Let’s drop the bombshell: America is obsessed with work. Here in the United States, we work more hours per year than our counterparts in Britain or Canada – not to mention those Europeans who enjoy a particular lifestyle. So naturally, we all heard it: lawyers are always “so busy”. But are you also too busy to be healthy?
What we know
The average lawyer works at least 50 hours a week. It’s not uncommon for lawyers (especially Big Law attorneys) to work up to 80 hours each week. So on top of work, of managing a house, kids, friends, and the other multifaceted day-to-day tasks … there’s not so much time left to be healthy. According to a survey, 64% of Americans say that they are too busy to properly take care of their health.
This goes from not cooking food at home (only 36% of Americans cook at home on a daily basis), not getting enough exercise (per the CDC in 2018, only 23% of Americans get enough exercise), stressing at work (94% of American workers report experiencing stress at work) or not having a hobby (43% of Americans do not have a hobby). Of course all of this changed during the pandemic – but for the better or for the worst?
So when are you supposed to be taking care of yourself? More people are talking about self-care, mental wellness, the importance of exercise, clean eating, and doing things that bolster our immunity. But where is the time to do any of that?
Do the work
Chris Crowley, author of Younger Next Year, explained:
“Do some hard but important stuff and you can reduce normal American aging by 70 percent, right up to the waterfall. And you can completely eliminate 50 percent of all serious illness and accidents forever, along with all the pain, misery and expense they entail. Amazing news and absolutely true. The trouble is, you have to do stuff to get those results:
- You have to work out—yes, exercise—pretty hard, six days a week till the day you die. Ugh.
- And quit eating crap.
- And care about and connect with others.
The trouble, for so many lawyers, is that they don’t have time. Is that true though? If the billing by the hour makes all of us crazy, it is a major cheat that you can take an hour a day for yourself, especially in these times of remote-working.
It’s a myth that there aren’t enough hours in the day to achieve a healthy lifestyle
Laurie Watkins, author of Go from Stressed to Strong: Health & Fitness Advice from High Achievers, says it’s a myth that there aren’t enough hours in the day to achieve a healthy lifestyle. “It’s a myth because each of us have developed personal habits as we’ve aged through life. Though each habit means relatively little on its own, over time, the meals we order, how often we exercise, and the way we organize our thoughts and work routines have enormous impacts on our productivity, financial security, health, and happiness,” she says.
It’s within our power to reset our routines and habits, she says.
Start with Small Changes
- Go to bed an hour earlier. This can provide big results the following morning, leaving you feeling refreshed and energized.
- Eat a dinner made from whole foods that won’t upset your stomach or keep you up at night from ingredients such as caffeine, sugar, and other preservatives allowing you to fall asleep more easily.
- Exercise first thing—before you head into the office or to drop off the kids in the morning. It will set the tone for your day, leaving you feeling accomplished, and strong long before 8 a.m.
- Do the most important thing as early as possible every day. It sounds simple, but most of us don’t do it. Similar to the tip above, if getting in a run or planning healthy meals for yourself is your highest priority, doing it first almost eliminates the possibility of anything else getting in the way.
Establish Priorities: Track Where Your Time Flies
This might sounds familiar: it is 6PM … too early to leave work? or you want to go on that happy hour with coworkers? But think about it, you could also just leave work, hit the gym, and if you really have to, finish your work later from home. A billing system does not mean you have to work the 9-5 hours. Similarly, it is 10 PM or 11 PM and you are not productive. Perhaps it is best to call it a night a wake up early the next day?
If at the end of the day you feel that you’ve wasted time, think about this:
- What tasks take longer than they should?
- Do I push my priorities aside to do things that seem urgent but are really less important?
- What am I doing that someone else should be doing? What can I say no to?
- Did i waste too much time on my phone?
In the end, the hours are here. It’s about gaining back precious time to allow you the opportunity to cook more at home, exercise, and catch up on missed sleep. If you must: make yourself a schedule and stick to it! Over time you will get used to it, feel better, and most likely be better at work.
Next time, think about it: are you really busy?
If there are things in your life that no longer make you happy, there is usually a reason. You already know that making time for your health is important and that your energy has the ability to truly transform your life. So trust yourself to make the right decisions, be disciplined with yourself. It might starts with changing ONE thing today, but that will already put you on the road to making positive, healthier changes to your life.
Tags: Lawyers Too Busy Healthy
