Love & Self Care

Self-care is such a difficult concept because it’s encouraged so much, but there’s such a stigma when attorneys actually state that they need a moment of rest. I’ve cited a million times how attorneys have higher levels of depression and alcoholism than most other professions. Couple that with the high rates of diabetes, heart disease, and other illnesses that Latinos face and many of us are putting ourselves on a path that will be difficult to overcome. What if instead, we knew going into our profession the importance of taking care of our mind and bodies so that we didn’t allow the stressors of the profession to impact us so negatively?

In order to do that we have to be open to the idea that being an attorney is mentally tough. Accepting that it can impact our mental & physical health is a great first step in making sure that we do our best to take care of our minds (and bodies).

A simple way to do that is to pause on occasion to not just make sure you’re addressing any problems you’re facing, but to also make sure you’re providing yourself with the health and other support that you need.

What better way to do that than Valentine’s Day? A day of love that should include loving yourself! It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture, just something simple, yet effective to remind yourself that your health, time, and wellbeing is as important as everyone else’s.

Here are some simple things that work for me:

one. Take a mental health day. I’m a HUGE fan of mental health days. Just a whole day to be by myself and work on things I want to work on, or even to do nothing. This is especially important if you are someone who suffers from their mental health, as when these problems are left untreated, it can have a huge impact on your work productivity. Taking a day to yourself can really help with that and you can use that time to find ways to manage your symptoms.  Personally, I always make sure to speak to my friends and family about any worries I have, and I really like going to the movies on my own too. Taking a MHD is a great way to do that. I come back to work (and to life) rested and re-energized.

two. Do something nice (for yourself). When I was in law school I would splurge on pedicures whenever I could. I live in Chicago so half the time my feet were covered, but that indulgent was really just for me to take a moment to relax and full, well indulgent, face of all the stress and deadlines and worries.

three. Cook a meal. This really only works if you like to cook, obvi. But if you’re still not sure if cooking is for you, you should give this a try. I really love mastering a new recipe and being able to create something that’s fresh, clean, and delicious. I strongly recommend honing a useful skill, like cooking, so that even when things aren’t going great at work, you can still feel accomplished–and trust that cooking something that everyone finds delicious is a tremendous endorphins booster!

What are some simple steps you take to make you’re taking care of yourself?