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But if you concentrate on where you are at this moment—a warm and relaxed dinner with your loved ones—you can start to train your brain to focus on the present. You cannot go back and change anything that happened throughout the day. Embrace the here and now of this moment with your family. Tell yourself not to be distracted by events from the past or to worry about the future. You cannot change it! Center yourself in the here and now, and focus all of your atten- tion on the present moment. This helps relieve stress and anxiety.
5. Communicate and connect
As a legal professional, you were probably taught to be confidential about certain aspects of your job, which makes it diffi- cult to talk to friends or family members who do not have the same career as you. If you feel frustrated, overwhelmed or burned out, it is helpful to talk to others in a similar situation. If there is another lawyer in your area who you are comfort- able reaching out to, ask them if you can
have some of their time to talk shop. You will probably find out that other colleagues are experiencing many of the same challenges that you are. It helps to discuss and learn about how other lawyers cope with different situations. Connecting with others gives you a better sense of belonging and reduces feelings of loneliness.
If you find it difficult to find another legal professional to talk to, you can contact the Ohio Lawyers Assistance Program, a confidential organization dedi- cated to helping Ohio’s judges, attorneys, and law students obtain treatment for substance use disorders and mental health issues (ohiolap.org; (800) 348-4343).
If you are a judge or magistrate who needs assistance, contact the Judicial Advisory Group (https://www.ohiolap. org/judges; (800) 348-4343), a confiden- tial peer-based assistance group that helps judges and magistrates with personal and professional issues.
Connections with other people outside of the courtroom are also important. When you embrace good relation- ships, you not only build your sense of
belonging and self-worth, but you also provide emotional support to others. You can nourish these relationships in many ways. For example, you could have at least one meal a day with your family, make a weekly or monthly get-together with your friends, volunteer, or turn off the TV or your phone to make more time for mean- ingful conversations with your loved ones.
It’s ok to ask for help
If you find that your mental health is keeping you from your responsibilities and interrupting your normal activities, you should seek help. It’s ok to ask for help! You would ask your doctor for help if you had chest pains, right? Asking for mental health help is the same as asking for help for any other ailment, and recovery is possible. You just need to recognize it, understand it and talk about it.
Mote is executive director of the Ohio Lawyers Assistance Program.
THE REPORT | May/June 2024 | CincyBar.org
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