Let’s face it, lawyering is difficult. We all have days where it feels as though the ground beneath us is about to give and we’re spiraling out of control. When you feel this way, what coping mechanism do you use to feel grounded again? Practicing mindfulness allows us to pause, reflect, and respond from a place of calm rather than reacting.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you know that practicing mindfulness is good for you. It helps to decrease the impact of stress on your body, allows you to manage anxiety better, and lowers blood pressure and a host of stress-related psychosomatic symptoms. The list of what mindfulness can do seems to be growing daily.
As I tour around the country, traveling to dozens of cities, giving talks, having one-on-one meetings with lawyers, and engaging in honest dialogue about life as a lawyer, one common theme I see is this: too many of us are living a dream that wasn’t meant for us.
Here are some answers to common questions and concerns lawyers have about meditation.
Ready to give meditation a try? Here are some instructions.
I've always been an anxious person. Constantly worrying about what's lurking in hiding few steps ahead, never being able to enjoy the moment. Even when I achieved success, I was filled with anxiety. It wasn't until I was regularly having [...]
Ever feel completely paralyzed by overanalysis? Having the same, worried, repetitive, unhelpful, unproductive thoughts, over and over again? This is one of the biggest hurdles lawyers often face when they're thinking about any type of transition — it can be whether [...]
“I feel so miserable and the feeling of misery is making me feel guilty.” In speaking with hundreds of lawyers from across the country, this feeling of discontent — when there is every indication that you should feel happy — is a [...]
I want to be fully emotionally and mentally present with my kids. Storytime, trips to the park, building Legos—I want to give my children my undivided attention or at least limit the distractions during these times.
I was at a conference in a breakout session and one lawyer shared, "Even though there are 300 lawyers in my building, I feel so lonely." Loneliness can come in many flavors. You can feel lonely from physical isolation — [...]