‍

Times are challenging for everyone right now. The legal community is feeling uncertainty – around our health, families, jobs, and the economy. There is also added stress as we shift to working from home. A lot is on people’s minds. We are taking in a lot of information, which alone can cause a lot of stress and emotional drain. You may even be waking up feeling more tired. How can we ground ourselves? What are the practices we can engage in to feel more grounded?

In my first Webinar on mindfulness tools, we talked about basic mindfulness practice we can incorporate into our day. Taking 10 to 12 minutes a day for basic mindfulness practices in the coming week can make a significant difference in supporting yourself and ultimately, those around you.

On our first call, we acknowledged some of the more challenging aspects of our experiences, and detailed a few basic mindfulness tools, including belly breathing, body scan meditation, and the benefits of tracking your efforts. When you are feeling challenged this week, and notice yourself experiencing a mild--or even more pronounced-- fight or flight response, start by using some of the basic mindfulness practices described below.

Acknowledge the Uncertainty

Notice and discuss the various uncertainties you are experiencing. Jobs, health, families, and the people out there who need support – all of these create uncertainty. How does this feel? Does it make you anxious, or nervous? Talking about these sorts of things helps us to notice what’s actually happening inside of us. Notice and feel the nervous energy, notice and identify what’s happening in the breath, in the body. Take a moment to practice the belly breathing and body scan techniques outlined below.

Practice Belly Breathing - 7 Breaths

First, I invite you to engage in some basic belly breathing. The belly breath is an amazing and naturally comforting breathing technique. Place your hand on your chest, and second hand on your belly. When you breath in, slowly expand both the chest and belly cavity.  When you breath out, collapse both.  It’s a style of breathing that we used to rely on early in life, but may have lost over time due to our sedentary jobs. For example, when I watch my son sleep, you can see his whole thoracic cage going up and down as he breathes. Intentionally practicing belly breathing reminds the body that you’re safe, and naturally dampens the fight or flight response. Practice taking seven belly breaths, and you can really see the shift. Whenever you feel like something is challenging, just take in several belly breaths and notice the body’s shift toward calmness.

Listen to a Guided Body Scan Meditation - 10-12 Minutes

The second tool I want to discuss is body scan meditation. This valuable tool counters the “head heavy” legal workplace environment – we’re a thinking culture, and we value “knowing”. We’re always thinking and planning ahead, which are necessary skills for our profession, but which can take us out of the present moment and which can also be draining.

What we want is to bring ourselves back to the present moment. A natural way of breaking the fight or flight cycle is to pay attention to what’s happening in the body in the moment. Notice how much more present you are, how much tension there is in your body. Listen to the body scan meditation linked below, or check out the ones available at the UCLA meditation center, or on apps such as Calm, Insight Timer, or Headspace.

Tracking

Tracking both the uncertainty you experience and the impact of your mediation practices for the first week can pay dividends. Here is a simple spreadsheet in which you can make note of the uncertainty you experience, the feeling you’re having, the mindfulness technique you practice, and the outcome.

We’re experiencing more concern than usual, experiencing more fight or flight reactions, are more reactive, and tiring more quickly. We want to gain energy back quickly. We can become more grounded, more rooted, and more able to support others.

Summing It Up

In just 10 to 12 minutes a day, we can all connect with ourselves, connect with each other, and support others during this time.

‍