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Partner's Perspective: Keeping Your Health in Mind
- Austin Hamilton Participates in Contract and Business Litigation Panel
- Blog Highlights
- Curiosities, Ruminations and Various Eccentricities of Firm Biz
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PARTNER'S PERSPECTIVE
A. Hunter Faulkner - Keeping Your Health In Mind
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Like so many of you, I often feel as though I make sacrifices to my own health and well-being due to all of my other daily responsibilities, whether they be personal or work related. Our personal lives come with all varieties of stress (both good and bad), but work stress, for many people, can be overwhelming. Oftentimes, we are only an email, text, or phone call away from our clients at any time of day. Such accessibility can certainly be beneficial. It provides the ability to be flexible for accomplishing tasks in and out of the office, and it allows professionals to stay in touch with clients no matter if you are in the office or not. That said, being so accessible can be burdensome if you only focus on work and fail to keep your health and well-being in mind. Without placing limits on your accessibility and ensuring that you set aside time for yourself, you can easily fall into some habits that are unhealthy and tough to break, specifically, as they relate to exercise and maintaining a healthy diet.
You already know that exercise is good for you. You don’t need me to tell you that. The problem is that it’s just too easy for most people to avoid the minimal recommended amount each week. These days, many people are not physically active in their daily lives unless they choose to be. Most evidence suggests that the choice of the kind of physical activity is far less important than the choice of whether to be active at all. Studies show that more than half of American adults do not meet what is generally held to be the most recommended weekly amount of physical activity: at least 30 minutes of moderate activity (fast-paced walking) four to five days per week. One in four Americans say they devote none of their free time to such activity.
It is reasonable to assume that so few people make an effort to find the time for weekly moderate exercise because of how accessible we are as it relates to work. For example, I often wake up to a couple of new emails each morning that may or may not need an immediate reply. It would be easy to start the coffee, sit down at the computer, and start grinding away every morning. However, I know that the only free time I have for any type of physical activity is early in the morning (trying to take time for exercise after work is completely out of the question). As such, I make sure to get in some exercise during this window because I know I can’t get it done any other time. This helps me get my day started and find balance.
Studies at the Mayo Clinic show that exercising the minimum recommended amount is excellent for relieving stress and releasing endorphins. It can even serve to reduce the negative effects of stress by imitating the effects of stress, such as the flight or fight response, helping your body and its systems practice working through those effects. Exercise can also serve as a form of meditation by causing your mind to tune out all of the negative stressors temporarily while you focus on the task at hand such as a game of tennis, basketball, or a yoga session. Lastly, exercise can serve to improve your mood, help you relax, increase your self-confidence and lower symptoms of mild depression and anxiety. All these benefits of exercise can be accomplished in a total of just two to three hours per week. The benefits—for me at least—far outweigh the consequences of failing to commit the time and energy towards feeling better about myself and reducing the impact that can be caused by the buildup of stress and work anxiety. Once you’re able to commit to a routine, your body will thank you for putting in that little bit of extra work. Carving out a little time to move every day will help reinforce your exercise program as an ongoing priority.
While exercise is certainly a good habit that you want to strive to make a part of your daily life, so is trying to stick to a healthy diet. Busy professionals and workaholics find it extremely easy to simply eat whatever is convenient over what is actually good for you. I fall victim to this constantly. I routinely eat out for lunch because I don’t take the time to make one at home, I opt for fries instead of salad because fries are delicious, and I snack on chips and pretzels during the day rather than fruits and veggies because chips and pretzels are typically the most readily available option. There’s no thought about what I’m consuming during the day because my mind is so busy focusing on the work that needs to get done.
The consequences that can arise from an unhealthy diet (high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol) are well known and we don’t need to dwell on those. However, many people are unaware that your diet directly contributes to your emotional well-being. Researchers at Harvard Medical School have studied the effects of what people eat and the direct effects on your brain and, ultimately, your mood. They concluded that a person’s brain functions best when it’s given high-quality foods that contain lots of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that nourish the brain and protect it from negative stress. Unfortunately, once a person begins limiting their diet to low-quality foods (i.e., processed and refined foods and food high in sugar), the body has trouble processing them and regulating its insulin levels, which causes an increase in stress levels. Furthermore, multiple studies have found a correlation in foods high in refined sugars and worsening symptoms of mood disorders and depression. This is not a great combination if you’re like me and spending the majority of your day parked in front of a computer screen.
While it can be difficult (and boring) to constantly avoid eating foods that are unhealthy, it certainly serves to at least moderate the low-quality foods in your diet. Start paying attention to how eating clean makes you feel over a few days. You may be surprised by the effect it has on your mood and energy levels. It may also be worth spending a few extra minutes at home on Sunday to prep your meals for the week if you know your time will be limited due to a crazy work schedule. While it may not be feasible to eat healthy all the time, it certainly is worth it to try to eat healthy when you can, especially with the holidays approaching.
The purpose of this essay is not to preach about a healthy lifestyle or to make anyone feel bad about the choices they make as it relates to their physical health and diet. Rather, I do want to emphasize that everyone should take the time (how much is up to each of us individually) to focus on ways to promote your health and well-being when your time is limited due to all of life’s obligations and commitments. A small change in your lifestyle can go a long way to improving your stress levels and helping you find balance in your daily life.
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A. Hunter Faulkner
Partner
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Austin Hamilton Participates in Contract and Business Litigation Panel |
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Jimerson Birr Partner Austin Hamilton recently participated in a panel of Attorneys at the Small Business Resources Network luncheon to discuss contract law and business litigation, and why developing strong contracts can proactively reduce the risk of litigation down the line.
Laurie M. Lee Esq. moderated the panel, and Mary Scott of Mary Scott Law also participated as a panelist.
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Jimerson Birr Legal Blogs |
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Are you keeping up with the latest information in business and law? Jimerson Birr publishes weekly blog posts covering topics from construction law, real estate development, sales and leasing law, banking and financial services law, community association law, and everything in between. Click here to subscribe today and stay up-to-date on the latest legal news from the industries we serve:
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Real Estate Development, Sales & Leasing Industry Legal Blog |
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The Importance of Force Majeure Provisions in Construction Contracts
By: C. Ryan Maloney
Until recently, force majeure provisions may have been viewed as perhaps unimportant “lawyer language” buried in contracts with no real expectation that the clause would come into play. Of course, the last couple of years have caused a big change in that perspective as the construction industry has gone through the COVID-19 pandemic and related governmental lockdowns, supply chain disruptions, and skyrocketing material escalation costs. When force majeure events strike, a well-drafted force majeure clause in the underlying contract can be a powerful tool in mitigating and surviving the impact of the disruption...
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Real Estate Development, Sales, & Leasing, Industry Legal Blog |
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Deeds to Real Property in Florida: Subsequent Purchasers Beware
By: James O. Birr
When you think of arbitration of disputes, one typically relates it to an agreement between parties, who have chosen that form of dispute resolution. However, in some cases, even parties that have not signed an agreement to arbitrate may be required to arbitrate their claims...
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Community Association Industry Legal Blog |
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Can My Association Fundraise with a 50/50 Raffle?
By: Bryan M. Davis
Is your association breaking the law? 50/50 raffles are fundraisers commonly hosted by community associations. These raffles are often very successful and generate significant engagement as half the proceeds go to the raffle winner. However, if your association is hosting a 50/50 raffle, the association is most likely breaking the law. This blog will provide an overview of the legal pitfalls of the 50/50 raffle and how your association may be able to host one while staying on the right side of the law.
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Insurance Industry Legal Blog |
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Five Key Things Insurers Need to Know to Preserve Appellate Rights in Florida
To appeal an issue in Florida after the conclusion of a trial, insurers must have raised that issue during the trial. This is known as preserving appellate rights. The Florida state court rules and federal rules governing the preservation of appellate rights are largely the same. However, in either jurisdiction, properly preserving your appellate rights can be tricky. This article is designed to provide insurers with five key pieces of information that will allow them to better understand the procedural and substantive requirements for preserving appellate rights in Florida...
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Professional Services Industry Legal Blog |
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Obtaining Attorney’s Fees Against Employees Who Represent Themselves in Employment Discrimination Cases
Over the past decade there has been a sharp rise in employment discrimination lawsuits filed by pro se plaintiffs (i.e., former employee plaintiffs who represent themselves). Although litigation against an unrepresented party may seem like a layup, it actually requires significant expense to defend because pro se plaintiffs often lack the training that is so crucial to the speedy and efficient disposition of cases. See Pfeifer v. Valukas, 117 F.R.D. 420, 422 (N.D. Ill. 1987) (noting the pro se party’s five-inch thick filing gave new meaning to the legal phrase “weight of authority”). It would thus be wise for employers to know what options are be available for obtaining attorney’s fees...
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Curiosities, Ruminations and Various Eccentricities of Firm Biz |
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October JB FOR ME Highlight Reel
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We're grateful to have evaded the path of Hurricane Ian, because we still have visions of the Wells Fargo Tower lobby underwater during Hurricane Irma stuck in our heads. Lucky to not have had to stay away from the office for long, our festivities went into full swing enjoying all that fall and Halloween have to offer.
We enjoyed the cooler weather while it lasted, taking part in a pub crawl across Downtown Jacksonville. Being based downtown, we love seeing all the new bars, restaurants, and developments popping up around the home base.
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It also wouldn't be Halloween without our pumpkin bowling tournament, which takes place annually in our lobby. It's always a fun (and extremely competitive) time, even if no one really does well.
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