Mindful Moment

Good morning! How did you start your day today? Beginning the day with an intentional routine that supports well-being is an opportunity to regulate physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually before the demands of the workday encroach. Creating a “me routine” upon waking is especially valuable for attorneys, judges, and law school students as it sets the nervous system up to stay regulated for the rest of the day and enhances our ability to navigate the complexities and stressors of our profession. Without a morning “me routine,” we are prone to ruminate about our cases, feel anxious about the demands of the day, and jump into action to solve problems—even before we’ve gotten out of bed!

A morning “me routine” goes beyond just getting ready for work. It incorporates activities that regulate the nervous system and inspire creativity. Try this a four-step process to help you create a tailored morning “me routine” that supports your well-being and your satisfaction:

1. Assess Your Needs, Priorities, and Inspiration: Evaluate your current lifestyle and identify what you need most in the morning. Reflect on your physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well-being. Do you need more energy, improved mood, better focus, stress reduction, and/or more meaning in your life? What would be the most inspiring thing you could do in the morning if you made time for what you need most?
2. Identify Key Activities: Based on your assessment, choose “me routine” activities that address your needs and fit into your morning schedule. For example, if you are slow to wake up and want your morning routine to perk you up, choose stimulating activities like a short, brisk walk; alternatively, if your mind is racing upon waking, try a ten-minute breathing meditation or five minutes of yoga. If you want to foster a more optimistic outlook, try a short gratitude practice or setting three positive intentions for the day. If you need help organizing your thoughts, try journaling or making a colorful schedule. If you want to cultivate meaning or deepen your spirituality, read and reflect on an inspirational passage.
3. Create a Realistic Schedule: Determine how much time you can realistically allocate to your routine without feeling rushed. Start with a manageable duration, such as 10-20 minutes, and adjust as needed. Ensure your schedule allows for consistency, as regular practice is key to creating a new habit and reaping the benefits.
4. Experiment and Adjust: Try out your “me routine” for seven days, noticing each day—and at the end of the week—the positive impact your morning routine has on the rest of your day. Pay attention to the impact on your energy levels, mood, focus, hopefulness, and overall well-being. If an activity doesn’t seem to benefit you or fit into your morning, adjust or replace it the following week with something more suitable.

Note that your morning “me routine” may be different on the weekends than it is on the weekdays; it may also change over time. For example, if you have children, your morning routine may change as they grow. Or you may try out different morning me routines during distinct seasons of the year. For example, a routine that incorporates different outdoor activities in cold weather than in warm weather. If you successfully engage in a morning routine for a period of time and then find your enthusiasm waning, try changing it up for something interesting—creative legal minds like to try new things!

Laura Mahr is a North Carolina and Oregon lawyer and the founder of Conscious Legal Minds LLC, providing well-being consulting, training, and resilience coaching for attorneys and law offices nationwide. Through the lens of neurobiology, Laura helps build strong leaders, happy lawyers, and effective teams. Her work is informed by 13 years of practice as a civil sexual assault attorney, 25 years as a teacher and student of mindfulness and yoga, and eight years studying neurobiology and neuropsychology with clinical pioneers. If you are interested in learning more about Laura’s CLE offerings that grow your team’s window of tolerance and build resilience, contact Laura through consciouslegalminds.com.