As lawyers, perhaps one of the most important tool we use constantly is our own mind. Yet, the mind doesn’t come with an instruction manual. Fortunately, just as physical exercise can train the body for optimal performance, mindfulness and meditation can train the mind.
One surprising benefit of mindfulness and meditation is that I am able to find moments of calm and ease in my own mind. If your mind (like mine) is constantly going at 150 mph, you may feel fatigued or even exhausted by the constant lingering anxiety, stress, worries, catastrophizing mind.
Often, lawyers think that being more “mindful” means getting along with disagreeable people, conceding, capitulating, or losing your edge. I’ve heard all the stereotypes — it’s something you Californians do, I have no interest in navel gazing, it’s something hippies do.
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I can assure you, none of these stereotypes are true.
Mary B. Cranston, retired CEO of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, LLC and the first woman to head a major global law firm has been meditating for thirty years. That’s right. Thirty years! Before it became trendy, before it became mainstream. Here’s what she said about why she meditates.
While the “thinking mind” is a critical tool for lawyers, meditation relaxes the thinking mind, allowing new and creative insights to surface. Most of my best trial strategies and business initiatives emerged in this way! But the real benefit is the peace and calmness that meditation has added to my life.
There’s a natural tendency to try to logic our way, think our way, worry our way, or to force our way to a solution. Yet, you probably know from experience that sometimes, taking a break, giving the mind an opportunity to unplug and rest creates an opportunity for interesting and creative insights.
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Ever have an “ah ha” moment after you’ve been wrestling with some complicated issue; you decide to take a break and go for a long walk? Ever have a moment of insight or inspiration in the shower?
I believe more than ever, we have to hone and practice the ability to fully allow the thinking mind to rest.
Of course, this is easier said than done. I’ve had my share of incredibly contentious and difficult cases where there was a lot at stake. It’s hard to think about anything but the cases when you’re knee-deep in it.
However, intuitively, you probably recognize that having a case completely consume you 24/7 for any extended period of time is counterintuitive to doing your best work. So, what can you do in these situations to extract yourself out of the unhelpful, unproductive thought loops? How do you rest the thinking mind? How do you as Cranston suggests, find peace and calmness?
Have a Regular and Consistent Meditation Practice
As I mentioned above, meditation is a tool we can use to train the mind. Just as you’ll only gain the benefits of physical exercise through regular and consistent practice, you’ll only see the benefits of meditation with regular practice.
Fortunately, you need not meditate for hours a day to see the benefits. My challenge to you is this: see for yourself. Commit to meditating for a few minutes (try 0.1 hour) everyday for 21 days and see if it works for you.
There are many apps that can help you. Headspace, Insight Timer, and Calm are some that I recommend. If you need more foundation and explanation, check out Full Catastrophe Living or The Anxious Lawyer.
Pay Attention to the Content of Your Thoughts
When the mind is going at 150 mph, worrying, rehearsing, thinking, or whatever your mind may be engaged in, it can feel as though you have no autonomy over your mind.
Rather than turning to unhealthy behaviors to soothe your own mind (alcohol, drugs, social media, or whatever your distraction of choice may be), see if you can become curious about what is happening.
Name what is happening, then invite the thinking mind to let go by taking some deep breaths. Check out this short YouTube video on how you should breathe.
Couple of weeks ago, I was in Los Angeles for an event. I had to catch the last flight out to return to San Francisco to do another event the next morning. Despite the airport being less than 10 miles away, the traffic was awful and it took over an hour to get to LAX.
As I sat in the Uber car, feeling completely helpless, my mind was definitely going much faster than the traffic. I started berating myself for not leaving earlier, for not checking the traffic, etc. In addition, I started to play the what if game. What if I don’t make this flight? I’ll miss my presentation tomorrow. Then I’ll never be invited to this law firm again. They’ll say awful things about me. I’ll never work again.
In that moment, I recognized the thoughts — the thinking mind was not useful. None of the thoughts I was engaging in would actually help to get to LAX any faster.
Rather than continuing to engage in this thought loop, I closed my eyes, and simply focused on my breath. Yes, my mind still went into full panic mode but I would notice when my mind wandered off to worrying mode and returned it back to the breath.
Catching your own mind when it’s engaged in unhelpful or unproductive thought cycle and gently redirecting the mind over and over again to the present moment is the crux of what mindfulness is all about. It offers a much reprieve to the thinking mind.
Jeena Cho is the author of The Anxious Lawyer: An 8-Week Guide to a Joyful and Satisfying Law Practice Through Mindfulness and Meditation (affiliate link). She regularly speaks and offers training on mindfulness and meditation. You can reach her at [email protected] or @jeena_cho on Twitter.