Estate Planning

Coping with the Stress of Practice

By Hull and Hull LLP

The Women's Law Association of Ontario hosted a work and wellness luncheon with the Ontario Lawyer's Assistance Program at the Ontario Bar Association  yesterday afternoon. 

The guest speaker, Naomi Nurgitz, an experienced lawyer and mediator, delivered an interesting presentation on Mindfullness Based Stress Reduction, a program that was developed at the University of Massachusetts Medical School.  

Ms. Nurgitz discussed some of the physiological consequences of stress and the hormones released as a result of it, on our bodies. She explained that whether stress is caused by our perception of a threat of physical danger or by us experiencing anxiety provoking thoughts, the same physiological changes occur in our bodies. These changes include tremor, sweating, heart palpitations, headache, impairment of our immune defences, interference with our sleeping patterns and our cellular repair mechanisms. 

 Mindfullness Based Stress Reduction is a program that teaches people meditation and breathing techniques to cope with stress. As a lawyer, Ms. Nurgitz understands the kind of stresses lawyers experience in their practices. She offered powerful advice and insights into how we can reduce our stress so that we feel better and are able to approach our practices in a calmer more balanced way. 

For information on Toronto based workshops on training in Mindfullness Based Stress Reduction see http://mbsrtoronto.com/   

Julia Evans

Full post as published by Toronto Estate Law Blog on November 19, 2010 (boomark / email).