Charity Scott, Catherine C. Henson Professor of Law, led the audience through a brief mindfulness meditation during the Women Inspire Speaker Series on Oct. 4, in the Centennial Hall Auditorium.
Close your eyes. Sit in a comfortable position with a dignified posture. Be aware of the feeling of your feet against the floor. Now focus on your breathing….
Charity Scott, Catherine C. Henson Professor of Law, led the audience through a brief mindfulness meditation during the Women Inspire Speaker Series on Oct. 4, in the Centennial Hall Auditorium. Scott presented "Mind Full or Mindful? Bringing Mindfulness to Lawyers (And to Anyone Else Who Wants Less Stress and More Happiness in Their Lives)."
The rate of stress, burnout and other problems in the legal profession has made it increasingly important to provide a consistent practice of techniques that help to control stress and reduce the feeling of being overwhelmed, Scott said.
A typical student is overwhelmed halfway through their first semester at law school, Scott said. They are saddled with a heavy workload and assignments that focus on minutiae, worry about grades and their future career, and a constant comparison to others which leads to insecurity, self-doubt and self-criticism. Furthermore, law school is shaping their minds to be highly critical, find fault and flaws, make swift judgements and debate with others endlessly.
Ten years after completing law school, not much changes, Scott said. Practicing attorneys continue to feel burnout from their workload and the stress of trying to maintain a work-life balance. They are especially prone to a default negative mindset as they are taught to be critical and find flaws.
“Lawyers are the quintessential pessimistic perfectionists, which means a mistake is around the corner,” she said.
Lawyers focus on things that need solutions.
“And what needs solutions? Problems,” she said. “We ruminate about the things we still haven’t resolved. We spend our time seeing threats and potential for mistakes. And there is a judgement attached to nearly every thought we have.”
Many engage in self-soothing techniques such as distracting themselves with social media, television, workouts with headphones on, or even more negative habits such as smoking, drinking or overeating.
Numerous reports finding that lawyers are more prone to anxiety, stress and hostility, as well as her own experience with mindfulness inspired Scott to pioneer a mindfulness program at Georgia State Law. The need for such a program in law schools is evident by the student response—feedback has been tremendously positive with reports of more sleep, less stress, and less dependence on unhealthy habits. Within 24 hours of announcing this year’s session at orientation, 85 students enrolled.
Scott’s personal eureka moment came after returning from a relaxing vacation. Suddenly, she was able to focus and complete in one day an article that she had been struggling with for weeks prior to the trip. Before the vacation, her mind was jumbled and frazzled with all of the things she needed to do. When she returned, her mind was clear and she was able to focus on the present.
The constant mental chatter full of anxious and regretful thoughts causes people to be like a snow globe that is always “shook up,” Scott said, which in turn causes automatic responses to emotional triggers.
Mindfulness teaches the discipline of being aware of the present, but not reacting when triggered by a person or event. Mindfulness is being aware of one’s thoughts, emotions and physical sensations without getting lost in them, obsessing about them, repeating them or judging them.
“Mindfulness allows us to take a breath and choose an appropriate response rather than an automatic,” Scott said.
The practice increases focus and equips you with tools to help you calm down in stressful moments, but the primary goal and benefit is to “wake you up to the present,” said Scott, who recently completed a yearlong mindfulness-in-law teacher training program with Warrior One.
Practicing mindfulness encourages one to have more compassion for themselves. The increased insight into oneself eventually turns outward, making your more compassionate for others, she said.
Being present is also beneficial to work, allowing you to focus on clients and job duties, and therefore be more effective and successful. Scott cited one study that found that 47 percent of CEOs were not actually thinking about the task they were working on in the moment. At home, it allows you to be more engaged with family, giving them your full attention in the present moment.
What’s so great about the present?
“You only experience happy moments in the present,” Scott said. “And if you don’t experience present moments, you are missing out on your life.”
Oct. 4 Women Inspire Series Lecture with Charity Scott, Catherine C. Henson Professor of Law at Georgia State Law from Georgia StateLaw on Vimeo.