Reclaiming Mental and Physical Wellbeing
Let's be honest most of us check our phones before we even get out of bed. As lawyers, we've convinced ourselves that being constantly available is just part of our job. But that’s not sustainable so we need to adjust and find a better way.
We've Created a Monster
Think about your typical day. How many of these sound familiar?
That client who texts at 11 PM expecting an immediate response
The endless Teams notifications that interrupt your focus every few minutes
The low-grade panic when your phone battery hits 20%
Answering emails during your kid's soccer game "just to stay on top of things"
We didn't choose this life it evolved around us. What started as the convenience of checking email from home has morphed into a 24/7 digital leash that's taking a serious toll.
What This Is Doing to Our Brains
Ever notice how you can't seem to focus on complex legal analysis like you used to? You're not imagining it. Our constant digital switching is literally rewiring our brains.
Prior to having all these distractions, we had an easier time focusing on one task at a time. Now you probably find yourself drafting three paragraphs, checking email, responding to a Slack message, and then struggling to remember your train of thought. That's not coincidence or just "getting older" it's unfortunately what happens when we train our brains to expect constant interruption.
The stress is real too. That surge of adrenaline when an email arrives at 9 PM can seem like a true emergency when most of the time it isn’t and our bodies are struggling to tell the difference. Multiply that stress response by dozens of digital interruptions daily, and it's no wonder lawyer anxiety rates are through the roof.
Finding Balance
I think we all agree that due to the nature of our business, that completely unplugging isn't an option for most of us. Clients still need us, courts still have deadlines, and bills still need to be paid. But I've discovered through painful trial and error that we can establish boundaries that protect our wellbeing without sacrificing our work.
Start With Small Experiments
Try these training wheels for your digital detox:
The Phone Drawer: Create a physical place at home where your phone "lives" when not in use. Just the act of having to get up to check it reduces those automatic reaching impulses.
Email Batching: Train yourself (and your clients) that you check email at set times, not continuously.
No Tech Times: Start with just Sunday mornings. No email, no legal research, no case updates. Just three hours to remember what it feels like to be fully present. Choose time when you're completely unreachable except for true emergencies (and define what those are).
Create Recovery Rituals
Our brains need transition signals. Try these:
A physical gesture that marks the end of work (this is especially important if you work from home!)
A walk around the block before entering your home
Changing clothes completely after work
Five minutes of deep breathing before picking up your phone in the morning
I've found that having clear "on" and "off" signals helps my brain shift gears more effectively.
The Path Forward
We've embraced technology to make our work life more efficient, but somewhere along the way, many of us became servants to our devices rather than the other way around. Reclaiming our relationship with technology is about becoming better lawyers.
The attorneys who will thrive in the coming years won't be those who are available 24/7. They'll be the ones who preserve their mental sharpness by setting boundaries. They will be the ones who bring fresh perspective rather than burnout to help solve complex problems. They will be the ones modeling sustainable practices for the next generation.
I'm still a work in progress. I still sometimes find myself reflexively checking email during dinner. But each small boundary I establish helps me rediscover what drew me to this profession in the first place, the intellectual challenge, the human connection, and the satisfaction of bringing my best self to work.
Maybe it's time we all redefined what it means to be responsive attorneys. Our clients don't need an anxious lawyer. They need someone who can exhibit clear thinking, sound judgment, and sustainable expertise, qualities that flourish only when we have the courage to occasionally disconnect.
