Attorney Wellness
| Publication year | 2023 |
| Pages | 0058 |
Attorney Wellness
Leading With Authenticity:
Prioritizing Success and Wellness in the Workplace
The following conversation with attorney Jessica Wood provides advice on how to navigate the stress and demands of the legal profession.
BY LAURIE L. MYLER
Did your 1L "welcome to law school" introduction speech include the infamous "look to your left and then to your right, and three years from now, only one of you will still be here" line? Mine did, and although most of my classmates ultimately attended our unseasonably warm New Hampshire graduation ceremony, the line has stuck with me. At various points in my career, after the "Great Rescission," leaving private practice for public interest law, the birth of my fourth child and the COVID-19 pandemic, I have looked to my peers for wisdom about how to navigate the stress and demands of the profession and stay sane. Being a lawyer is not for everyone, I will admit; some of my law school peers are happily employed as CEOs, teachers or in tech roles. This publication's editor-in-chief, who has a J.D. and a PhD, helps business owners post written content. As I approach my 20th year of practice, I pause to consider what I could do to interrupt the attrition cycle and ensure that lawyers—practicing or not, myself included—are healthy and engaged in meaningful work. To help guide my understanding of leadership, professional satisfaction and well-being, I consulted with Jessica Wood, a skilled litigator, esteemed mentor, expert networker and well-being advocate.[1] To know Wood is to know that she is charming, witty, unabashedly direct and insightful. At her core, Wood has a genuine desire to be personally and professionally connected and fulfilled. My recent discussion with her reminded me that we are more successful when we are authentic and honest. Here are a few of her practical life hacks that she learned from mental health professionals and leaders in the legal community that anyone can easily implement: start where you are, be intentional, embrace connection, learn from others and lead with authenticity.
Start Where You Are
No matter the phase of your professional life, Wood advises to start where you are. She recommends examining the aspects of your life and purposefully identifying areas for personal development and improvement. For instance, if you are not getting any exercise, Wood suggests that you find an accountability partner to help you and make a plan. Admitting that she is human and quick to remind me that she is far from perfect, Wood approaches well-being from a belief that lawyers do not have to be miserable or sacrifice happiness to get a good result for a client. "Wellness ensures that you have the physical, emotional and mental ability to operate at your highest level for the client and for your colleagues who collaborate with you. To get the most effective deliverables, we need to be able to decide or have input in the when, where, why, what, who and how of the work we're performing," Wood says.
Research supports adopting a holistic approach to well-being because it yields benefits like enhancing mood through physical activity and increasing happiness by fostering social connections.[2]Wood prioritizes sleep, proper nutrition, exercise, time alone to think and decompress, and time with family and friends, though she admits that she falls short of her aspirations on occasion. To stay on track, goal setting is vital to reinforce healthy habits. This year Wood is going to walk the Peachtree Road Race, so she has clean socks and running shoes in her desk drawer, so she can get her steps in. In addition, she always has nuts and fruit nearby, so she does not get "hangry" during the day. Wood has a therapist (Zoom, every two weeks), a fitness coach (FaceTime, four times a week for strength training), and when people extend invitations to get together, she always requests a walking date. You can often find her getting social...
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