2025 Pre-Law Wellness Week

Welcome to the second annual Pre-Law Wellness Week! The Pre-Law Advising Services Office is excited to continue the important conversation on Wellness in the Legal Profession. This week, we are going deeper into the importance of sleep and movement as cornerstones for your health and wellness. We will also be sharing helpful tips to help you learn how to build habits to support you as a student and future attorney.

Did you miss the 2024 Pre-Law Wellness Week blog post? Check it out below.

Read the 2024 wellness week blog post

Let’s begin!

Sleep

“Sleep is the single most effective thing we can do to reset our brain and body health each day.”

Matthew Walker, PhD

Have you ever compromised a full night’s sleep to try to get more done? You are not alone; many of us have burned the midnight oil to cram in more studying, more work, or more fun. And while that can be ok every once in a while, it is important not to make less sleep a habit, especially for budding attorneys. “A 2012 CDC study revealed that lawyers are the second most sleep-deprived professionals in the U.S., averaging just seven hours of sleep each night.” (Source) Science tells us that developing healthy and strong sleep habits is crucial to our lives and our careers, especially for those in the legal profession.  

Sleep matters. A lot. And here’s why. Our bodies and brains regroup and reset during our sleeping hours. This is the time when the brain processes what you learned that day, and the time when your mind recovers from the stressors of the day. (Source) Additionally, because our brain does not have a lymphatic system that flushes out toxins (like our bodies do), the “brain-cleaning” process can only happen during sleep. (Source) Without these processes, our brains and minds can become cluttered and unfocused, hindering our ability to do our best work. Sleep is crucial for allowing the mind to rest and be ready to handle whatever the next day brings, whether that’s a Civil Procedure final exam or an intense deposition.

Science also shows us that after about 16 hours of being awake, the brain begins to fail. (Source) This results in impaired attention and concentration, slower reaction time, decreased memory, negative impact on mood, and more. While none of these are beneficial for optimal daily living, these impairments can impact those in demanding professions, such as law, a lot. Studying and practicing law requires physical and mental stamina, which are best supported by healthy sleep habits.

How can you develop healthy sleep habits now? Here’s what the experts have to say:

  • Aim for 7-9 hours a sleep each night. (Source)
  • Limit screen time before bed. (Source)
  • Avoid that late-afternoon caffeine boost. (Source)
  • Sleep in a cool, dark, and quiet room to enhance sleep. (Source)
  • Do your best to avoid accumulating “sleep debt”. (Source)
  • Use breathing and/or meditation techniques to help calm your mind before bed. (Source)

Learning how to be aware of how sleep (or lack of sleep) impacts your ability to show up every day is an important first step to being a healthy law student and lawyer.

Why We Sleep

by Matthew Walker, PhD

Movement

“Movement is life.”

Jules Vern

Movement is essential for a healthy mind and body. In fact, the Institute for Well-Being in Law (IWIL) talks about the importance of physical activity for lawyers, sharing that movement can support physical health, help reduce depression, and enhance mental acuity. (Source) Human bodies were designed to engage in physical activity, and doing so allows them to thrive. (Source)

Have you ever had a bad experience and then decided to go for a walk? Have you sat for hours and then felt the need to move around? If you have, you understand how movement can change your energy and mood. Learning to engage in daily physical activity is important for life, especially in our more sedentary, modern lives.

For some, incorporating physical activity was naturally part of their day because they played sports in school, or P.E. was built into their curriculum. The older one gets, though, the harder it may be to find physical activity naturally built into your day. However, you can take an active role in learning to move your body more to gain the physical and mental rewards it produces.

Start by becoming aware of your current level of physical activity by tracking what you do with a fitness tracker or by writing it down. Do your best to get an honest snapshot and then use the data to see how you could bring more activity into your life. If you are already pretty active, great! Keep it up! If not, pick a small way to begin adding movement into your life. Perhaps you walk to class instead of taking the bus, or take the stairs instead of riding the elevator. Maybe you decide to watch your favorite TV show while walking in place or on a treadmill instead of sitting on the couch. Maybe you sign up for an intramural sport or a class like yoga or ice skating. Don’t be afraid to start really small. As Isaac Newton said, “an object in motion stays in motion.” Start by using a bit of discipline in the moment to choose to move, and watch how your body will want to keep moving.

If intense physical activity scares you, try doing more of something you already do: walking. “Something as simple and accessible as walking can be a game-changer for your physical health, mental clarity, emotional resilience, creativity, and even your relationships. Whether it’s a five-minute break between meetings, a walking call with a colleague, or a solo stroll to reset, movement matters.” (Source)

Let’s get moving!

Building Habits

“All big things come from small beginnings. The seed of every habit is a single, tiny decision.”

James Clear

We have now learned (or re-learned) why sleep and movement are integral to a vibrant personal and professional life. You’ve also read some ways to make some positive changes in both those areas. But how do you make those changes stick? Read on for a few tips from the best-selling book, Atomic Habits, by James Clear.

He summarizes his book as follows:

Lesson 1: Small habits make a big difference - start small, 1% small, and work at it every day.

Lesson 2: Forget about setting goals. Focus on your system instead - "Goals are about the results you want to achieve. Systems are about the processes that lead to those results."

Lesson 3: Build identity-based habits - Visualize the person you want to become and "prove it to yourself with small wins."

Starting small may feel like it won’t get you anywhere. But the truth is that it gets you farther than starting too big. Changing one small thing (like going to bed five minutes earlier each night or walking partway and taking the elevator partway) starts to train your mind and body to build that habit. Incorporating a reward system, no matter how small, helps to cement that habit over time.

Give it a try. Pick one small thing, 1% small, and incorporate it into your day. You’ll be amazed at how quickly you develop your new, healthy habits!

Atomic Habits

by James Clear

University of Illinois Resources

UIUC offers a number of resources to support students in developing important Wellness habits, skills, and strategies. Below are a highlight of just a few!

Additional Resources