the relationship between leisure and work

The link between leisure and labor is the subject of the picture analysis. That is, the value of leisure in achieving a healthy balance between work and social responsibilities. This inquiry is significant because it teaches people how to manage their social and professional lives. Some people have a tendency to neglect their responsibilities to their families as a result of working excessively. Their social obligations are overshadowed by parts of their profession. People must therefore be made aware of the value of leisure time in maintaining a healthy balance in their life. When a person puts too much effort into their work and forgets about their social aspects, problems are likely to arise. Such problems include broken friendships, broken marriages, and indisciplined children. This is because the parents lack time to nurture the moral behaviors of their kids. The parents get to know the behaviors of their children when they are together. The leisure activities such as going to the beach as illustrated below can be used as a perfect venue for family recreation. The relationship between the members of the family will be strengthened through this as well as the nurturing of virtues in their children (Coleman and Kotinek 2010, p. 126).

In the past years, people did not pay enough attention to the importance of the leisure activities in theirlives. Apart from strengthening the social aspect, it has a positive role in the work performance of an individual. As shown in the image below, working in a recreational position tends to improve the thinking capacity of an person. This is because the person does not have stress while working in such a place. The performance will definitely increase when not working under pressure.

Relevance of the Selected Image to the Theme

The images below are of two people relaxing on a beach while working on their computers. The water shores are greatly used as a place for relaxation after having a busy day or during the leisure time. By viewing the image, one can be convinced that the person is having a good time. On the second image, the man is wearing a smile on the face while working on his computer. The image can be used to prove to the audience the importance of leisure.

The image draws out a social theme that needs to be studied. That is, the role of leisure in balancing of both work and life roles and how individuals can use their leisure time to balance their job and their free time. The social aspect is one of the life roles that individuals need to balance with work activities.

Some people can concentrate too much in their workplace and forget about their social lives. The relevance of the image to the theme is to tell people how they can choose to spend their leisure time on the beach for relaxation purposes. They can also strengthen their social relationships through such recreational locations (Pauwels 2006, p. 76).

The person in the image below seems to be happy. He enjoys working in that environment, as it tends to increase the concentration of the individual towards the work he is doing. This is because his mind is relaxed and most of the energy is directed towards the work. Working in an environment that one is not comfortable with tends to reduce the work effectiveness. Research shows that recreation increases the cognitive ability of a person.









Literature Review

Several studies support the need for work-life balance. The different research papers test the role of leisure in balancing work and the social aspects of life. The following studies verify whether recreation roles should be studied with the aggregate of life roles or independently as a separate role.

Coleman and Kotinek propose that leisure is beneficial to individuals. It helps people balance both the work and social life. According to the research done by them, leisure activities reduce stress levels by a high percentage. This is because they relax the mind of an individual. People who participate in leisure activities are more satisfied with their work and happier than those who do not engage in leisure. Their social relationships are also strengthened (Coleman and Kotinek 2010, p. 243).

Leisure activities have been found to provide a feeling of social support and decrease of loneliness and the isolation in individuals. This is according to the works of Weissinger. Being involved in leisure activities such as mentoring and volunteering provides a context in which individuals realize their strength and capacities to be of service to others. In addition to that, a leisure activity relaxes the mind of an individual. The interaction between work and leisure is not unidirectional. This is because work provides resources such as money that facilitate the leisure activities (Weissinger 2013, p. 94).

Kofodimos in his works refers to work-life balance as a satisfying, healthy, and productive life with work, play, and love. Leisure should, therefore, be included in the work-life balance. He argues that a broader concept of work-life balance would need assessment of time, involvement, and satisfaction of the diverse set of roles. These diverse roles are leisure, community membership, and self-development. According to him, it is important to balance the work and social life roles (Kofodimos 2004, p.88).

Neulinger defines leisure as freedom and intrinsic motivation. In his works, he says that leisure and family are related and are distinct from work. That is, the nurturing and developing of parenting aims are done in the context of play (Neulinger 1984, p. 187). Therefore, leisure plays a major role in the strengthening of the family and friendship relations. Moreover, Aryee et al. found cultural norms as one of the factors affecting family-work interface. For instance, people from Hong Kong put their family interest above their own. Hence, leisure roles are not distinct from family roles and should be studied together (Aryee, Tan, and Debrah 2004, p. 48).

Methodology

Adult workers were invited to participate in the analysis of work-life balance putting more emphasis on those who are working. The preferred participants were parents and those who are married. The analysis was conducted during a holiday. The holiday time was appropriate because most individuals participated in leisure activities. The participants were divided into two; that is those who participate in leisure activities and those who do not.

The participants were provided with questionnaires to complete. The cover page of the questionnaire specified the purpose of the study. The individual response confidentiality was assured to all the participants. The completion of the questionnaire had no time limit and the participants were advised to provide the answers that came first to their minds.

The questions in the questionnaires were relevant to the study. The simple questions to be comprehended were asked. Such questions included the reasons why they engage in the leisure activities and how they feel after engaging in such activities. Those who did not participate in leisure were provided with space to give their view on such activities.

Some participants were interviewed at the beach. A beach is a common place where many people go during their leisure time to relax. Engaging some participants in a one-on-one conversation was one of the methods used in this analysis. The interview questions were relevant to the study topic. For example, the participants were to explain the impact of the leisure activities on their work. They were also to mention the effect of leisure on their family/friends relationships. The general observation was another method used in this analysis.

Analysis

The interpretation of the information was done by comparing the responses from participants. That is, the participants who take part in the leisure activities and those who do not. The data was analyzed based on the role of leisure in the balance of work and social life.

From the general observation, the participants on the beach seemed happy. Many of the individuals were enjoying time with their families and friends. This shows that the leisure activities have a positive impact on the social lives of the individuals. They strengthen social relationships as well as relieve stress. Referring to the image above, the person seemed to be relaxing while working. Some of the individuals find it easier to work in a relaxed position like in the image above. Therefore, leisure helps in balancing the work and the social life.

From the questionnaires, it was evident that those who participated in the leisure activities lived a more balanced life. This is because most of the times they are in workplaces. Engaging too much in work can make a person forget their other life roles. Such life roles include being a friend and a member of a family. Therefore, setting time aside for the recreational activities helps a person balance both the work and the life roles (Aryee et al. 2004, p. 57).

The participants who were interviewed gave their reasons that support the role of leisure activities in balancing work and life. They said that having a relaxed moment after work helps a lot in solving their life issues. The recreational activities are used when friends and families get together. This balances their social lives. Therefore, leisure contributes to balancing the work and the social aspects of an individual’s life.

The social life of the individuals who participated in the leisure activities was found to be better than the life of the people who did not take part in the leisure activities. This was analyzed after interviewing the participants and the nonparticipants on the leisure activities. Those who did not participate seemed to be more frustrated with their lives. This is because their concentration was based too much on their works and they forget their social lives. One participant who was a business man said that he attends his business everyday including holidays. He disclosed that he divorced his wife some time ago. After being asked the cause of the disagreement between them, he said that the wife complained about him not paying attention to her. From the analysis of that case, it is evident that too much work without engaging in recreational activities can lead to an imbalanced life. That is, one may forget about their social lives and become stressed. Therefore, recreational activities help in balancing of work and free time.

Parents who engage in the recreation activities with their families had mostly only minor problems with their children. This is because they tend to understand their children more. The leisure time can be used to observe the behaviors of kids and to correct their developing vices. Therefore, children from such families tend to be more disciplined. On the contrary, the parents who go to work on a regular basis find it hard to guide their children. This is because the kids start developing bad behaviors without the parents noticing any change before its too late. Therefore, participating in leisure activities with families helps parents shape the behavior of their children.

Conclusion

It is vital for individuals to realize the importance of leisure in their lives. The studies show that leisure plays a major role in the strengthening of the social aspects of life. Therefore, it is important to balance the work and the social aspects of an individual’s everyday life. If the work aspect outweighs the social aspect, problems are likely to arise. Such include broken marriages and lack of time to know the issues affecting other people.

Another way that leisure can be used to balance work and life is through working in a relaxing environment. Working in places where the mind is less stressed improves the performance of the person. For example, in the image above, the man is working while on the sea shore. The shore is a relaxing environment where one can be motivated to work easier. Instead of spending time in closed offices, working on the beaches can be implemented to increase the work efficiency (Kofodimos 2004, p. 88). The employers need to motivate their employees through taking them out for recreation. Apart from motivating them, the effectiveness of work will also improve.

Despite the several studies conducted, more research still needs to be done to emphasize the importance of leisure in life. Studies that should be carried out must include the effect of leisure on the health of an individual among others. This will emphasize the significance of living a balanced life.

References

Aryee, S., Tan, H., and Debrah, Y. (2004). Perceived organizational support among employed parents. Hong Kong: Business Research Centre, School of Business, Hong Kong Baptist University.

Coleman, L. L., and Kotinek, J. D. (2010). Setting the table for diversity. [Place of publication not identified]: National Collegiate Honors Council.

Kofodimos, J. (2004). Balancing act. Ann Arbor, Mich.: UMI Books on Demand.

Neulinger, J. (1984). To leisure. State College, sPa.: Venture Pub.

Pauwels, L. (2006). Visual cultures of science. Hanover, N.H: Dartmouth College Press.

Weissinger, S. (2013). A sociology of Black clergy in the state of Illinois. Lewiston, N.Y.: Edwin Mellen Press.