Wellness Wednesday Roundup: January 29, 2020

Hello and welcome to LexTalk’s #WellnessWednesday Roundup! Each week we feature a few bits of news or info online to help you navigate the stressful world of the legal industry. Let’s get into it:

First up, Attorney At Law Magazine has this piece from Bahar Ansari on “How to Become a Happy Lawyer.” Ansari notes a recent study showing that happy workers are about 12% more productive, yet attorneys on average are 3.6 times more likely to be depressed. The idea, then, would be that happier lawyers would be more productive. Ansari offers her perspective on how to focus on the parts of the job that are most satisfying and points out some useful tools to help minimize those parts lawyers may find tedious (ie, administrative tasks that don’t actually involve the law or helping clients). Check that out here: https://attorneyatlawmagazine.com/becoming-happy-lawyer

Next, the Florida Bar’s series on mindfulness this week focuses on how attention can “play a significant role in stress reduction and relaxation, not to mention focus and working memory.” In the article, Scott Rogers shares his “Nine Principles of Attention,” and how mastering paying attention can help you in a variety of areas in life – including your legal practice. Read it here: https://www.floridabar.org/the-florida-bar-news/the-mindful-lawyer-22/

Over at JDSupra, Zelle LLP and Jennifer Gibbs offer this article on how setting boundaries as a lawyer is often “as some sort of restraint on their potential or a sign of weakness” but may actually be contributing to many of the mental health and wellness issues in the industry. Gibbs runs through common issues lawyers have saying no and setting boundaries, and how this can manifest as anxieties and other health problems. She also lays out some situations in which boundaries and ethics violations interact. Check out that article here: https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/setting-boundaries-an-essential-skill-16576/

Lauri Kavulich writes on Legal Intelligencer at Law.com that addiction doesn’t affect any one person — it also affects everyone around that person. And when that person is a lawyer, it can affect an entire law firm and its clients. Kavulich discusses the importance of education as a preventative measure, but also support and destigmatization of mental health issues. Read the article here: https://www.law.com/thelegalintelligencer/2020/01/28/take-the-lead-workplace-issues-affecting-you-now/

Check back next week for more updates on the world of mental health and wellness in the legal industry!