Due to the long hours, high stakes, incivility, and near constant adversarial work, the practice of law is inherently stressful. You, however, have control over how you feel, react, and repel (rather than internalize or pass on) the stress surrounding you.
Below are tips and suggestions for incorporating mindfulness into your day and how you can diffuse a stress reaction (such as an increased heart rate) instantly.
When You Need Immediate Help or Have Five Minutes or Less
- Take several deep belly breaths. Focus on your breath.
- Take notice of how you feel physically. Acknowledge the feeling, then let it go.
- Change your perspective and position; adjust your posture (stand up, sit down, move).
- Center yourself—feel the weight your of body in your chair or the feeling of your feet on the floor.
- Set an intention.
- Daily—what energy do you need to make it through the day (focus, calm, etc.) and how will you remind yourself of your daily intention?
- Situationally—before walking into a meeting, take a moment and think about your purpose and your client’s goals. How best can you meet those goals? You can even set reminders to re-focus yourself on those goals.
