Elevate Mental Health and Well-Being Month | Week 4 - Emotional Well-Being: Balancing the Scales

By Douglas S. Querin

Healthy awareness and regulation of our emotions are the sine qua non of well-being. Simply put, the degree to which we can fully experience all other aspects of our personal and professional well-being is largely influenced by our ability to understand and regulate our own emotions.

Well-being is effectively a recursive process; our emotional well-being (its presence or absence) impacts other aspects of our well-being (e.g., physical, social, intellectual, spiritual, occupational, etc.), and these in turn impact our emotional well-being. Healthy well-being effectively begins with (1) understanding how our emotions influence, and are influenced by, the other aspects of our well-being and (2) learning to keep these in balance with one another in a way that achieves a healthy equilibrium.

Join the OAAP attorney counselors and special guest Judge Jim Fun this Wednesday, May 21, 2025, from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. on Zoom, as members of our legal community share how they manage their emotional well-being in their personal and professional lives.

Things to read, watch, and listen to this week –

Read:
Lawyer Well-Being: The How-To of Managing Distress

What Is Emotional Regulation and How Do We Do It?

Is “Happy Lawyer” an Oxymoron?

Emotion Regulation Strategies

Watch:
TEDx Talk – Emotional Mastery: The Gifted Wisdom of Unpleasant Feelings

TEDEd Talk – You Aren’t at the Mercy of Your Emotions

Some recommended emotion regulation strategies include:

Be Aware: Name the emotions you are feeling (anger, resentment, fear, etc.).
Be Accepting: Validate your emotion; accepting an emotion is different than acting on it.
Be Alert: Identify events, people, and circumstances that trigger your emotions.
Be Social: Talk through your emotions and feelings with a trusted person.
Be Thoughtful: Journal your feelings and emotional responses.
Be Calming: Meditation, mindfulness, yoga, and similar practices support healthy emotional regulation.
Be Smart: Good sleep and nutrition hygiene support healthy emotional regulation.
Be cautious: Alcohol and drug use can be problematic when trying to maintain emotional regulation.

Elevate Mental Health and Well-Being Month | Week 5 - Career & Intellectual Well-Being: Practicing with Purpose

May 22, 2025

Aspects of career and intellectual well-being are grounded in our values. When our job and workplace align with our most deeply held values, we tend to feel more engaged, connected, and motivated. When our job or workplace misaligns with our values, it can contribute to burnout and less intellectual satisfaction day-to-day.

May 19, 2025

Healthy awareness and regulation of our emotions are the sine qua non of well-being. Simply put, the degree to which we can fully experience all other aspects of our personal and professional well-being is largely influenced by our ability to understand and regulate our own emotions.

May 12, 2025

Social connection at work isn’t just nice to have—research shows that feeling connected and having a sense of belonging in your workplace shapes well-being, motivation, and performance. The best part for busy lawyers is that encouraging connection and belonging doesn’t always require large investments of time. Opportunities for connection exist on a spectrum, from passing encounters to collective joy.