Chester New Matter 1st Quarter 2017 - 8

CCBA Feature
Continued from page 7
stress. Just to name a few: Asthma Immune system disorders,
Migraines including blurred vision caused by eye migraines,
elevated blood pressure, digestive disorders like colitis, ulcers
and irritable bowel syndrome, fibromyalgia, and fatigue.
I can't deny it. The shock caused by the sudden death of my
doctor caused my immune system to "tank" abruptly. I suffered
almost immediate loss of my voice, which has never happened
before, plus all sorts of other nasty flu-like symptoms.
Distress can make us stupid. When we are subjected to a
continued level of negative stress we are distracted and less
able to think clearly, recognize solutions, and properly
evaluate problems.
Distress often wreaks havoc with our emotions. We become
angry, depressed, and/or frustrated. It's hard to remain calm
in dealing with even routine situations when we have the
proverbial "burr under our saddle." We become emotionally
unavailable to others as we wrestle to deal with our own
emotional overload.
Distress makes us behave badly toward others. We are
more short-tempered. We may not react logically or even
reasonably. We can become sarcastic. The phrase "mean as a
junkyard dog" comes to mind. We may yell or cry. We often
criticize unmercifully. We often take out our frustrations
inappropriately on innocent bystanders or those we love.
Anyone who has seen a senior partner eviscerate a young
associate, or a hapless staff member torn asunder unnecessarily
in a public area of the firm, has witnessed the result of distress
at work in someone who has no proper coping mechanisms. In
my long career in the legal industry I have been subjected firsthand to this behavior countless times. So I know it's true that
stress "flows downhill."
Distress can also cause us to lose our spirituality. We can
become uncentered and alienated from our surroundings. We
can lose sight of the very beliefs which sustain and nourish us.
We can feel at odds with the universe instead of a part of it.
We need coping mechanisms to help us continually restore
our balance when the teeter-totter of stress changes balance
from positive to negative. Without it, the distress will start to
impact us and those around us in one of the many negative
ways discussed.
At the seminar Dr. Porter provided us with biodots. They
operate by changing color to reflect our stress levels. I glanced
at those around me. Our dots are all black. Not a good sign.
She led the group through a simple visualization exercise
which, thanks to the biodots, visibly reduced stress levels
within minutes. My biodot turned a nice green translucent
color. Dr. Porter then shared with us many fundamental ways
to restore balance:
8 | New Matter

1. Exercise. In major or very short increments, exercise
is at the top of the list for techniques to reduce stress
and restore balance. Yoga, walking, golf, racquetball,
swimming, even simple chair exercises at the desk will
all have a beneficial effect.
2. Breaks. Listening to music, doing a crossword or
Sudoko puzzle, exchanging jokes at the water cooler,
listening to music on a short but frequent basis help to
restore calm.
3. Laughter. Find / create opportunities to be lighthearted.
Exercise your sense of humor.
4. Vacations. If taking a long vacation is too difficult and
stressful, take frequent mini vacations. If you have to
work too hard at being relaxed, it defeats the purpose.
5. Attitude Adjustment. Become proactive instead of
reactive. Analyze the situation. Use breathing relaxation
technique to reduce the emotional response so you can
think more clearly.
6. Prioritize. Figure out what's really important. "If you
keep doing what you're doing, you'll keep getting what
you've been getting."
7. Take control. Start living your life by the choices you
make, rather than by crisis and default. Remember the
80/20 Rule: 20% of your clients will give you 80% of
your headaches.
8. Reflect. Think about a recurring problem you've
ignored. Determine how much time it consumes daily,
weekly, monthly. Imagine what your life would be like
without the problem. Ask what is really stopping you
from taking care of the problem.
Life is too short. Definitely. But at least let's try to cram
as much of the good stuff as possible into the time we have.
Don't get in a rut of distress and just accept it must keep
repeating. Try some new behaviors to change things for the
better. Don't sweat the small stuff. Let it go. Everything can't
be "Custer's Last Stand" - it's just too exhausting to live life
that way. Say goodbye to people as though you may never
see them again. Greet people like it will be the last time. Try
to treat people in a manner which will make them speak
and think kindly of you when you're no longer around; don't
relegate that to "next time." Not only will your quality of
life improve, but it's the right thing to do. As I was recently
reminded, you just don't know when your turn on Mr. Toad's
Wild Ride will come to an end.
Republishing permission given by author. A version of
this article originally appeared in the 12/4/06 issue of the
Pennsylvania Bar News.

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