Tips for Managing Mental Health in the Legal Profession

I suffered from tremendous anxiety in big law. It didn't matter that my hours weren't "crazy." I have an anxious personality and that did not play well with the "always on" nature of the game. I'm SO HAPPY I left, it wasn't a fit for me. But if I were still there, here are 5 habits that would help. 1️⃣ Be grateful. Many people would die for the job I took for granted and whined about. You don't have to be stupid about it, you can acknowledge that big law firms are not a wellness retreat. But think about how many of the lawyers in this country would die for your job. Think about people in "Third-World" countries. Think about how much you have. Gratitude calms the mind and helps you relax. 2️⃣ Do one thing at a time. Give it your full attention. Close your email. Check it on a schedule (with occasional lapses) or as infrequently as possible. Multi-tasking is toxic. Period. Disturbs the mind. Fragments your experience. Have a mindfulness practice even if for one minute a day. The more focused you are, the calmer you'll be, the more rewarding you'll find whatever you're doing. 3️⃣ Set your red lines and be willing to walk out the door. A lot of the stress of big law is feeling out of control. You feel like you can't say no, not take a call, and have no say in your life. If you're mentally willing to walk, you're back in control. You can say no to an assignment or refuse to work with someone nasty. That partner screams at you? "Excuse me, don't you ever talk like that to me again." They don't like it? Tough luck. You're okay taking the consequences. 4️⃣ Practice letting go. Your 50 page brief gets no response. No one answers your email, nor the fifth followup. Someone doesn't like the way you worded something or that you didn't ask them first or weren't available because your wife was giving birth to triplets. Be willing to experience their disappointment. Pay the price of feeling the discomfort. You can't control how people react to you. Do your best and then let go of trying to control the outcome. 5️⃣ Unplug. Just f*cking do it. Unless there's a real need (e.g., a large closing), shut your phone after a certain time at night. Finish on the toilet before responding. Eat your lunch in peace. Leave your phone behind and check sporadically on the weekend. Your not an animal, you shouldn't have a leash. Someone doesn't like it? See number 3 above. #WiseGuy #Lawyers #BigLaw #Lawschool

You can reduce stress as an attorney through organization. Days will be overwhelming. Work will be > hours in a day. Deadlines will be everywhere. And your ability to get s*** done will suffer. In these moments, I go back to my list. Dumping all open items into a list isn’t novel. But reprioritizing that list daily (sometimes multiple times in a day) will have meaningful impact. It’s the difference between having a static to-do list and a dynamic guide. This exercise will help you recognize that the day has a limit. And that you will not complete everything you hope to accomplish. This recognition is a gift. I use it to set realistic expectations - clients, team members, etc. Visibility created. Stress reduced. Focus improved. Be diligent with this exercise. It will change how you lawyer. #generalcounsel #attorney #mentalhealth

In the hustle of legal research and endless paperwork, it's easy to overlook the simple joys. In my latest blog post, I share a game-changing wellness reminder for legal professionals: get outside each day! As a paralegal, my days are often confined indoors, surrounded by walls and artificial lights. Incorporating a daily outdoor break has been transformative. A short stroll or a pause in the backyard with the farm animals has become my daily escape, offering a tangible boost in happiness and resilience to stress. Here are three benefits I've found: 1. Mood break 2. Sensory treat 3. Small but mighty impact So, fellow legal professionals, take it from someone who’s been there. Step outside, breathe in the fresh air, and let nature surprise you with its transformative power. Your sanity and productivity will thank you. For more on this, please read the full blog post at the link below. How do you make space for outside time each day? Please share your thoughts in the comments or on the blog. Let's inspire each other to embrace the beauty that surrounds us in our daily grind! https://lnkd.in/grbXs4H2 #wellnesstip #wellnessinlegal #legalprofessionals #getoutsidedaily

Dear Law Student, If you can master two behaviors, you will likely live a longer life and enjoy a more rewarding, less stressful legal career. 1. Sleep 8 hours per night. 2. Work out 1 hour per day. Sleep is the fundamental building block of all health (spiritual, mental, and physical). And don't kid yourself, 8 hours is what you need. You're not an exception to the basic rules of physiology. Working out, which comes in one of two types (i.e., resistance training, cardio) is the best thing you can do for stress management and precluding depression and negative emotions. As much as I advocate controlled eating to maintain healthy weight, it seems pretty clear from the data that consistent exercise is more important). Master these behaviors in law school so you can implement them from day 1 as an attorney, and never compromise. If your job makes it impossible to sleep a full 8 hours and work out for 1 hour, please, find another job. No job is worth your mental, physical, and spiritual health. That and you'll be more successful over time in a situation that faciliates, instead of precludes, these behaviors.

#SundayReset This week it hit me: In 2018, I had an emergency appendectomy. It started around 8 PM and led to early morning surgery the next day. It happened very quickly. I, though, didn’t hesitate to ask my colleagues for help: help moving a hearing, help covering files, and more. My colleagues stepped up immediately, no questions asked. Fast forward two years, to 2020: I was struggling. A tough boss, burnout, high work hours, and the loneliness of the stay-at-home order pushed my anxiety to a peak I had never experienced before. It led to some very intense, even dangerous, thoughts. I knew I needed help, and I did get help, just not from anyone at work. I didn’t tell them what was going on. I hid it. Today, in 2024, I’ve found my voice. I’ve become comfortable, even confident, enough to talk openly about my struggles and be real about them publicly—and at work. I know, however, that this is not the case for many attorneys. That must change. If the profession, and especially my realm of #biglaw, wants to make headway when it comes to attorney mental health and well-being, it must begin with destigmatizing voicing these struggles and seeking help when mental health comes to a head. It should be treated no differently than an emergency surgery or life-changing diagnosis. Having these struggles does not make me weak. It makes me human. Struggling with mental health is just that: part of the shared human condition. I am a human before I am an attorney. Getting a law degree, passing the bar, and even making partner, does not magically remove or resolve these struggles. Our profession is slow to change. Yet, change is happening. Until big change comes, start small and start with yourself. Check in with yourself. Check in with your friends and colleagues. Take breaks, take care of yourself, and lead by example. The sooner you start, no matter how small, the sooner the momentum will build and you’ll find the comfort and confidence like I have to speak up more broadly. This change starts with us, individually. If we wait on others to create change, it’ll be too late. Finally, if you are struggling: you are not alone. High achievers tend to believe this. I know I did: I’m the only one struggling. I’m the only one making mistakes. I’m the only one wondering if I’m cut out for this gig. This is a thought we can and should challenge. It is untrue. You can call or text 988 and receive immediate resources for addressing the present moment’s concerns. You can find your firm’s Employee Assistance Program (EAP), which should have free sessions with a clinical professional. You can reach out to your state bar’s lawyer assistance program. All of this is confidential. Or, you can reach out to a friend or family member. I promise you can. Mental health is health. Lawyers are not immune from its ups and downs. Addressing it and improving it will make us all better and stronger in the end. #mindfullyemily #lawyerwellbeing #professionalwomen