This May, The Florida Bar Young Lawyers Division is celebrating its fourth annual Health and Wellness Month.  The focus on lawyer well-being increases every year as we see more of our colleagues, friends and loved ones opening up about the difficulties in their daily lives. Young lawyers today often have many challenges new to our generation, including the overwhelming burden of student loan debt, the lightning speed at which social media can ruin a career or deliver bad news, and more lawyers than worthy job openings.

Perhaps as a result, we hear much talk of mental health issues and substance abuse, but often overlook their connection to dozens of challenges that can lead to these larger issues, such as inequitable pay, lack of support for parents, lack of paternity leave or related trial continuances, fertility issues, workplace harassment, lack of opportunities to perform meaningful work and/or for advancement, unprofessional and discourteous opposing counsel or judges, lack of resources or mentors available to help manage expectations, job transitions, technology addiction, divorce and relationship issues, health concerns, concerns over aging family members or sick children, loss of loved ones, lack of time or desire to take steps to perform self-care on a daily basis through mindfulness, exercise, and so forth – the list goes on and on. These issues often balloon into anxiety, depression, or substance abuse, especially when suffered alone.

Lawyers have a unique duty to protect the public, and are happier and more effective at doing so when they have support from their employers, bar associations, and industry. This support must not just be a soundbite; it must extend beyond the most pressing issues to cover underlying concerns that eventually turn into larger problems so they can be nipped at the bud. Even if only from a bottom-line perspective, the search for ways to improve lawyer well-being has become a popular topic as employers realize that attrition costs are enormous, happy lawyers are typically more productive, and the brightest students seek workplaces where consideration of their well-being is paramount.

“A few years ago, the YLD started a conversation about mental health and wellness by launching our Health and Wellness Month initiative. At that time, there was a stigma associated with mental health in the legal world. No one wanted to talk about it. That stigma has not gone away, but over the years as the conversation progressed, lawyers are paying more attention to their personal wellness,” said YLD President Zack Zuroweste.  “Now that President Higer has launched a Special Committee on the topic under the leadership of Dori Foster-Morales, this issue is front and center and we are proud to be a part of it. We hope that young lawyer affiliates participate in, and promote, this year’s YLD Health and Wellness initiatives in May, and encourage their friends to take part.”

The YLD has also been working closely with its Law Student Division to encourage law students to develop healthy coping mechanisms now, before they enter the profession, when facing the inevitable stressors that law school brings.  “We believe that a healthy lawyer – both mentally and physically – is a good lawyer,” said Ben Gibson, Co-Chair of the YLD Health and Wellness Committee and member of The Bar’s Special Committee on Mental Health and Wellness.  “Our profession is a challenging one, and our goal is to do whatever we can to help lawyers and law students figure out how to love their work and their lives.”

The YLD is always searching for ways to help its members address any issue that keeps them from being the best and happiest attorneys possible, and shares this information with you throughout the year, but especially during its Health and Wellness Month.  In May we will post nearly all our Health and Wellness Month content on social media (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, and Instagram) using the hashtag #livewell.

Below are some activities to check out:

• Daily Challenges. The YLD is challenging lawyers each day to participate in activities known to provide benefits such as mindfulness, gratitude, visualization, affirmations and exercise, and making suggestions as to how to integrate these into daily routines.
• Affiliate Involvement. The YLD is again encouraging local affiliates to promote health and wellness by offering grants of up to $500 to support those activities and hosting an affiliate video contest. Examples include, but are not limited to, wellness seminars, physical group activities such as paddle boarding, yoga, barre class, or other stress relieving activities like painting or attending theatre productions.
• Humor Breaks. Every weekday in May the YLD is providing the tools for a quick humor break by sending out, via social media, short and funny video clips.
• TakeFive.Throughout May, the YLD is profiling judges and lawyers by asking them how they maintain a work-life balance.
• FirmFocus. Similarly, the YLD is profiling law firms to find out how they help their attorneys achieve a work-life balance.
• Webinars. Free CLE-credit webinars are being offered during lunch throughout the month discussing various aspects of health and wellness, and providing insight and tips on how to improve lawyer well-being.
• Spreading Awareness of the Florida Lawyers Assistance Program.The FLA is a confidential resource for law students, attorneys and judges staffed by professionals trained to assist with a wide range of substance abuse and mental health concerns such as depression (whether situational, periodic, or constant), anxiety, bipolar disorder, and others. The FLA can also assist attorneys successfully navigate difficult transition periods in their lives (new jobs, divorce, children), or cope with the illness or loss of a loved one. Check it out – http://fla-lap.org/

For more information. visit flayld.org/health-wellness-month.