Example of CLE program about lawyers, emotional intelligence, resilience, and stress management available for legal organizations, lawyer assistance programs, and law schools and offered by Dan DeFoe JD MS - Adlitem Solutions | Psycholawlogy blog [25+ years litigation/trial experence; MS organizational development psychology; certified administrator 2 leading emotional intelligence and ARSENAL stress management assessments]

1. Lawyers,Stress,and
Emotionally Intelligent Stress Management:
An Introduction to the ARSENAL
Your Organization / *** Conference
Dan DeFoe JD MS
Dan DeFoe Law | Adlitem Solutions * Psycholawlogy Blog
dan@dandefoelaw.com | dan@adlitemsolutions.com
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2. Agenda for Program -Today We Will Learn....
● Introduction & Background
● Stress and Lawyers - Relevance
● Stress & Stressors Definitions
● The ARSENAL - Overview
● The ARSENAL - Capacity Increasing 7 Best Practices
● Stress “Mindset”
● Emotional Intelligence & Stress Management
● Suggested Keys to Handling “Lawyer” Stress
● Thank You, Offer, & Feedback
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3. Lawyers,Stress,& Emotional Intelligence -Relevance
The Path To Lawyer Well-Being: Practical
Recommendations For Positive Change [The Report of the
National Task Force on Lawyer Well-being] (2017)
“Stress” included in “parade of difficulties” suffered by 1 in 4 lawyers
Appendix to Recommendation 8 - Educational Topics
8.2 (Stress),
8.5 (Rejuvenation Periods to Recover From Stress),
8.6 (Physical Activity), and
8.13 (Additional Topics: stress mindset, emotional intelligence and regulation,
and nutrition)
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4. Lawyers,Stress,& Emotional Intelligence -Relevance
Pierson, P. B., Hamilton, A., Pepper, M., & Root, M. (2017).
Stress Hardiness and Lawyers. J. Legal Prof., 42, 1 (first
empirical study to examine stress hardiness in the legal
profession)[4 year data collection; 530 lawyers (106
interviews)]
“The fact is, no one can be a successful lawyer without
learning to manage the stress of practicing law.”
[This paper can be downloaded without charge from the Social Science Research Network Electronic Paper Collection:
http://ssrn.com/abstract=3120491]
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5. Lawyers,Stress,& Emotional Intelligence -Relevance
Pierson, et al. research showed that Stress Hardy Lawyer Skills . . . .
● Sense of Control - higher sense of control, less stress
● Sense of Purpose - greater meaning in work, less stress
● Cognitive Flexibility - appraise, evaluate, revise goals or pivot, less stress
● Positive Coping Skills - exercise, social connection, faith, habits of thought,
and less alcohol/drugs, less stress
● All build on each other
“The characteristics of stress hardy individuals—sense of control, sense of
purpose and cognitive flexibility—can be learned and improved upon.”
The Stress Effect . . . .
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6. Overview-The ARSENAL
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Thompson, H. L. (2010). The
stress effect: Why smart leaders
make dumb decisions--and
what to do about it. John Wiley
& Sons.
High Performing Systems, Inc.
https://hpsys.com/ARSENAL.htm

7. Stress & Stressors Definitions
“. . . the body’s nonspecific response to any
demand made on it.” (Thompson)
● Pleasant/non-pleasant
● Not merely nervous tension
● We all experience stress
● Cannot / Should not avoid stress
● Absence of stress = Death
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8. Stress & Stressors Definitions
Win or lose $1M - you will experience stress.
“The appropriateness of how you react to
stress influences your success and health -
how you make decisions.”(Thompson)
Stress impacts how we make decisions.
Stress impacts quality of our decisions.
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9. 9
The Stress Effect
The stress effect is the
change in human performance
resulting from exposure to stress.
Henry Thompson, Ph.D.

10. Stressors
All areas of Life . . . . parts inextricably linked:
● Home - Family, Finances, Home
● Work - Clients, Boss, Role, Peers, 24/7/365, Security
● Health - Nutrition, Exercise, Rest, Aging
● Environment - Traffic, Noise, Technology, Economy
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11. Responses to Stressors
● Chemical changes - cortisol, blood sugar
● Physiological - heart rate, blood pressure, sweating,
muscle tenseness
● Behavioral - nervousness, aggression, lose
concentration, impulsivity
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12. Responses to Stressors
● Physical - headaches, backache, fatigue, sleep
problems, vision problems
● Emotional - crying, fear, anxiety, frustration, panic,
withdrawal
● Cognitive - confusion, memory loss, distraction, lose
concentration
Next: The ARSENAL
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14. Seven Best Practices -The ARSENAL [ L <-> H ]
● Awareness - Foundation, Monitors, Feedback
● Rest - Repair & Rebuild Brain / Body; Memory Build
● Support - Psychological, Emotional, Physical Help
● Exercise - CV & Muscle Strength, Fight Disease, Brain
● Nutrition - Nourish Brain & Body
● Attitude - Mindset re. Environment & Others
● Learning - Increase Knowledge, Skills, Ability; Adaptation
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15. FAILED Best Practices -The ARSENAL [ L <-> H ]
● Awareness - An unaware brain is a surprised brain
● Rest - A tired brain is a grumpy brain
● Support - An unsupported brain is a sad brain
● Exercise - An unfit brain is a slow brain
● Nutrition - A hungry brain is a distracted brain
● Attitude - A negative brain is an angry brain
● Learning - An unused brain is a forgetful brain
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16. Stress Mindset
Crum, A. J., Salovey, P., & Achor, S.
(2013). Rethinking stress: The role
of mindsets in determining the
stress response. Journal of
personality and social psychology,
104(4), 716.
Crum, A. J., Corbin, W. R., Brownell,
K. D., & Salovey, P. (2011). Mind
over milkshakes: mindsets, not just
nutrients, determine ghrelin
response. Health Psychology, 30(4),
424. https://mbl.stanford.edu/ 16

17. Stress Mindset
McGonigal, K. (2016). The
upside of stress: Why stress is
good for you, and how to get
good at it. Penguin.
http://kellymcgonigal.com/
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19. Emotional Intelligence & Stress Management
See Psycholawlogy articles.
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20. Suggested Keys to Handling Stress....
● Remember and Practice by the Rules of
Professional Responsibility
● The ARSENAL
● Lawyer Happiness
● LAPs
● Go Back to Your Beginning - Your “Why”
● Thank you
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