By Ashley A. Moise | Education Staff Attorney, Indiana Office of Court Services
There’s no question that wellness is important, but there’s an increasing societal realization that wellness is relevant in the workplace. We are at our best when every facet of our lives is in alignment.
Wellness is especially important for judges. Grant Circuit Court Judge Mark Spitzer explained that “judges have the greatest job in the world on most days, but there are moments of stress, frustration, and even secondary trauma in a job where you preside over an adversarial process and sometimes see people at the most difficult time in their lives.”
With this in mind, the Indiana Office of Court Services hosted a winter workshop addressing judicial wellness on December 14. Over 150 Indiana trial judges and staff attended the workshop which addressed mindfulness, stress management, and resilience.
The speakers included Dr. Yvonne Stedham from the University of Nevada; Dr. Mary Yoke, a professor with Indiana University; Loretta Oleksy, Deputy Director with the Judges and Lawyers Assistance Program (JLAP); Clark Circuit Court #4 Judge Vicki Carmichael; Delaware Circuit Court #2 Judge Kim Dowling; Allen Circuit Court Judge Thomas Felts; and, Judge Mark Spitzer.
Dr. Stedham spoke about mindfulness. The attendees learned that mindfulness, or the quality or state of being aware, is a concept applicable to being a judge. Judge Carmichael explained, “Practicing mindfulness allows judges the opportunity to pause and find space to breathe and reflect. It allows judges to practice being in the moment. When judges pay attention to their thoughts and emotions, they are able to respond calmly rather than react angrily, and engage in thoughtful dialogue with litigants and attorneys in court.”
Judge Spitzer added, “Judges benefit from the ability to create ‘space’ between our first thought and our reaction so that we can discharge our duties professionally and fairly.”
Although implementing mindfulness may seem daunting, Judge Carmichael offered some practical advice, “One thing I found in my research on judicial wellness and mindfulness was the STOP approach.
Stop what you are doing; Take a few deep breaths and focus on the breathing; Observe your thoughts, feelings, and actions; and Proceed with awareness. It allows judges to respond to decision-making tasks with greater focus, attention, and reflection.”
If you are interested in learning more about the 2018 Winter Wellness Workshop, please contact Ashley Moise at (317) 233-9445 or [email protected].