The Trenches is a very stressful place, both for us and our clients. We've talked a lot this week about activities we can do to improve our resilience, and hence, our ability to deal with the stress. Sometimes, the stress is not a constant companion, but episodic and situational. We are hit with stress in the courthouse, on the street, in the lawyer's office, in the doctor's office. We have no access to any activities that make us feel good, and we don't particularly feel like laughing. Good news for us is that we can still work on our resilience. The internal work of resilience is as important as the external work and can have the same physiological effects. I practice yoga (yes, like the practice of law, it is lifetime work). One of the great stress releasers is managing one's breath or pranayama. Talk to your doctor before you try any of these techniques, and do not manage your breath if you may be pregnant. These are my favorites:
1. Breathe in deeply, first into the belly then up into the ribcage and the chest. Then, release the breath, first from the chest, then down into the ribcage, and finish with the belly.
2. Breathe in for 4 counts, hold the breath for 4 counts, breathe out for 4 counts, hold the breath out for 4 counts.
3. Breathe in through your left nostril and out through your right nostril. Then breathe in with your right nostril and out through your left. If it helps, use you finger to block the unused nostril.
4. Make the length of your inhale the same as your exhale.
After a few minutes of any of these techniques, or even a few minutes of visualizing yourself in your favorite place, doing your favorite activity, or eating your favorite food, you'll feel more relaxed and in a better frame of mind to deal with the stresses of life or in the Trenches.
No comments:
Post a Comment