by Andra B. Greene
Lawyers are trained to think fast, argue persuasively, and anticipate problems before they happen. As a result, the life of a lawyer is typically filled with stress, fatigue, and tension. Perfectionism and adversarial pressure can sustain a constant “fight-or-flight” response that can manifest itself with physical ailments. How many lawyers do you know who complain of bad backs, neck pain, or sleep problems? The next time you are in a courtroom or mediation conference room, look around. Count the number of people there with poor posture, hunched shoulders, clenched jaws, or dark circles under their eyes. I’ll bet it is more than 75% of the room.
As a former trial lawyer turned mediator, I can relate. I often had more of an adversarial relationship with my back than with opposing counsel. I have vivid memories of standing up to cross-examine a key witness or argue a critical motion and feeling a sharp pain in my lower back. Sometimes, the aches were so severe that they interfered with my concentration on the legal issue at hand. In long trials, as pressure from work mounted, so did the pain I experienced. I wanted to object, but the Rules of Evidence provided no relief. Dealing with chronic back issues exacerbated my stress since the pain made it harder to focus. It was a vicious loop. I knew I could not perform as well professionally if I was not feeling good physically.
So, I searched for ways to address the chronic pain. I tried everything from physical therapy to chiropractors to acupuncture. As part of my journey to ease my back pain, I learned that if I reduced my stress levels, my back would feel better. And when my back did not hurt, I felt less stressed. This did not mean cutting back on my law practice; it meant changing my approach. Ultimately, for me, a combination of yoga, stress-reducing practices like meditation, and more sleep were the formula for both a pain-free back and a calmer disposition. A happy back made me a better lawyer because my concentration and stamina improved, not to mention my disposition.
What I am describing is the “mind-body connection.” The mind-body connection refers to the way thoughts, emotions, and mental states influence physical health and vice versa. While the phrase “mind-body connection” might sound like new-age jargon, it is not; it is science-based. Neuroscience and occupational health studies increasingly show that what happens in your body directly affects how your brain performs and how your brain performs directly impacts your physical well-being. For lawyers, this connection can be the difference between being persuasive or scattered, poised or in pain, or composed or burned out.
Let’s delve a bit deeper. The mind-body connection is the bi-directional communication between your thoughts, emotions, and physical symptoms—especially your nervous, endocrine, and immune systems. These interconnected systems are like a communication superhighway between brain and body that continuously sends signals that affect mood, decision-making, and resilience. When we are relaxed, that superhighway promotes calmness and clarity. When we are under chronic pressure, it keeps sounding the alarm and our mental bandwidth shrinks. In other words, our ability to reason through a complex negotiation, maintain patience with a difficult client, or deliver a compelling closing argument depends not only on how we think, but on how well our bodies are functioning. A tense posture and shallow breathing can literally limit blood flow to the brain.
Chronic stress activates the sympathetic nervous system which is the body’s “fight-or-flight” response, increasing cortisol and inflammation. Cortisol is the body’s stress hormone. When the body is under stress it can produce too much cortisol. This can manifest itself in physical ailments or increased pain in pre-existing conditions. By contrast, positive states like focus, gratitude, and calm strengthen the immune system, support cardiovascular function, and reduce inflammation. All of this can alleviate pain. And reduced pain lowers stress. Awareness of your body—called interoception—helps regulate attention, emotion, and decision-making, the critical skills every lawyer uses daily.
The mind-body connection matters for lawyers. We operate in high stakes, high stress environments. Prolonged stress reduces memory, focus, and emotional regulation—key tools for advocacy or negotiation. Indeed, these are essential tools for dealing with not only our clients, but also our family and friends.
Lawyers pride themselves on sharp intellects, strategic reasoning, and endurance under pressure—but the physical body is often left out of the professional equation. The mind-body connection reminds us that mental performance and physical well-being are inseparable. When one falters, so does the other. I have come to think of my body as my partner in my professional practice. We all want our partners to be strong and supportive.
Try as we might, we cannot ignore the mind-body connection. Awareness of its existence is the first step. Simply by reading this article, you have taken that step. The good news is that there are many small things we can do every day to improve the mind-body connection. None is hard; each merely requires intention.
At this point, I can imagine my readers groaning and thinking, “Now she is going to give me more things to do. Just what I need, additional tasks which will only serve to increase my stress.” Not so. Set forth below are five practices you can do each day to support your mind-body connection. They will reduce your stress and the accompanying physical aches and pains. Each can be done in as little as a few minutes.
1. Practice Intentional Breathing. We all breathe. How we breathe matters. When we harness our breathing, it is one of the most powerful tools we have to control stress. If we are stressed, our breath often becomes shallow and rapid, triggering the sympathetic nervous system—the “fight-or-flight response” discussed above. When you consciously engage in slow, controlled breathing you trigger the parasympathetic nervous system—the “rest-and-digest” response. By doing so, you are literally telling your body that you are safe. Just two or three minutes of calm, deep breathing is enough to shift your physiology and your mindset. Here are two examples of simple breathing techniques: (a) Box breathing (used by Navy SEALS): Inhale 4 seconds, hold 4 seconds, exhale 4 seconds, hold 4 seconds. Repeat 8 times. (b) 4-7-8 Breathing: Inhale 4 seconds, hold 7 seconds, exhale 8 seconds. Repeat 8 times. Try pairing these breathing exercises with transitions in your day—before calls, before entering a courtroom, or before a mediation session.
2. Stand Tall. A strong, upright posture doesn’t just look confident—it can literally change your biochemistry. When you stand tall, your nervous system activates differently: cortisol (the stress hormone) drops, while testosterone (which supports composure) rises. A lawyer’s physical stance can thus directly influence clarity and confidence. Slouched posture sends stress signals to the brain, undermining focus and composure. It also increases pressure on the spine, exacerbating any back issues. By contrast, standing tall enhances oxygen flow, steadies the nervous system, and projects authority in court or negotiation settings. So, every time you walk into a room for a meeting or a hearing, take thirty seconds to align your spine, relax your shoulders, and lift your chest slightly. Better posture reduces fatigue and reinforces your command and poise. For me, it has meant less back pain.
3. Move. Sitting hunched in front of a computer screen for hours on end is detrimental to both the mind and body. It will exacerbate stress, pain, and tension in the neck, shoulders, and back. Tight muscles will further constrict blood flow to the brain and interfere with digestion. The solution is simple. Get up and move every hour, even if it is only for a minute or two. Stretch, roll your shoulders back, walk around the office or your house. Anything to change positions. These micro-movements will reset your circulation and reduce the toll of sedentary work.
4. Body Awareness. Pay attention to your partner—your body. Make this awareness part of your workday. Before stepping into court, a negotiation, or a client meeting, take a moment to scan your body and ask yourself, “How am I breathing? Where is there tension?” Notice where you carry stress: the jaw, the neck, the back. When you feel stress in that area, act: relax your jaw, do neck stretches, engage your core. This simple body scan helps integrate awareness into performance.
5. Create Recovery Boundaries. Your nervous system needs off-duty time to recalibrate. Established end-of-day rituals such as a short walk, journaling, playing with the dog, or reading a book all help you clear the mind and signal to your body that work mode is concluded. You are giving your body permission to relax. Such rituals do not need to be long. Even a few minutes will stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system. I end my day walking my Siberian Huskies with my husband. I must admit that my dogs object to only a few minutes of walking, so we typically walk twenty minutes.
These five practices, none requiring more than a few minutes (unless you have insistent dogs), will, over time, improve your mind-body connection. Your stress will be reduced, and you will feel better physically.
There are many other things you can do to support your mind-body connection if you are willing to invest some more time. For me, the payoff has been worth it. Here are some longer ideas to consider.
1. Work on your sleep hygiene. Sleep deprivation is often considered a badge of honor in the legal profession. It shouldn’t be. Studies show that even mild sleep deprivation impairs reasoning and self-control—not ideal qualities to lose before a big negotiation. Getting sufficient sleep is not self-indulgent, it is part of your professional toolkit. So, improve your sleep hygiene by shutting off your devices before bed, limiting caffeine in the evening, and going to bed at a consistent time each night. Your mind and body will have time to recover and repair.
2. Exercise. Regular exercise is one of the most effective ways to strengthen the communication between the mind and the body. Exercise calms the nervous system, reduces the stress hormones and increases blood flow to the brain. You don’t need hours at the gym to build the mind-body connection (although I love spending time working out and doing yoga). Short, consistent bursts of movement deliver long-term benefits. If you have back problems like I do, strengthen your core and mobility. Incorporate planks, gentle twists, and glute bridges. Add mobility drills for hips and the thoracic spine—two areas that often cause compensatory back tension. Exercises that involve stretching or flexibility are also beneficial.
3. Develop a mindfulness practice. Mindfulness is the simple act of paying attention to the present moment with curiosity, rather than judgment. Mindfulness calms the nervous system, strengthens interoception, and improves emotional regulation and composure. These traits reduce stress and enhance professional performance. They can also reduce pain. Mindfulness practices include meditation, mindful breathing, and journaling.
4. Develop a joy or gratitude practice. As lawyers, we are trained to focus on the negative. This contributes to stress. As a counterbalance, develop a joy or gratitude practice. At the end of each day, think about or write down three things that happened that day which brought you joy or made you grateful.
Our minds and bodies are integrally connected. We need to remember that they are partners who work together. For peak professional performance, we need to nurture both.
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.