Embarking on a legal career after the intense challenge of law school brings with it high expectations. You find yourself working extensive hours and tackling assignments from multiple attorneys. There’s an unwritten rule that you must be both flawless and swift with your work. It’s a rite of passage for many first-year associates, a phase marked by considerable stress.
It’s completely expected to feel a twinge of anxiety; it means you’re engaged and aware of the stakes. But when that twinge tightens into a constant strain, it’s time to take a step back. Too much anxiety can hinder your performance and well-being.
Recognizing the signs and learning how to manage them is key. Keep reading for expert advice on navigating the pressures of your first year without burning out.
What Is an Anxiety Disorder?
The National Institute of Mental Health writes that those who experience Generalized Anxiety Disorder deal with “a persistent feeling of anxiety or dread, which can interfere with daily life.” As a first-year associate, you’re in a prime spot for such feelings to take root. Here are some common symptoms to watch for:
- You feel constantly tense, restless, or on edge.
- You tire easily, more than usual.
- Concentration is tough, and sometimes your mind just blanks.
- Irritability has become your new normal.
- Your muscles are often tense.
- Worry seems uncontrollable.
- Sleep is elusive or unsatisfying.
Not every first-year associate experiencing stress and anxiety is undergoing the clinical condition of an anxiety disorder. However, if these feelings seem overwhelming or persistent, it’s wise to consult a psychotherapist or your doctor without delay.
For those experiencing the typical stress of being a new associate, remember, there isn’t a magical solution to eliminate anxiety, but there are effective strategies to manage and reduce it. Here’s how you can start taking control and find some relief.
Watch Out for These Common Thinking Errors
Debra Bruce, experienced lawyer turned lawyer coach, highlights how “thinking errors” often fuel anxiety in her piece, “Two Ways Lawyers Can Deal with Stress and Anxiety.” These mental missteps can amplify your stress and anxiety levels. Here are some typical ones:
- Catastrophizing: Leaping to the worst possible outcome and magnifying what might go wrong.
- Overgeneralizing: Convincing yourself that something always or never occurs.
- Black or white thinking: Viewing situations in absolute terms — either completely bad or completely good.
- Mind reading: Assuming you know what others are thinking without their input.
- Fortune telling: Predicting outcomes without waiting to see what actually unfolds.
- Filtering: Ignoring positive aspects and focusing solely on the negative.
- Labeling: Assigning definitive labels to yourself or others, like ‘failure’ or ‘inept.’
- Personalizing: Interpreting actions or events as personally significant, without considering external factors.
- Should’ing: Setting inflexible expectations for yourself or others, often using terms like ‘should’ or ‘must.’
- Emotional reasoning: Trusting your feelings over facts, or treating your perceptions as truths.
- Can’t-stand-itis: Feeling intolerant towards unavoidable, yet necessary tasks.
- Unreal ideal: Comparing your internal state to others’ outward appearances, often unfairly.
Recognizing these patterns can be the first step toward managing your anxiety more effectively, especially in high-pressure environments like law practice.
Steps to Combating First-Year Associate Anxiety
If you feel you have tricked yourself into one or more of these thinking errors, stand back and evaluate the facts. Go into “attorney-mode” and analyze why you’re feeling the way you are and gather facts and evidence. You will probably find that these thoughts are neither logical nor true. Once you realize this, it will be easier to move on and away from these feelings and get back to business.
Practicing Mindfulness
Many experts talk about mindfulness to ease anxiety. According to Psychology Today, “Mindfulness is a state of active, open attention on the present. When we are mindful, we carefully observe our thoughts and feelings without judging them as good or bad.”
Jeena Cho, an expert in managing attorney anxiety, compares learning mindfulness to gardening. You plant seeds in optimal conditions, nurture the plant, and hope that it will produce fruit. Although you have set the optimal conditions, it may not produce fruit in your first few tries.
In “Relaxing the Anxious Lawyer Brain Takes Practice,” Cho points out that “Getting to know your own mind and figuring out what helps it to relax takes a willingness to get to know yourself — a willingness to try different things and see what works.”
Cho also notes that understanding your own mind and finding what helps it relax requires willingness to explore different techniques. Meditation is one method she highlights. Initially, your mind will likely buzz with thoughts, many related to work. Over time, you can learn to avoid letting these thoughts distract you.
Building Resilience
Resilience is another option touted to mediate first-year associate anxiety. According to the American Psychological Association, “Resilience is the process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress.”
In “What Resilient Lawyers Do Differently,” Paula Davis-Laack points out that resilient attorneys reframe their negative thinking like this:
- Identify areas where you have control, influence, or leverage. Focus your energy there instead of on things you can’t control.
- Seek specific evidence to support the accuracy of your thoughts.
- Find middle ground to avoid black-and-white or all-or-nothing thinking.
- Consider what advice you would give a friend in the same situation. We often say things to ourselves that we wouldn’t say to others.
Seeking Help and Guidance
Dealing with first-year associate anxiety is a common part of a lawyer’s career journey. Most new lawyers eventually learn to manage the stress and anxiety that accompany the early stages of their legal careers.
Remember, you’re not alone. Many have walked this path before you and come out stronger. Reach out to mentors, colleagues, or professional counselors for support. Talking to others can provide new perspectives and strategies that you might not have considered. Embrace the learning process, knowing that each challenge you face now will make you a more resilient and effective attorney in the future.
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