Northern Kentucky Bar Association

Welcome to Lawyers Living Well, the NKBA’s wellness committee! We are dedicated to promoting and supporting the overall health and well-being of our legal community by providing education, resources, advocacy, and opportunities for connection, and by facilitating, destigmatizing, and encouraging help-seeking behaviors.

The 988 Lifeline. On July 16, 2022, SAMSHA (the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services) kicked off a new 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline to replace the old 10-digit hotline number. People can call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org for themselves or if they are worried about a loved one who may need crisis support. 988 serves as a universal entry point so that no matter where you live in the United States, you can reach a trained crisis counselor who can help. Learn more here: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/988?eType=EmailBlastContent&eId=a80f1fd2-9e03-46fa-9310-e6c58acd8da4

Be kind to yourself! Consider the following broad categories of self-care, many of which only take a few minutes at a time.

Breathing. Bringing attention to our breath and intentional breath work can reduce anxiety.
Movement. Any physical movement – walking to the mailbox, dancing in the kitchen, doing yoga in a chair - can help with mental health.
Socializing. Getting out of the office and connecting with others can enrich and infuse meaning into your life.
Solitude. Finding some alone time can help you gather your thoughts and reduce anxiety.
Nutrition. Eating with intention by focusing on calm-inducing, and avoiding anxiety-inducing, foods and beverages can help with emotional wellness.
Nature. Spending time with nature, caring for houseplants, gardening, and hiking are all great ways to focus on wellness.
Sleep. Improving your sleep can make us less irritable, distractible, and error-prone.
Distraction. Spending some time on your favorite television show, video game, or music can be a good way to take your mind off your troubles for a while.
Creativity and fun. Creative outlets such as playing games or engaging in a hobby like writing, baking, cooking, music, carpentry, or art can be fulfilling.
Reading. Escaping into a good book can help calm an anxious mind.
Coffee breaks. Taking a coffee, tea, or even water break away from your desk can help you recharge.
Pampering. Sleeping in, a quick pedicure or a deep massage are great ways to take some downtime for yourself.
Therapy. We could all use someone to talk with, and therapy can teach you ways to cope with anxiety and depression.
Self-compassion. We are often our own worst critics. Take some time to appreciate what makes you great and be kind to yourself.

How can the NKBA help? Lawyers Living Well wants to serve the NKBA’s members by creating and fostering an environment of wellness. To that end, we are working to identify and create resources and activities that can assist our members by making self-care accessible, effective, fun, and meaningful. We would like to know what this means to you! Health and wellness speakers? An NKBA kickball or biking group? A book club? Group yoga or hiking? Healthy potlucks or meal swaps? A wellness newsletter? Volunteering opportunities with local nonprofits? Game nights? Please let us know by submitting your well-being suggestion to NKBAwellness@nkybar.net. All suggestions will be kept confidential.

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