Managing Job-Related Stress

The very first moment you’re confronted with a challenging situation – that very first instant of recognition – presents a potent but rarely appreciated opportunity to orient yourself in a more effective way than you otherwise might.

Whether it’s a relatively minor challenge such as another interruption from an important-but-prickly client, or a major challenge such as the defection of a key partner or referral source, the second the event hits your consciousness, you can either REACT to it, or RESPOND to it.

This inflection point can influence what happens from the very first seconds and minutes all the way …

To perform at your best, whether you’re on trial, drafting an important document under pressure, or interacting with clients and staff, you need have as much energy as possible throughout the day — both mentally and physically.

Think about it: your blood and brain need the right amount of oxygen for you to function at your best. But stress causes your breath to become shallower and your muscles to contract, thereby inhibiting proper oxygenation.

While there’s no single strategy for completely preventing fatigue, headaches and backaches (or other aches and pains), there IS a powerful, fast and free technique for …

Much has been written about “the lawyer personality” and “the lawyer mind” – about how they’re more analytical, more introverted than the general population.  Here’s one quality of many attorneys that’s a real double-edged sword.

“Locus of control” (LOC) refers to our basic belief about whether the outcomes of our actions are contingent on what we do (internal control) or on events outside our influence (external control).

At one of end of the spectrum, individuals with a strong external locus of control orientation believe that their experience is due to fate, luck, or other external circumstances, while individuals with a …

It’s too easy to get hooked by stress and worry – particularly when our experience of the stress and worry is (or seems) justified by the high stakes matter or financial pressure at hand.  It’s all too easy to forget, in the midst of our daily work, why it is that we’re working so hard.  Indeed, most of us go far too long between bouts of appreciativeness.

So why are we working so hard?  Partly for the healthy ego gratification, sure.  And largely for the money, of course.  But the money is a means to an end; that end …