Burnout is no longer a buzzword. It is a real and growing concern for businesses across the UK. As expectations increase and workloads expand, many teams are struggling to keep up. By the end of a demanding week, it is no surprise that people find themselves collapsing on the sofa, scrolling through social media or zoning out in front of the television. While these habits might offer short-term relief, they rarely lead to genuine rest or lasting energy. There is a better way to unwind and it is called leisure crafting. And when paired with smarter workflow solutions like outsourced typing, it has the potential to transform how your team recharges, performs and delivers.
What Is Leisure Crafting?
Leisure crafting is a purposeful approach to spending free time. Instead of defaulting to passive activities, individuals shape their downtime around personal development. This might include pursuing hobbies with intention, learning new skills or deepening social connections.
The goal is not to turn leisure into another productivity task. It is about making time off more rewarding, so people return to work refreshed and engaged.
Why Leisure Crafting Matters for Businesses
Recent studies show that leisure crafting boosts wellbeing, energy and focus. A large UK study led by Dr Helen Keyes at Anglia Ruskin University found that arts and crafts activities were linked to higher life satisfaction and happiness. In fact, these benefits sometimes exceeded those linked to employment itself.
Other research across different sectors and countries has revealed similar patterns. Employees who actively shape their leisure time report:
- Better mood
- Greater resilience
- Improved sleep
- Stronger sense of purpose
And perhaps most important for employers, they return to work with increased engagement, higher creativity and better overall performance.
The Business Case for Supporting Smarter Downtime
This research on leisure crafting sends a clear message to business owners and leaders. Helping employees use their time off well is not only good for individuals. It is good for business.
The challenge is not just encouraging staff to rest. It is making it easier for them to disconnect. That starts by creating the right conditions during the working day.
One practical way to do this is by freeing up employees’ time through better admin support. This is where outsourced typing comes in.
How OutSourced Transcription Increases Productivity
Most professionals can speak at least three to four times faster than they can type. That means dictating emails, reports and other documents can save hours each week. Instead of spending valuable time typing, teams can dictate their thoughts and hand them over to professional transcription partners.
Outsourced typing services ensure that work is completed quickly, accurately and professionally. This allows employees to focus on high-value tasks, meet deadlines with less pressure and finish on time.
The result? Less evening work, fewer late nights and more headspace for the activities that matter outside of the office.
Making Space for Leisure Crafting
When teams finish work on time, they are more likely to engage in activities that truly help them recharge. That could mean taking a pottery class, setting a fitness goal, learning a new skill or spending quality time with friends and family. These moments of intentional leisure are not just nice to have. They are the foundation for sustainable high performance.
Employers can encourage leisure crafting by:
- Creating realistic workloads and expectations
- Encouraging staff to fully switch off at the weekend
- Leading by example and sharing their own hobbies
- Offering flexibility where appropriate
- Investing in outsourced typing to reduce the admin burden
These changes do not require big budgets or radical shifts. They are simple actions that show staff their time and wellbeing matter.
Final Thoughts
The way people spend their weekends affects how they perform during the week. Leisure crafting offers a powerful alternative to passive downtime. When supported by smart solutions like outsourced typing, it becomes easier to achieve.
If you want your team to do more without burning out, consider not just how they work but how they rest. A few smart changes to your operations could lead to better weekends, stronger engagement and more consistent performance.
At OutSec, we help organisations streamline their workflows through expert outsourced typing services. Get in touch to find out how we can support your business and give your team back the time they need to thrive.
About OutSec
OutSec is the UK’s leading online transcription company, whose business has grown substantially since its inception in 2002. We are now one of the most successful transcription companies in the United Kingdom.
OutSec provides secure outsourced transcription services to the medical, legal, property and surveying, universities, media and interviews, advisory boards, conferences & seminars, inventories, financial, corporate, HR, recruitment and Executive Search sectors.
Why is Dictation More Efficient than Typing?
Well, the simple fact is that we can all speak considerably faster than we can physically type:
“The average person types between 38 and 40 words per minute”.
A “good rate of speech ranges between 140 -160 words per minute.”
In other words, dictation is up to four times faster than we can type. Therefore, simply dictating a document is more cost-efficient, giving you more time to dedicate your efforts elsewhere in your business.
Accounts are free, you pay on a per-minute basis (rounded to the nearest minute) on a pay-as-you-go basis, with no contracts or minimum spend. What do you have to lose? Why not open an account today?
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