Exercise and movement is so critical to me in maintaining a work/life balance. As an immigration lawyer, I am often in an office environment for long hours. Any business owner has extra stress from running the business, and on top of that, I have a family with two children. Having regular times of movement is important to keep my mind and body healthy. In this post, I’m going to highlight benefits of exercise that have surprised me the most.
Benefit 1: Stress Reduction
The first benefit exercise and movement brings to me is an obvious one, but it really works! Stress is real, and can negatively affect almost every aspect of your body, mind, and spirit. With regular movement, I’m able to effectively reduce stress so that I am in a calmer state. I find that with less stress, everything else in my life goes more smoothly.
Benefit 2: Mental Clarity
The second benefit I get from movement is mental clarity. I find myself having mental blocks and slower thinking when I am stressed, anxious, nervous, or any other negative feeling that life sometimes brings. Moving and getting my heart rate up is a great way for me to think more clearly. With clarify of thought, I am able to perform at a higher level, help more clients, and be a better mom and wife.
Benefit 3: I can Serve People Better
As a lawyer, my job is to serve people. I have the distinct privilege of helping immigrants get legal status in the United States through a variety of ways like Fiancé Visas, VAWA immigration, and citizenship status. Exercise and movement help me to best serve my clients who are going through often stressful and troubling immigration cases. Many times, immigrants seeking asylum face horrific problems in their home countries, so it’s important that I am able to serve them with the utmost love and care. Exercise is one way that helps me do that.
Final Thoughts on Movement
Movement is so important. It surprises me every time when I am stressed from life and then I move, and suddenly the stress disappears. Our bodies were made to move, and I’m happy that I regularly practice movement to overcome the hardships we face, especially in times like we live in now with Covid-19. I encourage anyone who wants to reduce stress, think more clearly, and serve people better to practice moving regularly!