232. How Can Mindfulness Help Lawyers Manage Stress and Anxiety?

In this podcast episode, host Gary, a lawyer, welcomes Courtney Schulnick, a fellow lawyer and mindfulness teacher from Pennsylvania, to discuss the crucial role of mindfulness in managing stress in the legal profession. Courtney shares her journey with stress and anxiety, intensified by her responsibilities as a litigator and personal challenges. She explains how mindfulness helped her manage these issues and transition from being a student to being a mindfulness teacher. The episode underscores the significant benefits of mindfulness in reducing stress and anxiety, improving well-being, and enhancing professional performance. Courtney also offers practical mindfulness practices and addresses common misconceptions and skepticism among lawyers.

Courtney Schulnick, Esquire, serves as Special Counsel in Marshall Dennehey’s Philadelphia office.  She has worked in its Casualty Department for nearly two decades, litigating cases in local, state, and federal courts. To better manage her anxiety and the stressors associated with litigation and life in general, she enrolled in the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Program offered at the Myrna Brind Center for Mindfulness at Jefferson in Philadelphia, PA. Courtney noticed how the practice of mindfulness increasingly enriched her life on both a professional and personal level. A desire to deepen her practice and share the gift of mindfulness with others encouraged her to complete the extensive teacher training at Jefferson, where she now teaches the MBSR Program. Courtney pursues her passion for helping people by teaching mindfulness so they can live more fully in the present moment and achieve excellent balance, vitality, and health. Perhaps her greatest teachers are her husband and three young boys, with whom she enjoys spending time and exploring their new hometown of Haddonfield, New Jersey.   Challenges of Being Present (00:08:19) The difficulty of being present and the self-created stress from not being fully engaged in the present moment.

Benefits of Self-Compassion (00:13:32) Discussion on the importance of being kinder to oneself and the impact of self-compassion on stress levels.

Personal and Professional Impact of Mindfulness (00:14:22) The personal and professional benefits of mindfulness in managing stress and anxiety, and the ability to respond thoughtfully in professional settings.

Mindfulness Awareness and Self-Support (00:17:36) The role of mindfulness in creating self-awareness and self-support for attorneys dealing with stress and overwhelm.

Transition to Teaching Mindfulness (00:20:08) Courtney's transition from being a student of mindfulness to becoming a mindfulness teacher and the inspiration behind it.

On-the-Spot Mindfulness Practices (00:22:55) Examples of on-the-spot mindfulness practices, such as the three relaxing sighs, to help lawyers find ease and relaxation in high-stress situations.

The challenges of mindfulness (00:25:33) Discussion about the challenges lawyers face in adopting mindfulness practices due to their demanding schedules and the misconception of not having time.

The benefits of mindfulness (00:31:25) Exploration of how mindfulness can help lawyers reduce stress, anxiety, improve sleep, communication, and manage habitual patterns.

Acceptance and response (00:34:02) The concept of acceptance and how mindfulness can help lawyers respond wisely to challenging situations, leading to better interactions and reduced stress.

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