Reduce Stress in 6 Minutes or Less
10 Things You Can Do in 6 Minutes or Less to Help with Stress As a lawyer, there are times when you’re going to feel stressed and overwhelmed. Realizing that this truth is inevitable is the first step, but understanding that there are ways you can improve your stress...
Understanding Lawyer Wellness
Unfortunately, the words lawyer and wellness are not grouped together enough. In fact, according to a Bloomberg Law survey taken in the last quarter of 2021, surveyed lawyers said they experienced burnout in their jobs 52% of the time. It doesn’t stop with burnout,...
What’s Keeping You From Being Like Murphy?
Meet Murphy. He was born half blind. He lost his mother when he was young. His father was a heroin addict. Despite the fact that Murphy’s father wasn’t able to combat his addiction, he repeatedly shared these words with him: You can accomplish anything you put...
Courage Under Fire
Can you imagine what it must’ve been like? Flying through the air, not knowing which way was up or down. Unsure of where you would land. Feeling the world spin around you. No control. And, then, once you hit the floor, the reality sinks in as you realize you are on...
Running Into The New Year: What You Need to Know
“A fog running through Birmingham,” Early Morning Run, December 29, 2020 A New Year—time for a fresh start. As you set your “new” goals—running, or increasing your level of physical activity, is likely to be somewhere on your list. Everyone knows running is good...
The Queen’s Key: Unlocking Your Full Potential
In the opening scene of The Queen’s Gambit, it happens quickly. “Harmon” is lying submerged in a bathtub. She responds to a knock on the door by quickly lifting her head out of the water, and now, she’s gasping. As she looks around with wide eyes scanning the room...
Skepticism: A Lawyer’s Best Friend or Worst Enemy?
A client calls. You pick up the phone. You don’t know what you will hear on the other end of the line, but you’re ready. On point. Focused. Listening. Well-equipped to assess and prepare for whatever scenario is headed your way. As a successful lawyer, you’re an...
The Difference: Balcony vs. Basement People
bal•co•ny băl′kə-nē A platform that projects from the wall of a building and is surrounded by a railing, balustrade, or parapet. A gallery that projects over the main floor in a theater or auditorium. A stage or platform projecting from the wall of a building...
Imposter Syndrome: An Insidious Player in Lawyer Loneliness?
I was sitting with my friend—a senior partner at a big law firm, when he said it. We were having coffee; finishing our conversation. And then, at one point, he leaned in, and whispered: “I don’t know if you know, but a lot of lawyers are afraid that someone will...
Why is Law the Loneliest Profession in America?
For a long time, I’ve been hesitant to write this article. I struggled with how to “frame” it, so that it would be both informative and hopeful. So that, when I was telling this story, it would help the people who read it—not make them feel worse. But the truth...
Masking the Struggle
By Dr. Rachel Fry This article was originally published in the November 2019 edition of The Alabama Lawyer, Volume 80, Number 6. It was reprinted with permission in the Chattanooga Bar Association's March 2020 Newsletter.Answer these three questions. Do you enjoy...
Survival Skill #5: Managing “Uncertainty”
Disclaimer: If you are like me, you find that some days, it is easy to be clear and know what you need, but other days feel like completely uncharted territory. Right now, we are all learning new skills. Depending on the day, you might feel like you are...
Survival Skill #4: Cultivating “A Safe Place”
Disclaimer: Like many of you, my children teach me every day. As I was finalizing this post, I felt compelled to write this: As parents, it is sometimes easy to put our children first. While we need to cultivate a safe place for them, it is also essential that we...
Survival Skill #3: Creating Boundaries at Home
Disclaimer: Boundaries are difficult to establish during “normal life.” During a pandemic, they are even harder to set, but in some ways, more important. Uncertainty provides fertile ground for us to feel discombobulated; boundaries help us restore some normality....
Survival Skill #2: Managing Bad Days
Disclaimer: I sometimes find it difficult to work through the "bad days"—especially right now. Most of us goal-oriented people struggle with creating unrealistic expectations and learning how to give ourselves permission to “be off.” If a bad day arrives, it will...
Survival Skill #1: Humor In the Midst of a Pandemic
Disclaimer: “Crazy with a K” is one of my favorite expressions--it's fun and a phrase we say often in our house when something is really “off.” When I wake my 12-year-old up every morning, I enter his room in a karate-style yoga-warrior move, saying quietly, “I am...
Diving Into The Deep End
Disclaimer: I’m a psychologist, not an English professor. If I worried about current sentence structure, you would not be reading this article. I promise to get my copy editor in on some of the longer articles, but for today, see if you can roll with it.For years,...
