It is equal parts exciting and stressful upshifting to life as a young associate at a new law firm. This lifestyle adjustment can take its toll on your health, even if at the time you’re too busy to notice. Here are three strategies you can implement today that can have a big and beneficial impact. Read them, then check out the article below for some more good advice on preserving your health (and perhaps a degree of sanity) while adjusting to life as a young law firm associate or as a well-being reminder for mid-level and senior associates.
(1) Get a standing desk. By now most law firms have bought in to the value and benefit of workstation ergonomics and will readily provide standing desks to attorneys who request them. So go to your office manager and ask! Standing desks can help begin to undo the damage to your body caused by constant sitting and hunching. And perhaps more importantly, standing begets more movement throughout your day, which is even more beneficial.
(2) Hydrate. Refillable water bottles are ubiquitous these days. If you don’t have one already, get one. And then, use it! Fill it at the sink or the water cooler in the office kitchen or break room and make a habit of sipping it constantly. Not only will you reap the benefits of proper hydration, the constant need to refill it plus the frequent resulting bathroom breaks will prompt you to step away from your desk and walk for a much needed mental break and physical movement.
(3) Stop straining your neck to check your email. Too often we look down at our mobile devices with our chins tucked. Given the frequency you feel expected to read and respond to emails even when you’re not at your desk, constantly putting your cervical spine in this flexed position can lead to neck and shoulder pain, headaches, and movement dysfunction. Instead, hold your phone close to your face and at eye level (like you would if you were taking a picture of someone else) and pinch your shoulder blades together. Use this shoulders-back-head-neutral pose consistently whenever you interact with your smartphone and you’re likely to see big improvements in your posture.
At Law & Motion, I understand the life of an attorney because I am one. Now as a full-time trainer and health and fitness coach, I help lawyers (and other working professionals) not merely with their in-gym workout routines, but also with implementing simple daily strategies like those above and in the article below that promote health and wellness without making additional demands on their already busy days.
Send me an email at lawandmotionfitness@gmail.com, and read Seven Health Tips for Junior Associates here: https://abovethelaw.com/career-files/seven-health-tips-for-junior-associates/.