It is important to find a balance between work and play in our lives. Since everything today is quick-paced, we easily forget how important something simple is like having a hobby. Per a Gallup Lifestyle poll of American workers, only 40% of respondents believe they spend the “right amount of time” on their hobby. Of those same respondents, 64% state that it is because they have “too little time in life.”

What Gallup tells us that is more alarming is that the less time an employee has for hobbies, the more likely he or she is to disengage from their work. This is something that we all want to prevent. So why are we ignoring the most obvious resolution— make time! At the end of the day we are the ones who are solely responsible for our own happiness. Study after study shows that humans cannot be fully engaged in our work life if we are not also fully engaged in our personal life.

I have been obsessed with Kingdom Hearts since the series release 16 years ago. And now after 13 years of development, Kingdom Hearts 3 is finally coming out! I am 12 games (13 including KH3) into this story. With this release, Square Enix has promised us an ending to the story ark. At this point, I am so excited I cannot stand it! I cannot wait to jump into the story and see what happens next in Sora’s adventure. The trailers for the game have shown beautiful graphics, 7 new worlds to traverse, and boasts 60 to 80 hours of game play.

Kingdom Hearts is a great example of a game in which I enjoy the story plot, the game play, and the technical aspects of how the game works behind the screen. At work I am on the back end using code and database administration to bring information and web access to users in an efficient and organized display— gaming allows me to enjoy the front end of development. It reminds me why my work in web development and database administration is important and that what I do allows the end user to enjoy his or her web experience just like how I enjoy the front-end experience of video games.

Hobbies provide an important balance. They also allow for new perspectives. But most importantly, hobbies facilitate much needed time for self-care and mental rejuvenation. Hobbies allow you to step back and disengage from work while simultaneously refueling your spirit so that when it comes time to re-engage at work, your mind is clear, your attitude is positive, and your engagement is authentic. That is why I believe that having a hobby is important. My hobby is gaming. It relaxes me after a day at work. What is your hobby?

Saad, L. (2004, May 11). No Time for R&R. Retrieved January 26, 2019, from https://news.gallup.com/poll/11656/Time-RR.aspx.