There is no question that you are being inundated with messages from your law school administration and professors about Covid and how your legal education will proceed in the coming weeks and months. These messages are important, so I have been vacillating between staying quiet for a while and providing tips to help you navigate your education amidst this crisis.
Today, it occurred to me that the message you might need most is about channeling your anxiety and stress. Here’s the disclaimer: I am a lawyer and not a mental health counselor. This is not professional advice. But I do plenty of small “c” counseling in my office and have long suffered from anxiety myself. So, here are my thoughts:
Much of anxiety and stress (at least for me) comes from a lack of control. This is why I stress when an airplane hits turbulence or when my teen child goes to an after-party. My mind tells me that if I am able to maintain at least some modicum of control, there is a possibility that I can steer myself and my family toward safety or at least sound decisions.
Although I cannot control Covid-19 any more than I can steer a plane through turbulence (no flight knowledge here), I am choosing to reduce my stress and anxiety by focusing on what I can control—my actions and thoughts.
In terms of actions, I have joined the hundreds of law school professors who are sharing thoughts on how to provide you with the best distance legal education. We have been joining in Zoom meetings with others across the country, watching tutorials, and creating shared spreadsheets and documents with best practices. We are learning and working together with law school administrators to compile guidelines for ourselves and our students.
In terms of thoughts, I am focusing on removing myself from the news. I am listening to calming music. I am enjoying walks outside. I am appreciating the companionship of my dogs. I am making the affirmative decision to filter out the bad to make room for more good. For me, this means trading the news for Notting Hill.
I often tell my students to focus on the process and not the outcome. That is, rather than focus on “getting an A,” set your sights on taking small steps each day to reach your potential. This is really another way of saying focus on what you can control—your actions and thoughts.
As to actions, join the thousands of law school students out there who find themselves in the same situation. Share ideas on how to make the most of your distance legal education and keep one another accountable. Download the free version of Zoom and use that to connect and brainstorm. Seek out best practices for making the most of distance education. Watch YouTube videos on how to engage in an online course, for example: https://youtu.be/L2FWUQvlths
As to thoughts, don’t catastrophize. Moving online does not mean you will lose progress you have made or momentum you were building. This is an opportunity to reset, assess what is working and what isn’t and resolve to thrive in this new environment. As I say in my podcast, mindset matters. https://www.lawschoolplaybook.com/podcast/mind-matters-topic-1-dear-student-know-your-mindset You are empowered to choose what your thoughts are during this time. You can document those thoughts and ideas in a journal. You can listen to or read all of The Law School Playbook’s Mind Matters episodes to consider persistence, grit, and self-compassion.
Above all, this is a good time to remember that life is bigger than law school and you are so much more than a grade. You get to choose who you are, who you will become, and the choices you make for the benefit of society. We can get through this together.