I love my work as a web developer. I don’t love that the nature of my work generally consists of time spent in a chair. Since my profession is, for the most part, physically inactive, I’ve always made sure I was active in my spare time. Playing soccer my whole life, running marathons, boxing, you name it––it came naturally.
Until life caught up with me. I became extremely busy, and my free time became more about my family and less about running and keeping active. Don’t get me wrong, I value time with my family as well as hard work, but I knew I needed to change some things. Nothing drastic, I just need to get back to the gym.
Meanwhile, I started working at Foster Made. In addition to being a great professional move, to my surprise, Foster Made also provided a culture that supported my overall well-being and health. Our office atmosphere lends itself to always having open discussions on health, diets, and sports. So, with the help of my wife and a little bit of office peer pressure, the last few months I have slowly but surely been getting back in shape.
For myself and other web developers, I now realize how often and easy it is to forget how important our own health is. Working away on client projects keeps us immersed in technology and physically stagnant in one place. We need to move, to punch, to kick––ok, maybe not at each other, but physical activity clears the mind.
It helps to start small, and it’s encouraging when you realize, even with those small efforts, that you actually begin to feel better and think clearer. Noticing progress and clarity makes you want to do more, and you also become more aware of the repercussions of not taking that time for yourself. I am grateful for my family and co-workers. Becoming healthier is something I couldn’t do easily on my own. As a result, I find that with a healthy lifestyle, I’m a better husband, dad, friend, and web developer.
Also - I feel way better knowing I’ll burn off that Sugar Shack donut I ate at the office...
[At the Tough Mudder with Matt, Shawn, and friends.]