Start small + with yourself.

As Well-Being Week in the Law continues, my first advice is this: start small and start with yourself.

Caring for your mental health and well-being does not require drastic, big effort.

To start: Look for one thing each day that you can do that is 100% for yourself.

Lacking autonomy is a huge driver in poor mental health and well-being for lawyers. But, there are small ways you can start building choice and control into your day--both personally and professionally.

On the personal front: I like to do one thing in the morning and at night that is just for me, a reminder that I do get to choose at least one part of the day that has nothing to do with work.

Often, for me, this means setting a timer and reading for fun for 10 minutes in the morning and using my gentle alarm clock's winddown routine to read for 5-30 minutes before sleep.

Sometimes, it is:

⭐ getting a latte from my favorite local coffee shop;

⭐ meditating;

⭐ taking 10 extra minutes to chill with my dogs;

⭐ staring at The Lake, maybe catching the sunrise;

⭐ sitting in silence and enjoying a hot tea;

⭐ doing the NYT mini puzzles before checking email for the day.

What you do with that choice, with that moment that is just for you, is totally up to you and often deeply personal.

If you have more than 5-30 minutes, you can build on this as your habit grows or on days when you can take a little more time for yourself.

Taking care of yourself does not have to be earth shattering. It can be as simple as a moment to pause, do something you truly enjoy doing, and remembering that you do have some choice in your day.

🔥✌️❤️