Next week is Well-Being Week in Law. Conceived and promoted by the Institute for Well-Being in Law (IWIL), the event’s goals are “to raise awareness about mental health and to encourage action and innovation across the profession to improve well-being.”
I encourage you, your co-workers, and your colleagues to participate, even if only by doing something that might seem “small” or “inconsequential.” Indeed, as we know too well, when it comes to improving the profession’s well-being, there is no step too small to help. For example, sending a “thank you” note. Surely, someone at your office has time (and reason) to express gratitude at some point next week!
Of course, Well-Being Week in Law features many additional activities and opportunities to promote well-being. Legal professionals can participate as individuals, with a friend/colleague/co-worker, or as an entire office/firm. There’s something for everyone!
And speaking of everyone, you lawyers, don’t forget to include your non-lawyer staff. They are much a part of the profession as lawyers!
Each day focuses on a different aspect of wellness:

IWIL’s participation guide includes dozens of suggestions for each day, breaking the suggestions into things to read, things to watch or listen to, and things to do. For instance, on Monday, legal professionals might
Or, for the legal professional who has an Apple Watch, Vermont lawyer Tammy Heffernan has offered to host a month-long challenge associated with well-being. Tammy set it up so that there are both team and individual challenges. Instructions on how to sign-up are at the end of this letter.
There are other ways to participate in Well-Being Week.
The event coincides with May being Mental Health Awareness Month. So, next week, you and your co-workers might consider the daily challenges in the 31-Day Mental Health Challenge.
In addition, I plan to host virtual discussions on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. The discussions will begin at noon and focus on the day’s theme. All are welcome. Each morning, I’ll post a link to join that day’s discussion on my blog. The videos I recorded last year provide a flavor of the discussions.
Again, the participation guide is chock full of ideas.
Finally, well-being is not “one size fits all.’ It’s personal. As the participation guide states:
Pick & Choose to Fit Your Needs
WWIL is designed so that people and organizations can participate in any way that fits their goals and capacities. If you want to participate in multiple things every day, that’s great. But also feel free to select only a few things over the entire week that match your priorities.
As I mentioned, there’s something for everyone. I encourage you to find what works for you and to encourage your colleague and co-workers to do the same.
Oh! One last thing. With participation comes reward(s)!
IWIL is offering legal professionals a chance to win prizes by completing the 2022 Well-Being Week in Law Participation Survey. Or, you can show your commitment to well-being by participating in the Social Media Challenge. Finally, I will use my blog and Twitter account to mention any member of Vermont’s legal community who lets me know that they, their co-workers, or their office/firm participated, even if just barely, in Well-Being Week.
Thank you for considering ways that you and your co-workers might participate in 2022 Well-Being Week in Law.
**********************************************************************
P.S. – thank you Tammy!
APPLE WATCH TEAM CHALLENGE
”VT Attorney Well Being Team Challenge ”
First, download Challenges: https://challengesapp.app.link/download
Once you have the app, enter invite code: ‘cheu’ or tap on the link below to join:
https://sync.challenges.app/invite?eligibilitycode=cheu
APPLE WATCH INDIVIDUAL CHALLENGE
“VT Attorney Individual Challenge”
First, download Challenges: https://challengesapp.app.link/download
Once you have the app, enter invite code: ‘kfdk’ or tap on the link below to join:
https://sync.challenges.app/invite?eligibilitycode=kfdk
Related Resources
Previous Wellness Wednesday Posts
- With 40 wellness tips, the ABA has at least one for everyone
- R.I.P. Charlie Kryst
- Aiming for Well-Being
- Wellness, Emotional Regulation, and the power of “What’s Important Now?”
- A lesson from my dad, Nandi, and The Foo Fighters: find & experience awe
- Ask the Question
- Wellness Wednesday: Set communication boundaries with clients & opposing counsel
- Yes, wellness includes the results of my first moot court competition
- Wellness Wednesday: It’s okay to ask for help. Bar Assistance will listen and support you
- Wellness Wednesday: Set communication boundaries with clients and opposing counsel
- Wellness Wednesday: Compassion Fatigue
- Wellness Wednesday: A message from Justice Eaton
- Jessica Burke: “Well People Do”
- Wellness Wednesday: Schitt$ Creek and Paddles
- Wellness Wednesday: Be Kind to Lawyers
- Civility Matters. Especially Now.
- Coping with COVID-19 Related Stress & Anxiety
- Wellness Wednesday: Unplug
- Well-Being is an Aspect of Competence
- Wellness Wednesday: Survival Skills
- Wellness Wednesday: Make time for what (and who) matters
- Wellness Wednesday: Risk & Response
- Do summer your way
- Wellness Wednesday: Meet Alison, Shireen, Samantha, and Alison
- Reach Out, Check In
- Wellness Wednesday: Mentor Someone
- Wellness Wednesday: Joan Loring Wing
- Wellness Wednesday: Law Day & Pro Bono
- Get your sleep
- Take a Chance on Being Nice
- Attorney Wellness: We’ve Only Just Begun
- Be Kind to a Lawyer Today
- Be Nice to Someone Today
- Wellness v. Well-Being
- Wellness Wednesday: Meet Molly Gray
- Wellness Wednesday: Judge Garland & My Cousin Vinny
- Shakespeare, Pink Floyd and Wellness
- Wellness Wednesday: You are not an impostor
- Wellness Wednesday: “N O” is “O K”
- Wellness Wednesday: Stop it!
- Wellness Wednesday: Meet Jeff Messina
- Lawyers Helping Lawyers Part 2
- Lawyers Helping Lawyers: Keep it on the front burner
- Lawyer Well-Being: a call to action
- Anxiety, Stress & Work-Life Balance for Lawyers
- Make time for what matters
- Lawyer Wellness: resolve to find 6 minutes for yourself
- 108 is way too many
- Workplace Happiness
- Make Wellness a Habit
- A pledge by legal employers to focus on lawyer well-being
- Legal Ethics & the Water Cooler
- Wellness Wednesday: Island Vines
- Wellness Wednesday: on ponds, puffery and paltering
- Wellness Wednesday: Neil Diamond, the Lock Screen, and National Mental Health Day for Law Students