“You think you have problems,” such was the wisdom my father imparted while he read the newspaper or watched a television news story about a person facing tragic circumstances. When stories of tremendous suffering are heard, we question whether or not we have the right to complain. We go from magnitude to gratitude, as in unison we join … Read more
Every time I type the word “resiliency,” spellcheck seems to prefer the word “resilience.” It made me question whether or not the word “resiliency” exists. When I searched the definition for “resiliency”, it redirected me to the definition of “resilience.” Is there a difference between the words? According to Oxford’s definition, “resilience is the capacity … Read more
Why is the American legal system so dangerous for the attorney? For those who question the lethality of the legal system, I direct your attention to the American Bar Association (ABA) 2018 National Task report on Lawyer Wellbeing1, which reported that 26 to 38 percent of lawyers qualify as “problem drinkers,” 28 percent of lawyers reported struggling … Read more
Stemming from Buddhism, mindfulness is a relatively new concept in the Western world. It began to gain influence in psychology and medicine in the 1970’s and has since taken off in the world of positive psychology. Awareness and Acceptance in Mindfulness Jon Kabat-Zinn defines mindfulness as the “awareness that arises from paying attention, on purpose, … Read more
The workforce in our world is changing, and has been ever since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. With these changes, employers and employees may have to develop an open mind when it comes to expectations at work, especially if continuing remote work. One thing has not changed, which is that we want productive work … Read more
It has long been known that while the practice of law has many benefits, lawyers are more vulnerable to stress, depression, anxiety, and substance abuse than nearly any other profession. Lawyers are also often help-resistant and have difficulty admitting vulnerability as they are the ones that are supposed to provide help and answers. Recently, the … Read more
Why It Pays to be Grateful “Be grateful for what you have!” I’m sure we’ve all heard this countless times from others, but it’s hard to do when things are going wrong or not the way you planned. Despite the overused verbiage, there has to be some truth behind gratitude, right? Right! The practice of … Read more
Are we more resilient than we think? Back in the spring of 2020, experts warned to prepare for an inevitable mental health crisis that was coming as a result of the pandemic. No age group was immune to the psychological risks that were at hand, as many articles pointed out the different disruptions to daily … Read more
Picture this: it is a beautiful sunny day and you are getting ready in the morning for a friend’s Fourth of July barbecue. This is an exciting day for so many reasons. Most of your loved ones have received the COVID-19 vaccine, and this is one of the first large gatherings you are attending since … Read more
Mental Health Awareness Week 2021 was October 3rd- 9th. Dedicating only one week out of the year to mental health awareness is essentially the same as brushing your teeth for only a week out of the year. While the message and sentiment of Mental Health Week is important and well intended, the reality is that … Read more