Behavior activation is a branch of psychology focusing on how one’s environment shapes their actions and their mental health. By deliberately practicing certain behaviors, you can activate an emotional state. Go for one of the positive ones because that can lead to virtuous cycles. The opposite leads to vicious cycles, and ain’t nobody got time for that. By simply acting, you actually start finding yourself in the situation that leads to the desired feeling – including one of feeling
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Lawyer Wellness
Take the Reins
Last week, I mentioned that while we can’t control others, we can and must control ourselves. We have to understand our strengths, weakness, and desires, then we need to use those to figure out what to do. As we discussed several weeks ago, not everything is equal. Some things have to come ahead of others and some things have to be let go – either to be done by someone else or not be done at all. In other…
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State of the Judiciary: Chief Justice Ziegler Again Highlights Judicial Security
Nov. 1, 2023 – Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Annette Ziegler used her third State of the Judiciary address on Nov. 1 to highlight ongoing concerns with judicial security and statewide mental health.
For the second straight year, Ziegler began her address, which took place at the 2023 Annual Meeting of the Wisconsin Judicial Conference, by discussing the ongoing threat to judicial security.
In last year’s address, Chief Justice Ziegler used the murder of Juneau County Circuit Court Judge…
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Be Disciplined About Not Needing Discipline
A big lie is that we just need more discipline. “If you really wanted to get stuff done, you would. You simply have to be (more) disciplined. No pain, no gain. Just do it!” We’ve all heard it from all sides, including our inner voices. Yeah, and if it were that easy, we’d all have our to-do lists done, be at our goal weight, and have all sorts of medals and trophies displayed to be admired.
But the truth…
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New Podcast: ‘Bottom Up’ Focuses on Issues of Interest to Young Lawyers

A new WisLawNOW podcast called “Bottom Up,” produced by the State Bar of Wisconsin, features frank discussions and relatable stories that highlight the interests, challenges, and opportunities for attorneys in their first decade of practice.
Hosted by Emil Ovbiagele, founder of a small law firm based in Milwaukee and immediate past president of the State Bar’s Young Lawyer Division, the Bottom Up podcast is an extension of the WisLawNOW community of legal bloggers in Wisconsin.
Why the…
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It’s Okay To Feel Stress and Anxiety, But Don’t Ignore It and Hope It Goes Away

The past year has been a time of disruption and maybe even a little bit of chaos. Practicing law can bring stress and anxiety in “normal” times, but during the pandemic, even more so. Challenges brought by the needs and demands of clients, changing rules for court proceedings, and personal pressures have all combined to keep us constantly working on ways to stay balanced in a topsy-turvy world.
Mary Spranger, Manager of the State Bar of Wisconsin’s Lawyers Assistance…
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