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.