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As Legal Professionals: We Are Strong

Lawyers are taught to think negatively, trying to anticipate worst-case scenarios and what can go wrong

By James Gray Robinson, Esq.  
on

Lawyers wear a bullseye on their back. Many lawyers start their legal careers with crushing debt, zero clients and uncertainty about their future. Law students face insurmountable odds and can be depressed even before they step foot out of law school.  Lawyers are taught to think negatively, trying to anticipate worst-case scenarios and what can go wrong. They work long hours and often sacrifice their personal lives, health and families for a successful career.

Lawyers are under constant pressure to do their work less expensively, more effectively and more successfully. Ironically, clients are reluctant to go to lawyers because of the cost. Lawyers are too expensive, the outcome is uncertain, and lack bedside manners.

The law is a competitive field, with thousands of new competitors being pumped into the marketplace every year. Lawyers have to convince everyone that they are right, and the opposition is wrong. Lawyers speak a language only lawyers understand. The very nature of law creates questions without clear answers. Even when answers come, it may be years later.

Clients may like their lawyer, but they hate all the rest. Lawyers have to have an elephant’s hide, the courage of a martyr, and the patience of a saint. We are not trained for this. If you understand that stress is created by the fear of losing what you have or not getting what you want, the practice of law is a perfect storm of stress. This is why we (as lawyers as a group) drink, drug, or suffer depression or anxiety.

The only way to deal with these stressors is to remember some basic strategies for mental and emotional well-being. Lawyers are too quick to blame themselves for adverse results, and consequences that were beyond their control. So, what to do?

  • Breathe. Taking a few minutes several times a day to take deep, rhythmic breaths will produce calm and clarity when things are chaotic. When we are dealing with fear, we tend to take shorter, more shallow breaths which reduces the amount of oxygen going to the frontal cortex. We go into panic mode often called “fight or flight” syndrome. Deep breathing will keep us calm.
  • Exercise. It is hard to be depressed when we are gasping for breath. Seriously, the endorphins, serotonin and melatonin produced from exercise will help the symptoms of depression and increase our feeling of well-being.
  • Focus. When we are up to our ass in alligators, it is difficult to remember that our initial objective was to drain the swamp. We have to get a sense of humor about our situation in life. Focus on the positive and associate with people who have a positive outlook on life. Watch comedies, not tragedies. What we think becomes our reality.
  • We are human. Lawyers often judge themselves by their results. This is the tail wagging the dog. We are good people doing difficult work, which oftentimes feels like battle. We are who we are, not what we do. Focus on the fact that we are helping others, even when the results are what we wanted. Remember happiness is not getting what we want, but wanting what we get.

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James Gray Robinson, Esq. was a third generation trial attorney, specializing in family law, for 27 years in his native North Carolina up until 2004. Since then he has become an individual and business consultant who works with a wide range of people, professional organizations, and leading corporations. Robinson’s mission is for all people to have fulfilling, peaceful career experiences and work environments. At the age of 64, Gray passed the Oregon bar exam and is again a licensed attorney. You can learn more about his work by visiting www.JamesGrayRobinson.com and to begin a dialogue about supporting you and/or your business, write him directly at James@JamesGrayRobinson.com 

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