IWIL Alert, Special Holiday Edition – December 2022

  • Creating Peace and Presence of Mind in Every Season – Whole Brain Living

    Robin Oaks, Esq., Denise Robinson, Esq., and Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor

     

    As radio stations begin to play an array of holiday music, many people wonder, “Is it really ‘the most wonderful time of the year’?”  Robin Oaks, Denise Robinson, and Dr. Jill Bolte Taylor (author of My Stroke of Insight) recognize that year-end deadlines, stress over holiday travel, and struggling to make the holidays perfect can be a temporary energy drain for some of us, but, deeper for others.  With this in mind, they offer three powerful interventions to help navigate personal and professional setbacks and support you through them.

 

  • Beyond Self-Care: Applied Neuroscience Can Help You Reclaim Joy in Legal Practice

    Kendra Brodin, Esq., MSW,  Catherine Duncan MA, BCC., and  Henry Emmons, MD

     

    Lawyers are trained to focus on issues, problems, and what is “wrong”. This contributes to the mental health crisis in the legal profession, leaving many wondering if they can reach a point of thriving, flourishing, and getting joy out of work.  It is a realistic and achievable goal.  And, in this article, Kendra Brodin, Esq., MSW,  Catherine Duncan MA, BCC., and  Henry Emmons, MD explain the science of how our brains work. In using that science, they provide science-based practices to help rewire negative thinking we can all learn.

 

  • Harnessing the Power of Emotional Granularity: Specifically Labeling Your Difficult Emotions.

    Jarrett Green, Esq., M.A. Psychology, Lecturer in Law at USC Law School and UC Irvine School of Law
    Rebecca Simon Green, Esq., Wellness Champion, and Lecturer in Law at USC Law School and UC Irvine School of Law

     

    If something causes you an unpleasant emotion like stress, sadness or anger, does the way you label that unpleasant emotion in your own mind affect its intensity and disruptiveness? Does your internal label of that emotion alter your resiliency and well-being in response? The science says it does.  Jarrett Green and Rebecca Simon Green explain the concept of “emotional granularity,” take you through the science, and provide a powerful printable tool in: “Harnessing the Power of Emotional Granularity: Specifically Labeling Your Difficult Emotions”

 

  • Tis the Season for Extra Stress: Reframing the Holiday Mindset

    Jessie Spressart, Managing Director of Optia Consulting

     

    End-of-year holidays can be a source of joy, but they can also be a source of sadness, grief, and stress. One way to help yourself manage it all is by cognitive reframing, or shifting your mindset so that you can look at a situation from a different perspective. Using this reframing technique, you can relieve some of the angst you feel without necessarily having to change everything about the situation. Check out this article to learn the simple four-step cognitive reframing process.