As the data shows, the lawyer profession holds one of the highest rates of depression, alcohol-abuse and stress in most countries. See some examples here: United States, Spain, the United Kingdom, or New Zealand & Australia.
Why? What exactly makes the legal profession such a harsh environment?:
Expected perfectionism
Expected productivity, 24/7 — i.e., billable hours
Competition (both internally and externally)
General stigmatization of emotions and mental health struggles
Sense of isolation (the profession can be a solitary one)
Lawyers are highly rational thinkers (amazing intellectual creatures), but we also feel. We go through emotions, such as a rage, confusion, sadness, joy. . . just as the rest of the mortals.
However, there’s a misconception that, as legal professionals, we must remain unaffected by emotions or life’s events. Thus, it is expected that we perform as only rational machines because rational problem-solving is the service we’re providing. As such, emotions have historically been seen as a weakness in the legal field. And this stigma leads the following gap:
There is a gap between the popular lawyer’s identity (as a non-emotional, only rational being) and the real identity in a lawyer’s life, which is being an individual, like everybody else, with human emotions and real problems.
Moreover, thinking like a lawyer has its intricacies. As a lawyer, we need to be able to:
Identify who is at fault
Identify points of weaknesses and pitfalls in a given situation
Anticipate potential, hypothetical negative scenarios that can arise
This is necessary to do our work. However, it becomes tricky when we start applying that framework to our personal’s lives and anything else outside the law.
As Todd Peterson, Professor of Law at George Washington University, defined it,
"[O]ne develops a habitual way of looking for patterns, that is, a particular way of analyzing logical problems, [i.e., thinking like a lawyer], and so the brain builds neuro-pathways that reinforce this type of thinking."
And here’s where mindfulness-based emotional intelligence comes in handy. This is so because mindfulness allows us to develop self-awareness.
That is, becoming aware of what we’re thinking, what stories we’re telling ourselves, what we’re feeling. If we become aware that we’re being too harsh on selves due to perfectionism or that we’re engaging in analysis-paralysis, we have the opportunity to switch out that state. If we don’t know we’re doing it, we keep going because we’re simply on autopilot.
Mindfulness allows us to switch from our autopilot of faulty-finding and perfectionist thinking to a more open, non-judgmental and supportive mindset.
As a lawyer myself, becoming aware of my own obsessive thinking and constant worrying/anticipation of “worst case scenarios” is what prompted me to dissect my mind, my mental patterns, and judgmental narratives and self-dialogues. I needed to find more compassionate and effective ways to manage my stress and my growth as a professional and human being. I needed to pause and develop a more supportive relationship with myself and my career. Mindfulness-based emotional intelligence, meditation, and yoga allowed me to start that journey.
Testimonials
“
Esperanza is a brilliant professional. Apart from her vast understanding of emotional intelligence, I want to emphasize her incredible ability to motivate her audience. I am extremely satisfied with her workshops because she offers quality training, and above all, she knows how to convey her teachings.
— Manel AL, Founder of the Spanish Mental Health Institute for the Legal Profession
“
It is obvious that Esperanza has a deep understanding of how demanding our legal work environments are. She is a reliant and versatile professional. The way she teaches her content and mindfulness micropractices prove useful to improve our motivation levels and personal satisfaction at work.
— Irene SM, Big Law Associate at Garrigues
“
I know Esperanza well because I’ve had the opportunity to both work with her as a lawyer and attend her trainings. She is an excellent international lawyer with a solid knowledge of mindfulness and everything related to mental health in the legal practice field.
Esperanza knows how to express complex concepts and does so in an exceptional way. She knows how to teach.
— Enrique N., Partner at Clyde & Co
Let’s transform the legal profession together.
If you are a law school, university or organization interested in improving the wellbeing of your students or members, please email me directly at espy@esperanzaishope.com with the subject line: ‘Emotional Intelligence’