Moving Beyond Social Distance Towards Expansive Solidarity
In times of stress, I try to get really intentional about taking care of myself. I use a couple of strategies to increase my awareness of what is going into and coming out of my mind. I attend to how I am describing my circumstances and the world around me, and what I consume in the printed or visual forms. I came upon two great resources this week from The Greater Good Science Center at Berkeley that I’ve been sharing with colleagues and friends.
First, this lovely article reminds us of the four core things we need to prioritize during challenging times. Spoiler alert: my favorite thing about this article is the change in language from Social Distancing to Expansive Solidarity. I have found that the words I use matter, and I find my choices around words influence how I experience things.
Second, Greater Good offers a great reminder about bringing some mindfulness to our consumption of scary news: This article provides some illuminating research about what happens when we watch, read, or listen to a lot of news when things are intense. It also provides a couple of resources for good news - especially helpful for lawyers, who are naturally skilled at and trained in seeing the worst-case scenario in any situation.
Stay safe and take good care.
Featured Posts
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.
Read More
Elevate Mental Health and Well-Being Month | Week 4 - Emotional Well-Being: Balancing the Scales
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.
Read More
Elevate Mental Health and Well-Being Month | Week 3 - Social Well-Being (It's the Little Things...)
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.
Read More