My hours at the office are spilling over into my personal life. I can't stop thinking about cases I'm working on, and it's ruining my personal life. What do you suggest?
Ruined
Dear Ruined,
To a certain extent, your problem goes with the territory. But there are tried and true ways to deal with it, if you're willing to be open-minded.
Establish some sort of "grounding" practice that lets you watch your thoughts without getting caught up in them, puts you in control, and makes you more aware of your body. Anything that provides these benefits will help you relax. I'd suggest trying meditation or yoga.
But Eastern practices aren't the be-all and end-all. You can also take quiet walks, listen to music, or exercise. Whatever you choose, be sure to do it regularly.
I know of many lawyers who have found Jon Kabat-Zinn's work on mindfulness extremely helpful. For starters, check out his extraordinary book, Wherever You Go, There You Are. This stuff works, for lawyers as well as anyone else, and you owe it to yourself to learn how to free yourself during your free time.
- See Why You Should Work Weekends and Holidays for more information.
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Summary: My hours at the office are spilling over into my personal life. I can't stop thinking about cases I'm working on, and it's ruining my personal life.
