• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Law School Toolbox®

All the tools you need for law school success

  • Tutoring
  • Courses
    • Start Law School Right
  • Job Help
  • Law School 101
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • About

Smarter, Saner Lawyering With A Little (Mindfulness) Practice

June 6, 2015 By Judi Cohen Leave a Comment

legal writing

We are pleased to welcome Judi Cohen back to the blog. You may recall Judi’s post on being a recovering perfectionist. Judi practiced and taught law for 25 years before founding Warrior One LLC, which offers Essential Mindfulness for Lawyers® trainings and mindfulness-based executive coaching. Welcome, Judi! 

Every few days another article on the benefits of mindfulness makes the rounds on the news. August alone revealed that mindfulness can decrease anxiety and help reduce relapse for clinical depression, in addition to lowering instances of doctor visits.

Researchers from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine conducted a trial on one hundred patients between 30 and 60 years old who were not taking any medications for hypertension, and found substantial and statistically significant reductions in the primary outcomes [including] a 4.8-mm Hg reduction in systolic blood pressure (SBP) and a 1.9-mm Hg reduction in diastolic blood pressure (DBP).” In other words, mindfulness lowered their blood pressure. And it seems that meditation and mindfulness is an effective coping mechanism for teens struggling with early-life traumas as well, not that lawyers act like teenagers too much of the time.

But you don’t need to be suffering from anxiety, depression, high blood pressure or adolescence to reap the benefits of mindfulness.

Congressman Tim Ryan is bringing mindfulness to Washington, citing his personal experience with mindfulness as an effective tool to increase his capacity and resilience to handle the pressures of working in the U.S. Capitol. Even Google, arguably the smartest corporation in the world, is teaching meditation to its employees.

Given all that, it’s no stretch to see how a mindfulness practice will benefit a busy attorney.

The benefits may come in achieving wellness goals that are at odds with career projections, creating more mental clarity to be able to stay on track, or cultivating a more positive, healthy attitude.

Mindfulness isn’t new age any more. In fact, practicing mindfulness is about coming of age and realizing how important it is to understand and support the (legal) mind. In a short mindfulness training, researchers in a randomized controlled investigation of GRE-takers reported that a short mindfulness training, “improved both reading-comprehension scores and working memory capacity while simultaneously reducing the occurrence of distracting thoughts.”

This suggests that cultivating mindfulness is an effective and efficient technique for improving cognitive function, with wide-reaching consequences. Mindfulness is a practical, simple tool that lawyers can use to do better work, get better quality of life, and improve their own physical and mental wellbeing.

Mindfulness may be 2,500 years old, but new studies suggest that it results in more focus, better memory, lower blood pressure, and other important benefits. For lawyers who manage busy, relentless lives, a little mindfulness training can help you build a smarter, saner practice.

— – —

Judi Cohen is the founder of Warrior One LLC, which offers Essential Mindfulness for Lawyers® trainings and mindfulness-based executive coaching. She also teaches Essential Mindfulness for Lawyers at Golden Gate University School of Law. Judi can be reached at Judi@WarriorOne.com.  

— – —

Want more great career info?

And check out these helpful posts:

  • Do You Have the Right Mindset for Your Legal Career?
  • Advice From a Recovering Perfectionist
  • Smarter, Saner Lawyering with a Little (Mindfulness) Practice
  • Lawyers Can’t Find Their Bliss… Can They?

Want law school tips? Sign up for our free mailing list today.


 

Looking for some help to do your best in law school? Find out about our law school tutoring options.


Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

  • Podcast
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

About Us

If you find law school tough, you are not alone! The Law School Toolbox team is here to help you through it. Check out our helpful free content, podcasts, courses and one-on-one tutoring. Thanks for stopping by and drop us a line if you have any questions. We also invite you to join our weekly mailing list, for advice right to your inbox.

Recent Posts

Interviewing Remotely for Clerkships

Interviewing Remotely for Clerkships

When I started law school, I didn’t even know what the word “clerkship” meant. If you are in the same boat and currently reading this, it’s okay, I’m … Read More about Interviewing Remotely for Clerkships

Podcast Episode 278: Questions to Ask (and Avoid Asking) in Legal Job Interviews (w/Sadie Jones)

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we have ex-BigLaw recruiter Sadie Jones back with us to talk about questions you should, and … Read More about Podcast Episode 278: Questions to Ask (and Avoid Asking) in Legal Job Interviews (w/Sadie Jones)

How To Assess Your First Semester of Law School

How To Assess Your First Semester of Law School

The first semester of law school brings about numerous changes. New friends. New professors. New campus. Maybe a new city. New subjects. New study … Read More about How To Assess Your First Semester of Law School

Podcast Episode 277: Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (w/Eve Rodsky)

Welcome back to the Law School Toolbox podcast! Today, we're excited to have Eve Rodsky on the podcast, who is an attorney and author of the book Fair … Read More about Podcast Episode 277: Fair Play: A Game-Changing Solution for When You Have Too Much to Do (w/Eve Rodsky)

What to Do If You Didn’t Do Well on Your Final Exams

So you’ve finally digested all the holiday ham, turkey and candied yams your body can endure and now it’s time to face the music - your final exam … Read More about What to Do If You Didn’t Do Well on Your Final Exams

Want Better Law School Grades?

Sign Up for Our Exam Tips!

Footer

  • Podcast
  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
  • Blog
  • Podcast
  • Tutoring
  • Courses
  • Job Help
  • About
  • Contact
  • Login
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Refunds

Copyright 2021 Law School Toolbox®™