The Institute for Well-Being in Law has selected Spiritual Well-Being as the theme for Tuesday, May 6th of Well-Being Week in Law, and it is every bit as important a topic as physical well-being was for Monday. While many lawyers feel a strong connection to their field and their profession, and often have a very strong sense of duty, those factors may not be enough to help you maintain a sense of meaning and purpose within and outside of work.
Let’s take a look at the Institute’s three suggestions, along with some additional resources you can use to support mindfulness, spirituality, and alignment with your own personal values and goals.
Giving and gratitude – Two powerful paths to well-being
We are all familiar with gratitude and giving thanks, but in our fast-paced daily lives it can be easy to neglect these practices. However, gratitude can be the key to a variety of benefits, including reduced stress, an enhanced outlook on life, and increased joy and contentment in our daily lives.
Likewise, service to others is a powerful tool to help improve our outlooks, elevate our daily moods, and even become more resilient in the face of stressful situations (something the legal profession knows a thing or two about). Pro bono work is something that virtually every lawyer is familiar with, but many firms and individuals are expanding into new ways of giving and service. It is not uncommon for a group of lawyers to volunteer time building or painting houses, planting community gardens, and organizing events for community groups.
No matter which kind of service you choose, the benefits of giving back go far beyond enhancing your firm’s reputation. Improved connections to community and colleagues, your sense of fulfillment, and your ability to unplug from the daily grind are just a few of the upsides to service and giving.
Finding focus with contemplative practices
The category of contemplative practices covers a wide range of topics, activities, and options. But the basic core element of contemplative practices is that they provide you with a way to support your spiritual, emotional, social, and psychological well-being.
Mindful meditation, yoga, and even quiet time in nature are just some of the ways that lawyers and others can engage in contemplative practices. The key is to focus on being present, engaging your senses thoughtfully, and in many cases excluding the noise and frantic energy of our modern lives. People who regularly engage in contemplative practices like these report a variety of benefits, including improved ability to handle stressful situations, experiencing more happiness throughout the day, and increased satisfaction with both work and life. For additional information and guidance, the Institute has put together this helpful guide with more details and examples on how to engage in spiritual well-being activities.
Putting people first – human-centered values
There are remarkably few jobs and professions in the world that allow people to live and practice their values every day, and in all they do. Even the legal profession, which many find to be both a passion and a calling, can be far removed from a practitioner’s intrinsic values and spiritual values.
One way to prioritize ourselves and reconnect with our values is to come together with our colleagues or team members and engage in activities that emphasize and strengthen our shared intrinsic values. Begin by exploring and creating with your team just what their shared values are and then brainstorm activities, exercises, and practices you can integrate into your work to foster engagement with those values. The benefits—including improved relationships, personal growth, and spiritual fulfillment—will be shared with and across your entire team.
Find alignment for yourself and your health
Spirituality can have many different definitions for many people. But no matter how you define it personally, aligning our personal and professional lives with our values, interests, and goals helps to support our health in numerous ways. Making time for mindfulness, practicing gratitude, providing service to others, and connecting with ourselves are lifelong goals that pay remarkable dividends.
And fortunately for busy lawyers, they don’t require a significant amount of free time. In many cases, in fact, you can make them a part of your day in small ways and experience the full benefits to your emotional, psychological, and spiritual well-being.
