May is Mental Health Awareness Month. And the week of May 4 – 8 is Well-Being Week in the Law. The goal of Well Being Week is to improve lawyer mental health by activating a year-round focus on physical, mental, and spiritual well-being. The overall theme of Well-Being Week this year is “tending joy.” Each day provides a different focus on an area of overall well-being. Day 1 is dedicated to physical health by staying strong.
Seven years ago, I was given a diagnosis that I did not want to hear. I had diabetes. I had an aunt that had had diabetes and she died too young. But not before losing both her legs below the knees. So, after I received the unwelcome news, I asked my doctor which leg she wanted. She looked at me puzzled and said, “Diet and exercise, Jon.” To which I replied “oh….I can do that.”
That began a journey that included turning my diet on its head. I cut out almost all carbs and began to watch what I ate with near religious fervor. I also started to exercise. I got back on my bike and started to pedal my way to fitness. It worked! I lost nearly 60 pounds, and my blood sugar is now in the normal range (thanks to that diet and exercise regime as well as a medication that has received a lot of attention in the last couple of years).
Gradually, I have been able to add back pasta and bread to my diet. I don’t overdo it. I have taken up cross country skiing and have added resistance training to my workouts. These changes have allowed the added weight to stay off and to keep my diabetes in check. I am strangely grateful for that diagnosis these many years ago now. It took a health scare to get me to do what I should have been doing all along. But I am grateful that I am doing it now.
What you do to stay physically strong will look different to what I do. And that is more than okay. There is yoga, running, pickleball, biking, weight training, crunch fitness, and just plain old-fashioned walking (take the dog while you’re at it), to name just a few. It matters less what you do than that you start doing it and do it as consistently as you can. Anything that raises your heartbeat will work. And if you can get outside, it’s even better. For me, I have too often sacrificed the good in search of the perfect, when all I really needed to do was to get started and keep going. If I worried about the fact that I am a pathetically slow cross-country skier I would sacrifice the joy that comes from being outside in the winter and enjoying the great outdoors.
Science tells us that there is a connection between our physical health and our mental health. And vice versa. Taking care of our physical health is one way to tend to our mental health and overall well-being. And it is an integral component in my own recovery journey. So, get out there and find what engages you physically and brings you joy and good health. Your body will thank you!