hobby may be even more important to
people who lead very full and busy lives.

Defining a hobby. The MerriamWebster dictionary defines a hobby as a pursuit outside of one’s regular
occupation, engaged in especially for relaxation. It’s not something you “have to do,” but rather
something you “want to do”— because you love to do it. As a result, a hobby can take many forms, be
it stamp collecting, gardening, woodworking, playing tennis or even traveling.

Research has shown that people who have hobbies are generally healthier, and have a lower risk
of depression and dementia. Many executives that I have coached say a sport or physical fitness
routine as a hobby keeps their blood pressure down, enables them to manage their anger and daily
frustrations, and puts them in a much better frame of mind. Consequently, this impacts their quality of
life, work and family time. Michael Brickey, author of “Defy Aging,” says that an ideal hobby would be
one that serves three purposes: a diversion (escape from daily life), a passion (engage in something
you love) and a creation of a sense of purpose.

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B2 COURSE
Unit 14 - Hobbies & leisure

Scheduling time for a hobby in our lives (tennis league every Monday night or a weekend bridge
tournament) enables us to take a break with “permission.” Since we have signed up, we feel we should
show up and we are “forced” to take a break. Some people need to structure their hobbies into their
daily lives, otherwise they would feel too guilty to take a break from work. Many hobbies also provide
a social outlet for us if we join teams or interact with others (a sewing group, Economy & Business
Alerts Breaking news about economic and business issues. Sign up a chorus). These social
interactions can provide a degree of social support we may need. Hobbies can also bring pleasure to
our life. I have talked to many executives who reported the sheer joy they got from traveling to new
places or taking a cooking class. Hobbies provide an outlet from daily stressors that can keep us from
getting burned out in our jobs. They also provide numerous health benefits from lower blood pressure,
to better physical function, and higher positive psychological states, and less memory loss. Further,
hobbies may actually improve our work performance if they improve our decision-making skills,
creativity and confidence.

Setting a routine to carve out time is important initially. You may have to give up watching TV every
night, or you may have to force yourself to leave the office a little earlier each day. Make your hobby
a priority. Set goals for yourself and get a buddy to support you and to help you stay with a hobby. “All
work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” is a famous proverb. There may be some truth to this so make
sure you find some time for yourself to relax, enjoy some fun and pick up a hobby — especially if you
are depressed, stressed or going through a tough time. You will thank yourself for it, and so will your
family and colleagues.

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B2 COURSE
Unit 14 - Hobbies & leisure

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