I had a bit of an epiphany a few summers ago. On holiday with my family soon after the 2010 election, I was in the pool playing with my eldest son. After about an hour, I began to make my way out. My little man immediately started to cry. "Please don't stop Daddy," he said. "We never get time to have fun together".
He was right. The pressures of being an MP mean free time is a very rare luxury. Parliament sits for long hours and votes go on well into the evening, meaning 14-hour days are the norm. At weekends, constituency events and campaigning can easily fill both days. On the day of the local and European elections earlier this month, for example, I was out campaigning all day and being ferried between television studios all night.
Yet however much one does, there is always more to do: more constituents who need my help (especially in a constituency like Tottenham), more parliamentary debates to speak in and more meetings to attend. But it's not just the hours that take their toll - it's also the pressures of being the last point of call for my constituents, many of whom are suffering various types of hardship. Then there's the constant awareness of knowing that any slip you make, any misplaced word or hasty tweet, could be a national news story. Is politics rewarding and challenging? Yes. Relaxing? No. I love my job, but it's hardly good for the inner zen.
Things are further complicated by trying to balance work commitments with a stable family life. My 8-year-old is now at the age where he is desperate to be a footballer and begs me to take him to the park for a kick-about. Not wanting to disappoint, I've started factoring this into my routine by getting up earlier and spending an hour at 7am helping him hone his passing and dribbling skills. (Thankfully he's still young enough to think I'm good at football!) I do all I can to create time with my family, and often insist that my office doesn't accept engagements at the times when I'm at football with my boys. As with most parents, balancing a busy work schedule and young children makes it almost impossible to find time for oneself.
The slight irony of all this is that, as Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Wellbeing, I spend several hours a week promoting initiatives to encourage a better quality of living, discussing the importance of the work-life balance and writing about the benefits of taking time out. Then I rush off for another afternoon of back-to-back meetings, followed by parliamentary votes, an evening speaking engagement and then, finally, home to get ready to do it all again the next day. The irony is not lost on me.
So when the Guardian approached me about taking part in this challenge, I decided to spend a week trying to practice what I preach when it comes to wellbeing. This week, one of the busiest in the parliamentary year because of Tuesday's State Opening of Parliament, I am undertaking a challenge to look after myself better. It might not sound particularly tough – finding time out for some mindfulness practice or to go for a run isn't exactly on a par with swimming the channel or running an Ironman, but millions of working people will know that it's not as easy as it sounds.
There is also a wider issue at stake here. In Britain, people's satisfaction with life has barely changed since 1970. Despite the social, technological and medical advances we have made since then, we are still no happier or more fulfilled as a nation than we were 40 years ago. And yet many of the steps that any of us need to take towards a healthier and happier lifestyle are cheap - or even free.
There is a growing consensus that we need new measures of progress beyond the crude barometer of economic growth. David Cameron recognised this when he created Britain's first happiness index. But the importance of personal happiness and satisfaction is still not a big enough part of our national debate. My challenge this week is not just to work towards a healthier lifestyle for myself, but to highlight how important it is that we all try to do the same.
The challenge: Day one
This afternoon David Lammy will be meeting GP Dr Laura Marshall-Andrews, one of the founders of the Brighton Health and Wellbeing Centre. Tune in tomorrow to hear Dr Marshall-Andrews' assessment of David's current way of life, and her recommendations for ways in which he can improve his health and wellbeing.
What do you do to keep your health and wellbeing levels high?
Interested in finding out more about how you can live better? Take a look at this month's Live Better Challenge here.
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