It’s important for young professionals to break up the monotony of the Monday-Friday routine by taking time out for social activities during off hours. So often, however, typical after-work outings can carry on longer than expected and may lead to missed morning alarms or low morning productivity…if you know what we mean. But not all social activities have to be of the morning headache variety. We chatted with a group of young professionals to find out what other kinds of activities they participate in that help them to maintain active social lives while still allowing them to return home at a work-friendly hour.
Get Physical
The trend we found was that many young professionals like going back to basics when seeking out work night fun. For example, one top choice was joining a recreational sports team. Whether it’s floor hockey, flag football or softball, many YPs enjoy the competition, physical activity, and social aspects of participating on a casual sports team. Additionally, other forms of physical activity, like racquetball, golf, yoga, and dance classes, were also popular choices. Making regular weekly dates with friends to hit the driving range, racquet courts, or fitness studio really help to break up the work week and give you something to look forward to on an otherwise mundane Monday.
Hang with the Stars
Another entertaining evening activity, which surprisingly is often overlooked by the YP crowd, is going to the movies. Making plans with the boys to take in the top action flick each week; organizing a weekly lady’s night to catch the cheesiest new rom-com; or encouraging other couples to join you at an underground Indi film, can turn a the regular “dinner and movie” cliché into a more modern event. You can also make your weekly movie plans more social by taking advantage of being out in the city before or after the show: stop for coffee at a new Cafe go window shopping; or pop into a nearby museum. As a bonus, keeping up with current movies can often aid in breaking into, or adding, to conversations with co-workers and clients.
Give Back
Finally, another notable evening activity that is sure to help keep your week moving, provide you with great opportunities for meeting new people, and have you home before Letterman, is volunteering. Volunteering is not just for building up your CV and your character, it can also be an ideal avenue for socializing. Think beyond typical visions of soup kitchens (though they, too, are a great place to help out) and look into specific areas of volunteering that really interest you. If you like animals, volunteer to walk dogs at your local shelter. If you enjoy reading, volunteer to read the newspaper to a blind person, or help a child with their reading skills. If you enjoy cooking, ice skating, playing the guitar, etc., there are limitless areas where your skills and interests can be used to help others.
As YPs, our careers often take front seat. In order to avoid the dreaded YP burnout, we must make the effort to enrich our social lives by participating in a variety of activities with different kinds of people. So the next time you leave the office, avoid the tendency to simply beeline to the nearest happy hour, and instead try making different plans with friends that help keep you motivated, as well as get you back to the office fresh and on time.