The 2020-2022 Judicial Council of Georgia Strategic Plan includes a wellness component for the judicial branch. We will be working this year to create and collect content about supporting wellness and good mental health for everyone in the Georgia judicial branch.
As we wrote in the March issue, our wellness section has morphed over the past month from being able to manage stress to also being able to stay physically well with COVID-19 circulating among us. Clean living is always a good idea, but especially now because good food, lots of rest and exercise will help you recover if become sick.
Articles
Articles written by staff about caring for those sick with COVID-19 and decision fatigue. Also a selection of articles from other sources to help you stay well.
The February 2022 Georgia Bar Journal has 2 articles addressing wellness:
- Damon Elmore discusses the success of the Lawyer Assistance Program and encourages all to “use your six.”
- An article about how Henry Magistrate Judge Amanda Flora manages her wellness after a recent diagnosis of multiple sclerosis.
Things I learned While Caring Remotely for a Friend with COVID-19. By Michelle Barclay, BSN and JD.
Exploring Decision Fatigue. By Bruce Shaw
Click Here for More Articles to Keep You Well
How to Boost Your Immune System–Harvard Medical School–https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-boost-your-immune-system
Facts (and Myths) about Boosting Your Immune System-https://www.wsj.com/articles/facts-and-myths-about-boosting-your-immune-system-11584050588
Minds Over Matters: An Examination of Mental Health in the Legal Profession. A collection of articles about mental health in the legal profession.
The Science of Well Being. Yale’s most popular course available online for free.
7 Podcasts for a Healthier Mind and Body. A collection of podcasts offering “straightforward training tips and expert motivation.”
Events
The staff for the Judicial Council/Administrative Office of the Courts facilitates many events throughout the year. Click below to see the events that address wellness in the judicial branch and beyond.
Recently Held Events:
April 30, 2021, 2-5 p.m. –The Chief Justice’s Commission on Professionalism Suicide Awareness Program. The program is FREE to attend for lawyers and non-lawyers alike, but the cost of CLE credits ($12) in not included in the registration. Information about obtaining CLE credit is available on the Commission’s website at http://cjcpga.org/suicide-awareness-program/.
Living Well to Practice Well: Well-Being and Practical Skills CLE presented by the State Bar of Georgia’s Presented by the Attorney Wellness Committee, will be held on May 5, 2021.
Resources
Resources available from other organizations such as the State Bar of Georgia, and even Yale.
The Lawyer Assistance Program is a confidential peer-to-peer program offered by the State Bar of Georgia that includes 6 prepaid clinical sessions per calendar year, availability of which has been extended to court staff and non-attorney judges.
Georgia Lawyers Living Well is a website offered by the State Bar of Georgia includes a number of wellness resources available to lawyers on mental, physical, and social well-being. Don’t forget to check out their newsletter!
The Science of Well Being is Yale’s most popular course available online for free.
Videos and Podcasts
The State Bar of Georgia’s Lawyers Living Well Podcast series. Make sure to listen to the interview with Judge Wendy Shoob.
The State Bar of Georgia’s Lawyers Living Well Podcast series. Make sure to listen to the interview with President Elizabeth Fite on her wellness journey.
Clips from the Wellness Panel at the 2021 Council of State Court Judges Spring Conference
Judge Shondeana C. Morris, Superior Court of the Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit, goes over the wellness resources available to judges at the 2021 Council of State Court Judges Conference.
Resources:
Judges Helping Judges
Mindfulness for Judges
Use Your Six
Judge Render M. Heard, Juvenile Court of the Tifton Judicial Circuit, goes over the effects of decision fatigue at 2021 Council of State Court Judges Spring Conference.
Resources:
NY Times article about decision fatigue
Exploring Decision Fatigue
Judge T.J. Hudson, former Probate & Magistrate Judge of Treutlen County, tells the story about recovering from a car accident and the importance of help from his community and colleague.
Managing Our Health and Wellness During COVID-19 and Beyond.
A podcast from the Federal Judicial Center including helpful tips from judges and doctors.
Visit Emma Seppala blog for information on breathing technique and other wellness subjects.
Check out this video from the National Center for State Courts’ “Tiny Chats” series about mindfulness.
An interview with Chief Justice Harold D. Melton from the State Bar of Georgia’s Lawyers Living Well podcast.
State Bar of Georgia Wellness Committee member, Attorney Dani Berry, made these two excellent videos to help all her fellow attorneys and judicial branch staff during this difficult time.