The practice of law is a high stress profession that often creeps into life outside of working hours. When workdays get busy, it can become difficult to set aside time for yourself. But taking time at the end of the workday to unwind and be creative has proven to improve your mental health, which in turn is good for professional performance. Legal Innovators offers three activities to try. First, journaling in the evening can help you process the day and get down any worries before bed, so you are less anxious and have a more restful sleep. To start, try writing three things that you were grateful for today, and three things you would like to accomplish tomorrow. Second, listening to a guided meditation podcast is a great way to start practicing mindfulness. And third, try a new hobby that lets you be creative such as drawing, knitting or working on a home improvement project.

New data from the National Center for Health Statistics indicates that more than a quarter of adults do not meet the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) and the Sleep Research Society’s (SRS) recommendation of seven hours of sleep per day. The study also found that 14.5% percent had trouble falling asleep almost every night and 17.8% had trouble staying asleep. Among the group’s other findings: (1) with increasing age, adults are less likely to have trouble falling asleep but more likely to have trouble staying asleep; (2) women are more likely than men to have trouble falling and staying asleep; (3) non-Hispanic white adults had the most trouble staying asleep of all ethnicities studied; and (4) sleep difficulties decreased as income, education levels and urbanization increased. AASM has a number of tools to increase the duration and quality of sleep. Check out their bedtime calculator and sleep diary, among other resources.

Those who can own up to their mistakes will be better leaders and will improve their work environment, Bigspeak Executive Vice President Ken Sterling writes in Inc. Most people do not like to admit to mistakes. From an early age we are taught that mistakes are bad so we learn to deny, minimize and deflect them. But this creates a culture of distrust and blame. The irony, Sterling says, is that admitting mistakes has the best rewards in the long term — especially for your own leadership, building trust with those around you and creating a work culture of accountability. Learn more about being honest about mistakes in his article “Why Taking Ownership of Your Errors Improves Work Culture and Leadership."

Across our society today, norms of noisiness run deep. Demands like constant connectivity and maintaining a competitive advantage still prevail in most office cultures. But there are simple strategies for embracing cultures that honor the importance of silence. Justin Zorn and Leigh Marz write in their upcoming book, "The Power of Silence in a World of Noise," that the first step is to deliberately talk about it. Conversations must address expectations and group norms. Employees also must be willing to identify the noisy habits that bother them most and commit to helping others find the quiet time they need. The pair write more about becoming champions for quiet in this Harvard Business Review article.

Ever get to the end of a week and ask “Where did all the time go?” Turns out you are not alone. A recent survey of more than 2,000 professionals by Reclaim.ai found that only 12% dedicate more than six hours a day to task work, and only about half of that time is spent on “productive” work. Henry Shapiro with the company provides five tips to keep workdays more focused and productive. Among his recommendations: reduce interruptions by using technology to your advantage, utilize capacity planning to be honest about available time, set “core collaboration hours“ when coworkers are expected to be online and when meetings can be scheduled, embrace the benefits of automation, and build balance into your schedule. Read more about these tips in Shapiro’s recent article for Fast Company.

For those who are anxious to begin with, the prospect of taking time out to be alone with one's thoughts might sound anything but soothing. But mindfulness is growing in popularity among legal professionals, who say this form of meditation can be extremely beneficial in a line of work that is predicated on constantly hopping from one task to the next without ever stopping to reflect. The practice is generally understood as being aware of one’s own feelings without trying to judge or interpret the sentiments. For those who would like to incorporate mindfulness into their wellness plan, this article from the San Diego County Bar Association would be a good place to start.

"There are some occupational mindset hazards that we learn in law school. While these mindsets may help us in the practice of law, they undermine our resiliency," says Robert Goldman J.D., Psy.D. Goldman is an advisor on the New York State Bar Association Task Force on Attorney Wellbeing. He examines "Why the Legal System Needs to Prioritize Attorney Wellbeing" in this Psychology Today article.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month and Healthline.com has a new Mental Well-Being Hub to provide holistic, actionable and useful resources for those looking to achieve their mental health goals. Among the many organizations that have resources for the month are the National Council for Mental Health, National Alliance on Mental Illness and the Anxiety & Depression Association of America. 

Law.com and ALM Intelligence are out with their annual Mental Health Survey of the legal profession with more than 3,400 respondents detailing the state of their mental health, work environments, perceptions of colleagues, client expectations and the effects of remote work. The 2022 results show a slight decline in those reporting anxiety, depression and isolation from last year. And there was an increase in those who believe their firms provide a safe environment to raise concerns about mental health. However, for the third year in a row, close to three-fourths of respondents believe their work environment contributes to their mental health issues. Law.com analyzes the survey results and offers a data snapshot of the findings.

"How do we let go so we can actually enjoy what we have?" lawyer and life coach Laura Chipman writes for Above the Law. You may be thinking you don't have time to consolidate or slow down, you have too much to do. But Chipman gives practical advice, suggesting that by creating space in your calendar, in your physical space, and in your mind you can better enjoy your life. "For me, it’s about visualizing that freedom, being selective in where I put my energy, and letting go of as much as possible that’s crowding at the margins," she writes. Whether it's during work or relaxation, "Give yourself a break and just be in the moment without trying to change it."