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Stress on Lawyers: Threat Perception + Growth Mindset

This article is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be used in place of professional advice, treatment, or care in any way. Lawyers, law students, judges, and other legal professionals in Massachusetts can find more on scheduling a Free & Confidential appointment with a licensed clinician here.

High stress in the legal profession is old news confirmed with recent research sparking the formation of the National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being. Find out how to handle stress better by changing how you understand threat perception.

The dictionary definition of stress is “a state … of bodily or mental tension resulting from factors that tend to alter an existent equilibrium.” Practicing law involves daily work with factors that tend to alter an existent equilibrium. How our brains perceive the factors — to what degree we register an ongoing threat — determines how long we feel the resulting bodily or mental tension. The quickest way to disrupt one’s sense of relaxation or equilibrium is to introduce a threat. We all face threats in our lives, some real and some imagined. The body’s reaction has more to do with your perception of the threat and less to do with the objective nature of that threat.

This post redirects to LCL blog post 2/4/19

CATEGORIES: Lawyer's Quality of Life | Risk Management

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