Health and Wellness

ABA Well-Being in the Legal Profession Working Group

Michigan Law has joined the ABA Well-Being Pledge and Campaign. The ABA Well-Being Pledge, organized by the ABA Working Group to Advance Well-Being in the Legal Profession, is designed to support lawyer well-being and address the profession’s troubling rates of alcohol and other substance-use disorders, as well as mental health issues. Based on a framework developed by working group member Patrick Krill, the campaign’s goals are to raise awareness, facilitate a reduction in the incidence of problematic substance-use and mental health distress and improve lawyer well-being. From education to policies to culture, the seven-point pledge identified in the Campaign reflects the core areas on which legal employers should focus and the concrete steps they should take as they seek to achieve those goals.

Read About the ABA Well-Being Pledge

Wellness Tips

Your lifestyle (including your eating habits, exercise patterns, sleep, recreational activities, social relationships, and more) can have a significant impact on how you feel and function. Taking steps to develop a healthier lifestyle can pay enormous dividends by reducing stress and improving your physical health. You will probably find some of the strategies below helpful.

• Have a dependable support system of friends, family, and campus professionals. Feeling close and connected to others is important.
• Maintain regular sleep patterns, even on weekends and vacations.
• Get plenty of regular exercise. 
• Eat a healthy diet.
• Avoid alcohol and don’t abuse drugs.
• Manage your stress. Seek academic help when you need it and don’t be afraid to get guidance for roommate, financial, or relationship concerns.
• Research has shown that relaxation techniques are an effective way to reduce not only stress but many of the symptoms associated with mental health disorders. 
• Consider visiting a Wellness Coach at Wolverine Wellness. Wellness coaching is a free, one-on-one holistic approach to examining how personal wellness interacts with one’s values, goals and motivations. Wellness coaching could be a good fit if you are considering changes to optimize your personal health and wellness, or looking to positively shift certain aspects of your life. Coaching topics include adjustment to U-M, academic concerns, relationships, sleep, stress/anxiety management, physical health, nutrition, sexual health, alcohol and other drug use, and more.
• If you suspect you may be depressed, see your doctor. Depression is a treatable illness. For other helpful resources, see the Mental Health Resources page of this site.

Mental Health Resources

Quick Ways to Get Help