Tips for Managing Mental Health in the Legal Profession

I’m 20 years into practicing law. And 18 years into running a law firm where clients and employees depend on me 365 days a year. Here’s the biggest lesson I’ve learned: If I’m not mentally healthy, I’m not good for anyone. Not my clients. Not my team. Not my kids. Not my spouse. You can’t show up for others if you’re running on empty. Taking care of my mental health isn’t selfish. It allows me to be the person others depend on. Here’s how I do it: 1. Sleep is the priority. I leave at least 9 hours between going to bed and waking up. With four kids and a business, this takes a TON of discipline... but being rested is the baseline for patience, focus, and good judgment. 2. My content consumption is tightly controlled. I check the news once in the morning and stop there. No doomscrolling. Social media is limited to light entertainment or business use only. The addictive nature of our phones is real. You add nothing meaningful to your life by scrolling. 3. Food is treated as fuel. What you eat affects how you feel and how you think. Breakfast is always eggs, fruit, and a few healthy carbs. My mid-morning "snack" is a Greek yogurt shake with hemp, chia, and flax seeds. Lunch is a salad full of veggies. Dinner is some form of meat with more veggies and sourdough bread. 4. Movement is non-negotiable. We weren’t built to sit all day. I walk during calls, lift weights five times a week, and play hard with my kids (e.g. I don't just throw a football, I run routes). 5. Anger isn’t allowed. I get frustrated (I’m human). But getting angry never fixes a problem. My default is to find a practical way to solve a problem once it occurs. Even if that step requires some tough action, it is always done from a place of practicality and calmness. 6. Kindness is the default. I try my best (not always perfect) to be kind and give everyone the benefit of the doubt. When I'm done for the day, I'm not worried about having mistreated someone. It lets me leave work with a clear conscience and focus on my family and rest. ### Ultimately, a clear mind is truly a superpower. I've found I can handle just about anything (including the demands of 4 kids while running a law firm) if my mind is in the right place. Any tips you would add to my list? #MentalHealth

Burnout is rampant in the legal profession. But most law firms are approaching it all wrong. They think yoga classes, meditation apps, and mandatory vacation days will solve the problem. Spoiler alert: they won't. Don't get me wrong - those things can help. But they're not addressing the root cause. Burnout isn't about individuals needing to relax more. It's about toxic workplace cultures. As an autistic lawyer who burned out at a big firm, I can tell you firsthand: - No amount of deep breathing would've fixed the stuff I was dealing with - Meditation couldn't cure the way I was being treated (not to mention that sticking to a meditation routine is also especially hard if you have ADHD like I do) - I wasn’t burning out because of the amount I was working (I work way more now, and I’m the opposite of burned out) Burnout happens when: - Workloads are unsustainable - People feel a lack of control - There's insufficient reward for effort - The workplace community is dysfunctional - Fairness is absent - Values are misaligned The problem isn't lawyers who can't handle stress. The bigger problem is when you’re being poorly managed, not being treated with respect, and being worked to the bone. Want to actually address burnout? Try: - Autonomy over how (and where) work gets done - Building supportive team cultures (with actual psychological safety) - Transparent decision-making processes - Aligning firm actions with stated values All of this is possible in a law firm. We run Renno & Co this way. It’s not easy, but it’s all doable. So why not do it? (although perhaps it’s because burnout is a feature, not a bug, of most firms!) #lawyers #lawfirms #burnout #mentalhealth

Functional Depression in Lawyers: When Success Masks the Struggle The long hours. The high-stakes pressure. The constant availability. As lawyers, we pride ourselves on resilience—but at what cost? Many of us suffer from functional depression: we meet deadlines, argue cases/complete our 'tasks', and respond to emails at midnight, all while feeling emotionally drained, disengaged, and exhausted. From the outside, everything looks fine. Inside, it’s a different story. Common signs among lawyers: -Feeling numb or detached but still performing at a high level -Using work as an escape but feeling no fulfillment -Chronic fatigue, but too wired to rest -The guilt of stepping away, even for a moment The legal profession glorifies grind culture, but the reality is that burnout and depression are rampant. The fear of appearing weak keeps many from seeking help. What can we do? -Normalize conversations about mental health in law firms -Set boundaries—because rest is not a luxury, it’s a necessity -Seek professional support when needed—therapy isn’t a sign of weakness, it’s a tool for sustainability If this resonates with you, know that you’re not alone. Let’s redefine success—not just as being available 24X7 but as protecting our well-being. Have you or someone you know experienced this? Feel free to reach out to me if you wish to talk. #MentalHealthInLaw #FunctionalDepression #LawyerWellbeing #onestepatatime

A brilliant young litigator confessed he was stuffing his own mail just to keep up. One paralegal. Zero support. An entire litigation department resting on his shoulders. I recognized that look in his eyes immediately. Here's what I wish someone had told me when I was in his position: The legal profession glorifies martyrdom. We celebrate those who: • Work the longest hours • Take on impossible caseloads  • Sacrifice everything for clients But this mindset is destroying talented attorneys. This young lawyer—sole litigator at his firm—was drowning. Every new case landed on his desk. No control over volume. A paralegal who created more work than they solved. Sound familiar? I shared four shifts that saved me: 1. Your "no" is a professional obligation You have an ethical duty to assess whether you can competently handle more cases. Sometimes "not right now" is the most professional answer. 2. Advocate for yourself like you would a client When I presented my burnout as a business problem—not a personal complaint—my firm finally listened. 3. Own your energy, not just your time Being present for one important task beats frantically juggling ten. Stop doing low-value work better handled by support staff. 4. Remember your ultimate power Sometimes walking away creates the leverage needed for change. The right to build your own practice is always available. The legal profession tries to convince you that suffering is required. It's not. What I've learned: Your greatest asset isn't your legal mind—it's your wellbeing. Protect it accordingly. #LegalCareer #LawyerLife #Boundaries #TheFreeLawyer

I was awake at 3 AM, staring at the ceiling, my mind racing through 78 different ways the prosecutor might ambush me the next day. The jury trial was less than 24 hours away, and the crushing weight of my client's freedom resting on my shoulders felt unbearable. After 15 years as a criminal defense attorney, you'd think this pre-trial anxiety would disappear. It doesn't. But I've learned something crucial about it. That anxiety isn't weakness—it's my body preparing for battle. A week before trial, my nervous system kicks into overdrive. I start imagining every possible scenario: • What if this witness says X? • What if the judge allows that evidence? • What if the jury doesn't believe our expert? I used to fight against this anxiety, telling myself I should be more confident, more prepared, more experienced. Now I recognize it as a natural part of the process. The truth? Trial preparation is never complete. The universe of possible trial outcomes is almost infinite. No attorney can prepare for every permutation. So instead of trying to control everything, I've learned to trust myself. I remind myself: "I can't possibly prepare for all scenarios, but I've done this before. I'm good at it. When something unexpected comes up, I'll handle it." This shift in perspective doesn't eliminate anxiety, but it transforms it from paralyzing fear into productive energy. Three practical strategies that help me: 1. Accept the anxiety rather than fighting it. It's your brain working overtime to protect your client. 2. Create boundaries. I work intensely before trial, but I protect my sleep and family time. Burnout doesn't serve anyone. 3. Remember you're human. Perfection isn't the goal. Being present, adaptable, and genuine is far more powerful than being flawless. The morning of trial, I still feel that familiar knot in my stomach. But now I welcome it as an old friend—one that keeps me sharp, focused, and ready to advocate fiercely for my client. Because in the courtroom, your greatest asset isn't perfect preparation. It's your humanity. #CriminalDefense #TrialPreparation #LegalAdvocacy

Breaking the Burnout Cycle: Why All-or-Nothing Thinking Is Sabotaging Your Success as a Lawyer (Day 1 of 10 Mental Mistakes) In my 15 years of practicing law and in my work coaching attorneys, I've often encountered all-or-nothing thinking. Learning to reframe this common mental mistake can reduce stress, improve our performance, and reduce the risk of burnout. Mental Mistake #1: All-or-Nothing Thinking All-or-nothing thinking happens when we view things as black-or-white, everything-or-nothing, good-or-bad. This mistake ignores the gray, the middle ground, the spectrum. Here are some examples and suggested reframes: ❌ All-or-Nothing Thinking: If my work product/performance isn't perfect, it's awful and I failed. ✅ Rational Reframe: I worked hard on this and most of my work was great. I made a mistake, which is a learning opportunity. One mistake doesn’t negate the rest of my high-quality work or define me as an attorney. ❌ All-or-Nothing Thinking: If I don’t receive a perfect performance evaluation, I must not be cut out for this job. ✅ Rational Reframe: Most of my evaluation was positive and reflected my development over the past year. While the evaluators noted room for improvement, this is an opportunity to grow. ❌ All-or-Nothing Thinking: If I can’t do this project perfectly, I shouldn't do it at all. ✅ Rational Reframe: I’ll do my best and, if I make a mistake, I’ll learn and improve. I'll find resources to help me. Can you think of a time where you engaged in all-or-nothing thinking? What rational reframe helped you? Please share in the comments. #BurnoutPrevention #ProfessionalDevelopment #LawyerCoaching

A few things I’ve learned about managing mental health as a lawyer: 🔸Perspective is key. The average person changes jobs 12 times in their life. Work obligations are temporary, your role as a parent/sibling/child/friend is not. Invest your energy accordingly. 🔸Define success on your own terms. If that’s a healthy work life balance with plenty of flexibility, strive for that like your life depends on it (because it does). 🔸Your most valuable tool is self-awareness. Recognising what energises you and what depletes you and the signs that those things are imbalanced gives you more meaningful data than any self-help book ever will. 🔸Burnout isn’t always the result of too much work, it can also be too little of the things you love. If you can’t reduce your workload, try increasing your purpose load in the space in between. 🔸A change of scenery can make all the difference. Stress is harboured in our environment. Sometimes the same tasks can feel significantly less stressful if you take a break from your desk and switch up your backdrop. Mine currently looks like this:

How can legal professionals better manage stress, burnout, and trauma in their practices? The answers are important for the wellbeing of practitioners, clients, and the profession as a whole. I recently sat down with Dr Colin James to discuss his book, "Vicarious Trauma and Burnout in Law: Managing Psychological Stress to Promote Safety, Performance, and Wellbeing in Legal Practice." His research looks at how trauma shows up across the legal system — in clients, lawyers, support teams, court personnel, and even law students. We talked about how to recognize trauma responses, how secondary trauma & emotional overload affects legal professionals, and how the structure of legal workplaces can support or sabotage our mental health. One thing that stuck with me is the role that managing capacity plays in overall wellbeing. It isn’t just about time, it’s about leaving room for real breaks — and for reflection. Whether that’s journaling, meditation, prayer, or even a group practice like a daily standup or team huddle, people need space to process the emotional load of legal work. It’s part of the job. And it’s often the first thing to disappear when we get busy. A few other takeaways from the conversation: 🔹 Legal professionals’ experience of trauma (including secondary trauma) can lead to lasting personality shifts that affect both personal relationships and overall wellbeing. 🔹 Common legal workplace structures like billable hour targets and weak feedback systems don’t just contribute to burnout — they can increase a lawyer’s vulnerability to vicarious trauma and emotional overload. 🔹 Certain cultural patterns in law, many of which begin in law school, amplify stress and harm. The three most damaging (and still far too common) are bullying, harassment, and discrimination. 🔹 Adopting a trauma-informed approach to your personal practice and organizational culture benefits everyone in the system: clients, colleagues, and the broader community. Check out our conversation in Episode 71 of the Agile Attorney Podcast. You can find it in your player of choice, or look for a link in my profile. 🎓 Bonus this week: This episode is approved for a 1-hour CLE credit under Oregon's Mental Health and Substance Use requirement. If you're not in Oregon and your jurisdiction doesn't have a similar requirement, you may be able to claim a general CLE credit through your state or province's CLE reciprocity process. #lawfirm #legalops #legaltech #agileattorney #freeCLE (Photo of the east side of Mt. Hood is from my recent mental health day with a couple of lawyer friends — on our way home from fishing the Deschutes River's salmonfly hatch.)

When I used to intern at some of the larger law firms in India, I noticed something that a lot of the people working there go through. 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀. Death by a thousand paper cuts - tiny but relentless, that’s what it feels like. It is that feeling of being completely exhausted, overwhelmed, or constantly on edge, but not being able to pinpoint the exact reason. The accumulation of unnoticed, small stresses from daily interactions. Though insignificant individually, but together, they drain our energy. I did some research into how we could deal with this since I wanted to be more cognizant of this while building the work culture at Lawyantra. 𝟭. 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗹: ↳ Focus on addressing one manageable microstress a week for the first two weeks. ↳ This builds confidence and a sense of agency in tackling bigger stressors later. 𝟮. 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀: ↳ Build a "resilience network" of supportive people who offer perspective, humor, and help you navigate challenges. 𝟯. 𝗧𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗲 𝗕𝗶𝗴𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲𝘀: ↳ Tackle larger micro stresses that have a more significant impact on your life. 𝟰. 𝗔𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗿𝗻𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗢𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝘀: ↳ Micro Stress can come from worrying about loved ones.  ↳ Learn to "coach for independence" by encouraging them to solve problems and make decisions. You can shrink daily stressors down to size by practicing awareness and incremental effort. Identifying and managing micro stresses will lead to a more fulfilling and less stressful life. #microstress #stressmanagement #awareness #productivity

A work-life balance is a misleading proposition. Your life shouldn’t be contingent on work. Now, before you accuse me of being a communist, let me explain. The real question is: how can you thrive personally and still have time for a successful legal career? Design work around your life, not the other way around. Here are a few helpful strategies: 1. Use More Technology While many attorneys are well-versed in juggling multiple cases simultaneously, you must admit that doing it over a prolonged period takes a toll on your mental and physical well-being. Keeping multiple deadlines in mind (or in an old-school planner) drains your energy and deprives you of the mental clarity needed to handle cases effectively. It does not have to be like that. 2024 is well underway, and you should not hesitate to harness the full power of AI for task prioritization, time tracking, automated scheduling, personal reminders, and time optimization. Use everything that can help you streamline the workflow and leave more time for family, friends, and personal development. 2. Set Boundaries Attorneys are no strangers to working long hours and weekends. Their families aren't too. Remember the last time your kid came over to your desk while you were working in the evening? They asked you to go to their room and play with them, but you refused. You had work to do. Think about that for a moment. One of those times they ask you to sit on a floor with them will be the last time in your life. They grow and no longer need you for play. And you won't even notice when that happens. When you know the price of prioritizing work over your personal life, do something about it. Establish clear boundaries. Set specific work hours. Designate days off and guard them with your life. 3. Communicate Effectively To strike a balance between work and personal life, you must develop a habit of clear and effective communication. Let your clients have realistic expectations about the case dynamics and your workload. There will be holiday seasons and vacations. Explain to them that the court, opposing counsel, and others involved, are probably unavailable for several days (or weeks). Things don't move forward so fast during holidays and summer vacations. When necessary, negotiate deadlines and take other actions to prevent burnout. 4. Delegate Wisely Many attorneys prefer to carry the heavy burden of work alone despite the expensive physical and mental toll they’re paying. Do not be one of them. Delegate tasks to your support staff, colleagues, and collaborating attorneys. Trust their abilities and rely on their judgment. Release the weight of responsibility off your shoulders. Your future self will thank you. 💡Ignoring your well-being could lead to burnout and long-term negative consequences for you and your family. What are you going to do today to celebrate life? ⤵ ______________ Interested in collaboration? DM me or book a free discovery call to get started.