Get Out of Your Head and Move
In law school, our days require so much work from our mind—processing a whirlwind of emails, readings, and legal arguments. However, this fixation on the mind and its mental processes can trap us in our heads and disconnect us from our bodies. For your mind to be 100 percent, your body can’t be ignored. After all, your mind is only one part of the incredible system that is you.
When was the last time you stepped away from your screen? If it has been more than an hour, it’s time to put away your phone and computer, stop reading, stop analyzing, and go out for a walk. Reconnect with your body to give your mind a break.
Whether it’s a walk, a run, or an unhinged dance battle, exercise is a great way to reconnect. Play is also a great way to get you out of your head. The law is serious enough as it is. So shake it off.
Move your hips from side to side. Schedule a board game night with your friends. Play tug-o-war with your dog. Remember that play isn’t just for kids—it’s an essential part of life that allows us to take ourselves less seriously.
Learn How to Let Go of Tension
Tension is a natural part of being a student—it can move us to meet deadlines or motivate great legal work. But tension, in the form of fear or worry, can destroy great work unless we learn to let it go.
How do we do that? It’s simple—just ask.
First, find a quiet space where you won’t be disturbed. Close your eyes, reach your fingers to the floor, and silently repeat this phrase: “I deeply wish to surrender all negative tension.” Imagine all tension leaving you, streaming out through your fingertips like a gentle flow of slime or wisps of smoke. Repeat this phrase until you feel cleaner, lighter, and freer.
I do this at the end of every day, right before I sleep. This exercise creates space in your body and mind. It allows you to find your equilibrium after a stressful day at school. It opens you to the possibility of peace in this moment.
This tip takes extra practice because releasing tension can be challenging. The only thing you must not do is to analyze the tension. Don’t start thinking about what went wrong or how you could have done better. Simply let it go.
You can use nature to aid this process by going to a beautiful place outside and repeating the phrase. If you’re indoors, visualize nature as you say it. Picture the vastness of the ocean or the expansiveness of the sky. Use whatever helps you feel larger than the tension itself.
When you expand your perspective, you’ll find it’s easier truly to let go. If you don’t, the tension will follow you and ultimately destroy your peace.
Cultivate Gratitude Every Day
We all have days when we wake up on the wrong side of the bed, perhaps feeling overwhelmed or exhausted. The next time this happens, stop and find one thing to feel grateful for. Take a breath into that feeling and let it anchor you.
It might be gratitude for your health, your family, your friends, or even your pet. It might be the fact that you’re in law school. Or it might be that you’ve conquered so many obstacles to get here and now have the opportunity to keep moving forward. Feel this sense of gratitude in your heart and breathe into it. Allow it to lift you out of any funky feelings holding you down.
Gratitude is a powerful force that can shift you from a “why me?” attitude into a “what’s possible?” kind of day. Gratitude helps you see the positive in your life so that you can accept it just as it is right now without manipulating or changing anything about it. True acceptance of your life is key if you want to find peace.
There will always be another argument to fight, another client to help, or another personal life drama to work through. What comes up won’t always be in your control. But your reaction to each challenge is, and your sense of peace can be there to support you.
These tips for finding peace are no instant fixes—they take practice, work, and commitment. But I can tell you from experience that they work if you apply them. May you find peace.
