How Meditation Can Help Lawyers Perform Their Best

Meditation Helps Manage Stress and Anxiety

The legal profession has long been associated with high-stakes, high-stress environments and a culture of working long hours. Many lawyers suffer under the pressure and stress of the profession, and it is about time we end the stigma surrounding mental health and the practice of law.

One way you can take back control of the stress before the burnout hits is by practicing meditation. Several studies have found that meditation and other mindfulness practices, such as yoga, can help manage stress, anxiety, and depression. And what’s great about meditation is any amount is better than none. I know you can find 5 minutes somewhere in your day to give meditation a fair try.

Meditation Improves Sleep

Lawyers are not known for their robust sleep schedules, even though a solid night of sleep is crucial for performing your best. Research has shown that meditation triggers what Dr. Herbert Benson coined as the relaxation response, a physiological shift in the body that can help with stress-related troubles. This shift in the body has also been shown to improve sleep disorders, which Dr. Benson believes are often tied to stress.

And if sleep is something you feel you are getting enough of, meditation can improve your quality of sleep. A meta-analysis concluded that, much like exercise, mindfulness practices like meditation help improve sleep quality. Sleeping better means waking up more refreshed with a mind ready to perform its best. Try taking 10 minutes before bed to clear your mind and see if you can make it a new habit.

Meditation Teaches You Patience

Patience is required in the practice of law. Whether it be patience with someone else, or giving yourself some grace, there is no way around managing your emotions to perform your best as a lawyer. Integrating a regular practice of meditation into your lifestyle has been shown to increase tolerance to stress, frustration, and challenges — three feelings lawyers know well.

Since the practice of meditation also encourages a level of self-reflection, it can increase your self-awareness. Self-awareness not only makes you more patient with yourself, but with others, in addition to being more thoughtful and understanding. If you can make meditation a part of your daily routine, you will be better for it the next time you feel the negative emotions creeping up.