Quick and Easy Stress Management Techniques for Attorneys

Bulldozing through briefs and billable hours take their toll on any human being. Practicing at private law firms isn't like running a marathon, but more of a mix of skipping, jumping and running. Building your career is a marathon process alright, but there are so many short sprints to be taken in an attorney's career that stress becomes pervasive in all aspects of life. So, before you get emotionally exhausted and burnt out from stress here are a few quick and easy tips to keep you feeling healthy and alive.
 

Yoga and meditation for an hour, okay, half-an-hour each day


I know nobody gives credence to this advice, until they start practicing yoga, and suddenly one day they actually manage to get into the rhythm and start realizing things they never even dreamt. Yoga is thousands of years old and extremely scientific – based on breathing exercises, techniques and stress relieving postures that also puts pressure on particular parts of the nervous systems, glands or other parts of the body. Remember, yoga should never be practiced without a trained professional. Further, if you start practicing yoga, within a few months the results would become apparent in your life – changes that you had thought were impossible. Yoga not only relieves stress, but also makes you healthier and more stress resistant. Most importantly, yoga sharpens your mental faculties.

Lunch Yoga

I bet you've never heard of this one, but it's one practiced by many attorneys in secret. Lunch is one of those few hours of the day when you can assert privacy and still be pardoned. There are attorneys who refuse to work or talk during their lunches, and take the time to have a relaxed lunch, while doing controlled breathing exercises at the same time. It does wonders for those who cannot squeeze out any other time from their daily routines – so lunch yoga is a must have for attorneys.

Athletic stretching and warm up exercises

There are few people in modern days who have not learned a few warming-up exercises or athletic stretching exercises in their childhoods. Most of the exercises may be difficult to do all of a sudden, but bit by bit one can attain flexibility, increase blood circulation, and relieve a lot of stress without breaking a sweat. Stretching addicts take every opportunity to do stretching exercises. I once met one of my friends, a very successful attorney in front of an elevator with his hands on the wall as if he was pushing the wall, after inquiring, he told me he was stretching his calf muscles – something most busy attorneys need to do. It's a very easy exercise, try it out – just put your two palms squarely in front of you on a wall at your shoulder level. Then slowly shift one foot back keeping the leg straight. Now bend the other knee and then try to touch the floor with the heel of the foot that you shifted back. You'll be amazed!

Chair yoga

I bet you've never heard of this one too. Try it. Put both of your hands behind the back of your head, and lean back. Stretch out your legs as much as you can. Next, you should try focusing entirely on the backside or nape of your neck and visualize relaxing only that part of your body. Fully focus on relaxing the back of your neck, and within a few seconds you shall realize something else – you've started to breathe deeply and naturally. Practice makes perfect so keep at it.

These techniques are known to work for the many attorneys who use these techniques. Give it a try; the only thing you risk losing is the stress.