Justice Lawson Shares Insights into Well-Being
Justice Alan Lawson
As Judge Michaelle Gonzalez-Paulson and Judge Luise Krieger-Martin describe in Eleventh Circuit Embraces Mindfulness to Help Manage COVID-Stress, yoga is an exceptionally powerful practice for reaching mindfulness. But, admittedly, it is not for every body. Justice Alan Lawson, who became interested in wellness issues shortly after being appointed to the Florida Supreme Court (2016), is also a keen champion of mindfulness and well-being. He has taken online courses, read countless books, and teaches workshops on the subject to judge, court personnel, and attorney groups, and he is quick to point out that myriad avenues can lead to well-being.
Asked what he means by well-being, Justice Lawson mused, “We tend to think of wellness or well-being as something that we have to work to achieve in our free time. That’s not it at all. Well-being is something that we can only truly understand by experience, which is why simple definitions do not really help.” Even so, he was able to offer some illuminating examples of well-being:
If you can pause and think about a time when you felt really, really good—so good that you took note, and maybe spontaneously said something to yourself like ‘life is good’ or ‘I love my life’ or ‘I wish this moment could last longer’—that was a state of well-being. Or a time when you faced a difficult circumstance but had a deep sense of peace and calm and just knew that all would be well—that was a state of well-being. Or when you were working on a project and absolutely enjoying yourself fully, feeling enthused and energized—that was a state of well-being. Or when you were engaged in a physical activity in a ‘flow state’ where you just performed at your best without thinking about it and were loving the experience—that was a state of well-being. When you are laughing without reservation—that is a state of well-being.
It is critical that we attend to our wellness/well-being generally, he emphasized, but especially during COVID or other times of crisis: “When you are in a state of well-being, you have more mental clarity, more energy for work or play, and your immune system works optimally. We should all take recommended precautions against COVID. However, I am convinced that the best precaution is optimization of our own immune systems—which requires being in a state of well-being.”
Because the paths to well-being are many, how we choose to seek it is also highly personal. As Justice Lawson observed, “Everyone’s journey is unique, and what works for one person at any given time may not work for another given their unique circumstances. What is important is that each of us pursue our own well-being as a priority every single day. That may seem selfish or self-centered. It really isn’t. That is because if we do not put our own well-being first, we will not get to it. If we do put it first, we will learn and grow in ways that will increase our service to all around us. This means that pursuing our own well-being is the most important step in service to others. That is why I have gotten very passionate about this topic. My life has improved in every way since I made this a priority—as have the lives my family and others who I am privileged to serve.”
Justice Alan Lawson
For those who think that pursuing well-being is somehow self-indulgent, Justice Lawson offered this response: “I avoided wellness and all related topics for years because I viewed it as self-centered or secondary and probably also thought that pursuing this topic was a sign of weakness—it meant that I was not ok and needed help. I think that others have the same view. For this reason, wellness seminars are generally not well-attended. I could not have been more wrong. My wife, Julie, took the lead in this pursuit, and I was a reluctant follower. I am now stronger, fitter, happier and more effective in the areas of life that matter most—including my work. I have the most demanding job of my career and am enjoying work and life more than ever.”
Basic Mindfulness Exercise for De-Stressing at Your Desk
Take a few moments to sit quietly and comfortably at your desk, shoulders down and slack, arms restfully at your sides with hands loose in your lap, eyes softly closed, muscles in your face relaxed, unconstrained. Surrender yourself to your chair; feel it doing all the work of holding you and supporting your weight. Once you are settled in, take a deep, full, gentle breath in through your nose…one…two…three…four…. And exhale slowly and fully through your nose…four…three…two…one. Take another long, gentle inbreath…one…two…three…four…. And slowly exhale…four…three…two…one…. Continue with these deliberate, leisurely inhales and exhales until you feel the stress melt from your mind and body.