The Lawyer Brain: Transform Your Well-Being And Develop A Performance Edge

Debra S. Austin (Denver), The Lawyer Brain: Transform Your Well-being and Develop a Performance Edge:

This book addresses the lawyer well-being crisis by summarizing the studies that demonstrate that law students and lawyers suffer from high rates of anxiety, depression, burnout, substance misuse, and suicide risk; explaining relevant parts of the brain, and how stress impacts lawyer brain function; reviewing the neuroscience and psychology research that links brain health and mental strength to well-being; and providing an action plan for lawyers to enhance their well-being, optimize their performance, and improve their brain health and mental strength.

Introduction
What if you could feel better, be better, and do better?

Brain health literacy, or neuro-intelligence (NQ), is a critical competency in the legal profession because lawyering is a cognitive profession and leading is a cognitive skill. NQ development is centered on neuroplasticity, the brain’s superpower to constantly rewire with every action, experience, and thought. Our brain is shaped by our daily habits, and it is influenced by our efforts, successes, stressors, failures, and traumas. Lawyers must process information quickly and accurately, solve complex problems, and demonstrate resilience. A high-functioning brain is essential.