The Grace Period: Shining A Light on Lawyer Wellbeing
A podcast for lawyers that explores the realities of big law, provides tips for better practice management, and shines a light on lawyer wellbeing.
The Grace Period: Shining A Light on Lawyer Wellbeing
Episode 46: Emotional Whiplash: Navigating Simultaneous Highs and Lows in Law
The legal profession's emotional rollercoaster doesn't come with warning signs. One moment you're celebrating a career milestone, and the next you're scrambling to manage a devastating setback. This episode dives into the phenomenon of "emotional whiplash" – when professional highs and lows collide with little time to process either.
Drawing from personal experience, Emily shares the disorienting reality of making partner after years of dedication, only to receive a crushing court order in a case she cared deeply about just three hours later. The celebration bubble burst instantly, replaced by disappointment and urgent client management. This jarring transition between emotional extremes represents a common but rarely discussed challenge for legal professionals and others in high-pressure careers.
The conversation expands beyond just professional challenges to acknowledge how these emotional oscillations intersect with life's major personal milestones – marriages, pregnancies, losses, and family responsibilities. When everything happens at once, how do we create space for authentic human responses while maintaining professional responsibilities? Emily offers practical strategies for navigating these emotional complexities: allowing yourself to feel both emotions simultaneously, taking intentional pauses to process, leaning on your support network, and recognizing the normalcy of these experiences.
Finding your grace period isn't about avoiding emotional extremes or maintaining perfect balance at all times. It's about making space for your full humanity within a demanding profession. Whether you're celebrating a win while managing a loss, or juggling professional demands with personal challenges, remember you're not alone on this rollercoaster. Take a breath, acknowledge what you're feeling, and keep moving forward – one day at a time.
Find out more at https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilystedman/.
Emily Logan-Stedman, cfp®, is the director of the Center for Legal and Legal Affairs at the University of California and is the co. Talk about what it means to stay human in a demanding field. Whether you're a lawyer, a legal professional or someone trying to find your footing, this space is for you. Let's pull back the curtain, start the conversation and find our grace period together. Disclaimer the views and opinions shared on this podcast are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect those of my firm or any organization. This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice and listening does not create an attorney-client relationship. Hi and welcome to episode 46 of the Grace Period. I want to apologize up front if you hear my dog, oxford, in the background. He's a three-year-old English Bulldog who is quite vocal, much more vocal than the breed is usually, so you may hear him barking. Today I want to talk about something that happens quite often in the law, especially for litigators, but I think for a lot of us, and it was something that I wasn't expecting or anticipating, and that's when you have highs and lows simultaneously, when the highs and lows collide and you're left navigating something like emotional whiplash If you've been in law or really any high pressure profession for any amount of time. You probably know what I'm talking about. One minute you're celebrating a win, a big motion granted, a big day in court, great feedback from a client or a boss, maybe even a long-awaited promotion. And then, while you're still processing that win, a tough decision lands on your desk or in your inbox a deal falls apart, or a client calls with bad news, or you get some constructive criticism from an attorney senior to you that you work with. One example particularly stands out for me. In late 2024, I found out I made partner, a moment I'd been working toward for years. I was on top of the world. I walked around the office telling anyone that I'd made it, anyone who was there who would listen to me, that I had made partner. Not even three hours later we received a tough order in a case I cared deeply about.
Speaker 1:The celebration of making partner, that bubble popped in an instant, replaced by disappointment and a scramble to regroup and figure out how to update the client and what to do next on that matter. It can be dizzying. The highs are high in this job, the lows are lows, and that's not to even forget to mention everything else going on in our lives. You know, as we become attorneys we aren't just navigating the law. In our careers, we're navigating adulthood getting married, having babies, but also having miscarriages, caring for loved ones, deaths in our family, disappointing news and diagnoses.
Speaker 1:The highs and lows don't always wait their turn. They often show up together with little warning and sometimes not even a lot of time to process. So how can we handle that? Here's what helped me First let yourself feel. Both is what helped me First. Let yourself feel both. Highs and lows. Both can be true and often are true at the same time.
Speaker 1:It is okay to celebrate and be disappointed at the same time. You don't have to choose one emotion or pretend the low doesn't sting. Next, pause and reflect, even a few minutes to breathe, step back or free journal your thoughts. Write them down or leave a voice memo to yourself can help you process that emotional whiplash. Next, lean on your people, share your wins and share your frustrations. Sometimes just saying it out loud is enough to bring perspective and remember this is all very normal.
Speaker 1:The roller coaster is part of the job. It's also part of life. You're not alone in feeling tossed around by the day's events. This even includes current events. It is 2025, after all. It's been a roller coaster for quite some time now.
Speaker 1:Over time, I've learned that grace isn't about avoiding the lows, or clinging to the highs and ignoring the lows. It's about making space for both. It's about letting yourself be human even in the middle of a demanding career. If you're riding the roller coaster today, know this. You're not alone and you don't have to have it all together. Take a breath, celebrate when you can, regroup when you need to, and keep moving forward one step and one day at a time.
Speaker 1:Thank you for joining me on this episode of the Grace Period. I hope today's stories and reflections brought you some clarity and comfort and a new way to think about what to do when the highs and lows hit simultaneously. Remember you don't have to choose between your well-being and your ambition. By setting boundaries, building supportive habits and giving yourself permission to pause, you can thrive in law, in big law and even in life. Until next time, take care of yourselves and each other. That is the path to our grace period. Disclaimer the views expressed here are solely my own and do not represent the official policy or position of my firm or any organization. This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It is not professional or legal advice and does not create an attorney-client relationship.
