Back to School, Back to Routine Rethinking Rhythm as Seasons Shift Even without kids in school, most of us can feel the shift when summer starts to wind down and routines pick up again. School buses reappear, morning traffic thickens, and the long, loose days of summer give way to something more structured. That change can sometimes feel abrupt, but it can also be a good thing. Researchers say that structure and routine support our mental health by reducing decision fatigue and helping us focus on what really matters. Routines provide an easy way to conserve mental energy for more important tasks, which can lessen daily stress and anxiety. Getting back into rhythm can be particularly beneficial after several weeks of flexible but often hectic summer schedules. Does your office turn away calls about “long-term disability insurance” claim denials because you don’t handle administrative appeals or “ERISA litigation” in federal court? We want to hear from you! We happily share fees on referred ERISA long-term disability, life insurance, and accidental death insurance denial cases. Send us an email at BriefRecess@jpricemcnamara.com or call (225) 201-8311 to start the referral process! WE VALUE YOUR REFERRALS! The good news is that we don’t even need a dramatic overhaul of our day to get there. Just a few small adjustments can make life feel more manageable. Laying out clothes or prepping meals the night before can cut down on morning chaos. Taking 10 minutes to jot down the week’s top priorities can help us feel more in control. Along with reducing
Most pet owners already know their furry friends make life better, but according to a new study, the value might be higher than anyone realized. Some researchers say it’s close to $100,000. Researchers in the U.K. aimed to measure how much happiness dogs and cats bring to people’s lives. Using data from more than 700 people, they found that owning a pet can boost life satisfaction as much as getting married or landing a massive raise. In economic terms, it’s the emotional equivalent of earning nearly $93,000 more per year. To determine whether pets actually improve happiness, rather than the opposite — happy people are more likely to have pets — the team factored in things like age, income, personality traits, and family size. They also used a clever workaround: They asked people whether they look after their neighbor’s house while they’re away. That behavior is linked to pet ownership but not directly to happiness, which helped researchers isolate the impact of pet ownership. It’s not just a fun fact, either. Experts say findings like this could affect everything from housing laws to public health programs. If pets fight loneliness and lift people’s moods, it might make sense to rethink rules that prevent pet ownership in some apartments and assisted living facilities. While the researchers focused only on cats and dogs, the message came through clearly. Pets matter, maybe even more than we thought. And if you already live with one and know how they benefit your well-being, the science now backs you NEW STUDY SAYS PETS ARE WORTH PLENTY THE $100K REASON TO GET A PET
up. That wagging tail or soft purr might be worth more than you ever guessed.
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