As business owners, we want all of our transactions to be flawless. We do the best we can in order to meet our deliverables and get projects done on time—even if it means working double time and forgetting that work is just one fraction of our life.

Having no time for leisure or simple relaxation can lead to burnout. Even machines take a break. That means a living and breathing information processor like you needs and deserves it, too!

From enhancing work performance to stress reduction, below are 5 reasons why having a hobby makes you a better entrepreneur:

1. It encourages efficiency

If you make time to pursue your hobbies on a daily basis, you are more likely to finish your work earlier and reward yourself.

According to Parkinson’s law, “Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion”. If you find yourself just working without substantial pauses, you might just work yourself to death. A healthy way to prevent this from happening is to pursue your hobbies to fill your extra time with something other than more work.

2. It improves work performance 

In a study of 400 employees published in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, having creative hobbies are associated with better work performance. If you love making arts and crafts in your spare time, you’re likely to show creativity in work projects, as well.

Even Facebook co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg says that he learned more from hobbies than his actual college courses. Whether your hobby is to read, paint, or code small web projects in your spare time, anything that keeps your mind creative and sharp is not a waste of time.

So next time you’re feeling uninspired, see your hobbies as you using your spare time to let your brain wander; it just might be the cure for your mental block.

3. It makes you healthier

How do you plan on leading your growing business when your health is declining? Research shows that having an active lifestyle gives you lower risk of developing health problems; less likely to develop dementia or Alzheimer’s when you get older; and, overall, leads to a longer lifespan.

It bears repeating that being cooped up in an office or stuck in your desk for too long won’t do you any good in the long run. So go ahead and stretch for a few minutes and take an actual long run or walk to get your blood flowing.

4. It reduces stress

Business-related problems are major life stressors, aren’t they? That’s where hobbies come in!, And hobbies don’t need to be something creative, athletic, or mentally stimulating. Anything that helps you relax and have “ me time” can help.

Hobbies that are purely for relaxation, like meditation, are hobbies that can help reduce stress. We need to re-energize and attract good vibes into our lives by dispelling stress through leisure.

We need to pursue hobbies for different areas in our lives: mind, body, and spirit. Leisure activities keep our minds sharp, our bodies fit, and our spirits relaxed and energized. Striking a work-life balance is essential to becoming the best person you can be and, consequently, the best entrepreneur you aspire to be.

What hobbies do you pursue to destress? Share them in the comments below!