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The legal field has a reputation as one of the most stressful professions in the nation. As young lawyers, going through the hurdles of law school is sometimes inadequate preparation to deal with the challenges that come with entering practice. Once in practice, maintaining balance between composure and the chaotic demands of the profession can be a constant struggle, especially for those who have been living with certain mental health issues. The purpose of this article is to discuss helpful self-care methods for young lawyers, including, although not exclusively limited to those with mental health issues, when dealing with the difficulties of the legal profession.

I am not a psychologist or a trained mental health professional. Although I have a rudimentary understanding of human behavior from my undergraduate major in psychology, I have a distinct perspective and understanding of coping with the stresses that come with being a lawyer. As a child, I was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and as an adult, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). While occasionally these conditions have presented obstacles in my life, I’ve learned to manage them and achieve my main career goal of becoming an attorney. Hopefully, this article will give the reader consolation or insight in understanding the self-care methods I employ to maintain balance.

Attitude
I deliberately maintain a positive attitude and openness about my conditions to challenge misconceptions some people may have about them. For example, I avoid using the terms “I am suffering from/I suffer from/ etc.,” because I do not consider myself to be suffering. Oxford Dictionary defines suffer as “to experience or to be subjected to (something bad or unpleasant).” While my conditions have subjected me to negative experiences at times, I have managed how I think about them by maintaining optimistic perspectives. It does not make sense that I am suffering from ADHD and GAD when I am otherwise relatively healthy and content with my life. Moreover, I’ve always been open to discussing my conditions with those who are curious, as I’m doing right now, for the sake of educating people or debunking any preconceived notions that may arise from mental health stigma.

I believe by changing the way we think about mental health conditions as simply conditions and not diseases or illnesses, we lessen the stigma and negative connotation that comes with them, humanizing those of us who still strive to be understood.

Space
To many, a work break is a luxury; for me, it’s an opportunity to calm my brain. I have a tendency to perceive too much external stimuli (i.e., noise, chatter, etc.) as overwhelming or distracting. For example, at my first full-time position with a private firm, I liked keeping my office door closed while I ate lunch during my break, but frequently co-workers, or sometimes even clients, walked in, unannounced. While some may have the ability to jump back-and-forth with relative ease, I found myself becoming too hyper-focused on these minor requests, and even phone calls, or emails. I became one of those people who believed nothing would get done if I left my chair, and it took a toll on my focus. Soon after, it occurred to me not everyone registered my need for space for the sake of my own productivity, especially in a busy office environment. So I made a habit of always leaving the office for lunch and going to any nearby café or fast-food restaurant, usually alone.

I realized in order to be productive, it was importantfor me to minimize these encounters during my allotted ‘me time’ by leaving the work environment, if possible. Otherwise, I became inadvertently available to anything and everything. Work issues would still be waiting for me when I returned, so it became important for me to physically ‘disconnect’ from the office while on break.

Confide
Many times, I went through moments in law school or in practice where I felt misunderstood due to idiosyncrasies of my conditions, until I began seeking advice from people I trust. It’s important to connect with someone, whether it’s a close friend, relative, or, even better, a professional, when the going gets tough. From law school to the present, I’ve maintained relationships with three confidantes—a mentor, a close friend, and a relative (the latter is not involved in the practice of law) that I could always count on for advice and a fresh perspective, whether I was dealing with a difficult professor or adversary, having trouble accepting criticism, or feeling overworked, to name just a few situations.

Sometimes, we are our own worst enemies when it comes to understanding there’s a problem, be it time management, meeting deadlines, coping with a difficult co-worker, etc. Seeking help from people I know and can trust outside of my job helps me build perspective during these difficult situations and helped me develop the self-care methods I maintain to this day.

Exercise
Countless articles and studies have documented the impact physical activity can have on people’s mental well-being. I try to work out at least five times a week. I don’t always meet my goal, but when I get the chance exercise keeps me centered, relieves stress, and allows me to ‘check out’ for about an hour a day. Thanks to Amazon Prime, I’ve also taken up streaming yoga from my living room. For those seeking motivation, I recommend trying to factor in a few basic workouts (e.g., stretching, push-ups, crunches, planks, etc.) while you’re binging shows on Netflix, Hulu, etc.

My best motivation to hit the gym actually comes out of frugality—I get very few channels on my current cable plan, but my gym has a better one. Whenever my favorite show or game is about to come on, I head over and put 30 minutes in on the treadmill. Since my mind is susceptible to wandering, I’ll turn music on during the commercial breaks in order to keep myself distracted or to avoid boredom. I find that in my case, exercise is great at taming my anxiety by distracting my mind from the events of the day, and has even improved my sleep.

Seek Treatment
Professional help is a must if your individual circumstances are making it difficult for you to practice. With the rise of social media and the increased awareness thanks to a greater diversity in journalism, I believe we are seeing less stigma associated with mental health treatment today. Lawyers owe it to themselves and their clients to perform well, in spite of any mental health difficulties. The New Jersey State Bar Association’s Lawyers Assistance Program does fantastic work in helping lawyers who have mental health issues talk about cognitive-behavioral techniques such as mindfulness, and can even help them seek out mental health professionals in their area who take specified insurance plans.

The Bright Side
Having ADHD and GAD is not an awful thing in my life. In many ways, it’s actually a blessing in my career. While I find tasks of intense concentration such as research and writing incredibly tedious, I love being in court because of the immediacy of events keeping me on my toes by constantly tweaking my arguments. Medications do help when I must tackle the former, but I’ve never depended on them, as my preference is sticking to routine and experience. ADHD can occasionally make me scatterbrained, but it has also made me an effective multitasker. I must keep notes on everything; I keep a paper calendar in my office, a book planner in my suitcase, and an events log on my phone. As a result, I’ve learned to use ADHD to my advantage by mastering a very efficient means of hyper-organization.

I believe my conditions have also made me a more compassionate and patient attorney, which is crucial, as we are a people-centered profession, and we perform better the more we listen to one another. Having experienced what it means to be ‘misunderstood,’ I am patient in attempting to understand and listen more to those I work with, both on my side and the other side of the table.

I definitely encountered a cynic or two during my days in law school, and even in my first year of practice, who made remarks like “How did you get into law school?” or “How did you graduate law school?” in reference to my conditions. This past October, I was at a party with two good friends from college, and both admitted to me in awe: “We never thought you would make it, but here you are.” Unlike my reaction to those remarks in law school and early practice, I did not take offense, because it meant my friends recognized the challenges I faced in grinding through law school and passing the bar—challenges that they themselves might not have been able to endure—and succeeding. Law is a challenging career for anyone, but you do not have to let your personal quirks stop you from succeeding.

Jonathan Amira is an assistant prosecutor with the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office. The views and opinions expressed in this work are entirely his own, and do not represent those of the prosecutor’s office. The information herein is not intended to be a substitute to diagnose or treat a mental health issue, please seek professional help if you believe it to be necessary.