It is shocking how easy it is to lose sight of your personal needs as a business professional. As we get further enrolled in our professional demands, our needs have a nasty habit of falling by the wayside. However, while balancing work and play is very important, too many professionals exceed the former. Scarcity of the latter, though, can lead to burnout much quicker than one would expect.

For that reason, it is highly recommended that you look to find some social time away from your professional life. So what are some great ways to expand your social circle?

Attend hobby-based networking events

For any professional, it is important to have hobbies – and to take those hobbies seriously. However, sometimes it can be hard to truly expand upon and enjoy a hobby due to having nobody to share. Thankfully, hobbies in just about any niche can find online and offline networking events that you could partake.

These allow you to expressly enjoy yourself while getting immersed in a community built around a subject you love.

Find a social sport to play

While not everyone is a sports fan, there is usually a sport out there for everyone. Whether you need something high-intensity and team-based like basketball, or you prefer something more sedate and personally-based like snooker. There are many great ways to find a social sport. One of the social sports you can consider is golf and the best website for golf is The Lefthrough. They will provide you with depth information on how to play, techniques, equipment and so much more about the sport.

From golf to running to soccer, you have many ways to inspire yourself physically. This keeps you, fitter, helps you to relieve stress and allows you to meet new people who can help you both personally and professionally.

Take care of yourself physically and mentally 

Of course, it is also vital that you take the time to properly care for your own mental health. A good way to do so is to get invested in a massage therapy session. For example, if you are based in Manchester you could book in with a massage parlour in Manchester like Ladybirds Manchester.

This could offer you the kind of useful therapy you need to recover a little, relieve yourself of some major stress, and find a more satisfying way to meet new people. 

Contact an old friend or companion

Work can take over our lives with such ease that it can be months (even years) since you spoke to a good friend last. Use the power of modern social media tools and contact someone you share a lot in common with but have not talked to recently. Perhaps you can agree to a meet-up and pick up where things left off?

It could be a former work colleague, a childhood friend, a former business partner, or anyone who you can think of. Spending time in the company of someone with whom you share a personal or professional history can be a great way to rebalance your work/life balance.

It is no secret that a life built around professional pursuits can soon become quite unfulfilling personally. Focus on the importance of balancing out the personal and the professional. Your professional life asks you to commit a great deal; make sure you do not over-commit here while under-committing to the importance of still enjoying a diverse, engaging social life.