by Andra B. Greene

Did you know that the first full week of May 2025 is Well-Being Week in Law? And did you know that May is also mental health awareness month? I bet not. You wouldn’t be alone. Not many lawyers focus on their well-being.

Indeed, we lawyers are notorious for putting our own well-being last, behind the needs of virtually everyone—clients, work and business colleagues, family members, friends, and even pets. (Well, okay, pets should come first.) With so many demands on our time, we have little, if any, to spare, much less use that precious time to take care of ourselves. When I ask my colleagues about what they are doing to foster their mental and physical health, I hear these constant refrains—“You must be kidding,” “I don’t have time,” “My clients expect me to be available 24/7,” “There aren’t enough hours in the day,” and the like. I understand. I said these same things countless times over the years, especially when my children were young.

The truth is that in serving the needs of others, we shortchange ourselves. And by doing so, we adversely impact our physical and mental health and dramatically increase our stress levels. This lack of attention to our own well-being is compounded by the fact that most of us—or our law firms or clients—measure our productivity in terms of how many hours we bill in a day. Timesheets are an anchor around lawyers’ necks. We dutifully record our work time into various categories in 1/10 of an hour increments. But I have yet to see a billable hour category entitled “Lawyer Well-Being.”

I firmly believe that there should be such a category. To be the best lawyer you can be, you need to devote time to your own well-being. Although your law firm timesheet won’t have a code for well-being, you can and should. The reality is that no one else is going to do it for you. Remember the announcement you hear on every airplane flight: “Please put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others.” That applies to being a productive lawyer, too. How can you take care of your clients and loved ones if you don’t take care of yourself?

I can already hear my readers scoffing and thinking, “Yeah, right. I don’t have enough time as it is. Just what I need, another thing to keep track of.” Well, please keep reading.

Contrary to what you may be imagining, nurturing your own well-being does not require that you spend endless hours on it (although that would be nice). All you need is just a few minutes at a time each day. In this article, I will share ten quick ways to improve your well-being, each taking 1/10 of an hour or less to complete. That’s right—six minutes or .1 billable hour. Who doesn’t have that much time each day?

Here is my surprisingly easy list.
Drink an eight-ounce glass of water. Hydration is critical to well-being. It is important to regulate body temperature, keep joints lubricated, prevent infections, deliver nutrients to cells and keep organs functioning properly. Experts say you should generally drink about eight glasses of water a day. But most people don’t drink enough water. So, if you get up and drink an eight-ounce glass of water, you have just done yourself a whole lot of good. And it will likely take even less time than six minutes.
Write down (or dictate into Notes) three things you are grateful for that day. Lawyers tend to focus on the negative. Indeed, that is what we are trained to do. That can increase stress. We forget what is good in our lives. A gratitude practice helps you reflect on the positive and appreciate what you have. It also helps with mindfulness and allows you to notice the things that make life worthwhile. So, take a few moments to record three things you are grateful for on that day. If you write down or dictate what you are grateful for, you can also review your list occasionally to remind yourself of all that you have in your life. You will be surprised at how this will boost your mood. There are also variations on this theme that may resonate more with you. You can create a “joy” list and write down three things that bring you joy. You can develop a “love” list and jot down three things you love to do. You get the idea.
Get up, go outside, and take a quick walk in the sunlight. I often say that sitting is the new smoking. Sitting for too long can lead to many health problems—poor posture and back pain, increased risk of heart disease, reduced circulation, increased stress, and weakened muscles. A walk gets you moving, and the sun provides Vitamin D. If you don’t have time to go outside or the weather isn’t good, simply walk your office floor or move around your house.
Stretch or do mobility exercises. Don’t sit in one position for hours on end. Again, get up, and this time stretch or do a brief exercise. I like to hold plank for a minute and do some easy stretches, like side bends or forward folds. This gets the blood flowing and keeps me from feeling stiff. I’ve even had colleagues join me for these short stretch sessions.
Do some breathing exercises. Breathing exercises are a simple yet powerful way to relieve stress. Calm breathing quiets the mind. It activates the parasympathetic nervous system, lowers cortisol levels, improves oxygen flow, and supports better sleep. You don’t need anything fancy to do a breathing exercise. Here is an easy one that will immediately relax you. Close your eyes. Inhale for a count of four, hold for a count of seven, and exhale for a count of eight. Do this five times. Open your eyes, and you will feel refreshed.
Tidy up your workspace for six minutes. Clutter is stressful. Reducing clutter creates a more organized and peaceful environment and provides a greater sense of control. Take six minutes to throw away papers, organize the piles accumulating on your desk, and put files back in their proper place.
Pet your pet. There is a reason we think of our pets as emotional support animals. They calm us and make us feel better. They also love us unconditionally. Spend five or six minutes playing with your pet, giving belly rubs, or simply petting their fur. Your mood will be lighter.
Listen to a favorite song. Listening to music is a powerful stress reliever because it lowers cortisol levels, boosts dopamine and serotonin, and activates the relaxation response. I keep a playlist of special songs for just this purpose. None is longer than five minutes. When I need a pick me up, I select a song from this playlist, listen to it, and instantly feel better.
Laugh. It is true that laugher is the best medicine. Laughter strengthens the immune system, improves heart health, relieves tension, and reduces stress. Watch a funny video or read a joke to boost your mood instantly.
Connect with someone. Studies abound about the importance of social connection to physical and emotional well-being. If you have six minutes, phone a friend or loved one simply to say “hi” and let them know you are thinking about them. If you can’t talk on the phone, send a quick text.

Each of these ten activities is a small but powerful way to improve your well-being instantly. None of them takes much time at all. Inspiration Coach Dr. Sherry Phelan advises that when you stack any of these practices with others throughout your day or week, you multiply their benefits on your well-being. Who doesn’t want that?

Let’s use the month of May to focus on well-being. No matter how busy you are, you certainly have 1/10 of an hour to spend on yourself. If you choose any one of the things on my list, you will improve your well-being. Don’t believe me? Here’s a challenge for you. Do at least one of the listed activities each day in May and see how you feel at the end of the month. I’m willing to bet that you feel an improvement in your well-being.

Andra B. Greene is a mediator, arbitrator, and independent panelist with Phillips ADR Enterprises. She can be reached at AGreene@phillipsadr.com.

Out of Office is an occasional column in which authors share ways to make life meaningful and fulfilling during and outside of the practice of law.