May is Mental Health Awareness Month and I’m encouraging my fellow attorneys to do something radical: Pause.
For the sake of your mental health, take off your lawyering hat—at least once in a while.
We’re trained to be skeptical, analytical, and always on alert for risk. Those are great skills when you’re representing clients.
But the same habits that make us great lawyers—pessimism, urgency, need for control, arguing to win—can quietly undermine our mental well-being and our relationships.
Here are a few small ways to protect your mental health:
🔹 Practice empathy – Listening without judgment deepens your personal relationships and eases stress.
🔹 Let go of urgency – Not every conversation is a crisis. Try slowing down outside the office.
🔹 Connect socially – Meaningful relationships are one of the strongest protectors of mental health.
🔹 Try mindfulness – Meditation, walks, or simply breathing with intention can help you respond instead of react.
🔹 Move your body – Regular exercise can be a powerful tool for stress relief and mood regulation.
You can’t always turn off your legal brain. But you can give it a break.
Mental wellness isn’t a luxury—it’s essential for long-term career satisfaction and effectiveness.