- Hi everyone, this is Dr. Pattie McCartney. I am a board certified naturopathic doctor, an animal naturopathic doctor, a lawyer wellness coach, and a licensed Texas attorney. I wanna thank you so much for joining me today as I discussed the important topic of staying sharp root cause cognitive care. Some of the learning objectives for today's discussion include, understanding the threats to cognitive health, learning how to guard against cognitive issues, discovering evidence based solutions involving safe and natural remedies, and helpful strategies for a cognitive supportive workplace. Some facts to consider regarding cognitive health include the fact that the brain itself is 75 to 80% water. Your brain is always changing and is therefore a constant work in progress. Your brain is made up of 100 billion cells that make you uniquely you, your brain uses 20% of your body's energy. Because the brain doesn't store energy, it must be constantly replenished, failure to do so can result in the death of brain cells, which can lead to shrinkage of the brain and impaired cognitive function. Understanding cognition within the legal profession. The term cognition refers to learning and memory. Learning is the ability to acquire new information. For a lawyer, this may be performing legal research or familiarizing yourself with the facts of a client's case. Memory refers to the storing ability of the information and to use it for future purposes. For a lawyer, this may be the ability to recite case law or present an argument at a hearing. Neurons or nerve cells that communicate information throughout a lawyer's brain. The brain comprises of approximately 100 billion neurons that make up networks. Neurons are responsible for the transport and uptake of neurotransmitters which are chemicals that relay information between brain cells. That's just a brief technical description to help frame the discussion for today's purposes. There's a lot more I go into in other courses as well as in my coaching practice, but this does provide a brief explanation of how the cognitive function of our brain works. Now let's look at the ABA model rules of professional conduct. Rule 1.1 as we know governs our competence and states that a lawyer shall provide competent representation to a client. Competent representation means that we exhibit the legal knowledge, skill, thoroughness, and preparation, reasonably necessary in our representation. And governing the client lawyer relationship, a lawyer shall act with reasonable diligence and promptness in representing a client. A healthy mind is a critical component to our ability to function effectively and successfully perform our professional responsibilities. Next, let's look at ABA model rule 1.16A2, which requires a lawyer to withdraw from representation if the lawyers quote physical or mental condition materially impairs the lawyer's ability to represent the client and quote. None of us want to be the lawyer removed due to our inability to perform on a physical or mental competence level. And as we know, these model rules are the baseline or the minimum requirement and we should certainly all strive for more than that. And I say that based on the fact that I truly believe that our ability to control our cognitive health to the extent that we can is incumbent upon each of us, not just personally but also professionally. I have also included ABA model role 8.3, which does not apply to today's conversation, but it is good to have as a point of reference should it come up regarding another lawyer's competence or if there are concerns regarding another lawyer's cognitive health. So that is just included again for reference. Now, let's focus on the good news of today's discussion. And that is, again, the fact that there is considerable input that we can have regarding our cognitive health. I've included a reference to the World Health, or I'm sorry, the World Alzheimer Report done in 2014, which acknowledges the contributions that lifestyle does have on cognitive health. Another way of looking at this is when it comes to degenerative decline or cognitive health, you could say that our genetics are our car, and our lifestyle is our fuel. So it's critical that we understand how to properly fuel our bodies and our minds to be the most effective we can be. And after all that is everyone's goal. That's next turn to a discussion regarding brain inflammation. In addressing the topic of cognitive function, the role of inflammation is often overlooked, especially when it comes to discussions or consultations with mental health providers who do not have a holistic health background. When the body becomes inflamed, we know that it releases an inflammatory hormone that is referred to as cytokines. We have heard a lot about cytokines storms the last couple of years, one thing that has not been discussed is the fact that cytokines are released into the blood and travel throughout the body via the blood, and yes, they can cross the blood brain barrier, activating an inflammatory response in the brain. This can lead to stress, anxiety, and may also diminish our muscle and our strength. Brain inflammation has been widely attributed to cognitive decline and the increased risk of dementia. As lawyers, we understand that we are plagued with chronic stress in our profession and unfortunately, due to poor nutrition choices, we have an increased risk of inflammation which raises our risk of brain inflammation and potentially cognitive decline. Now, for those of you who may be thinking that dementia is too far down the road to consider, I wanna point out here that there have been studies that show that cognitive health or cognitive decline can actually begin in our 20s and 30s. Therefore, it's all the more important that we focus on strengthening our cognitive health as early as possible, because it is never too late or too early to improve our cognitive function and make ourselves as sharp as possible. I wanna now turn to a discussion regarding lymph and cognitive function. If you're not familiar with the term lymph, lymph is a water like substance that flows through the lymphatic system. The lymphatic system includes lymph vessels, lymph itself, as well as lymph nodes. Now, lymph nodes act as little waste baskets that help remove toxins from our system. If they become congested, then we have additional problems such as inflammation, which can lead to brain inflammation. We have learned in recent years that the brain actually does have lymph vessels inside of it for a long period of time, it was believed that lymph vessels did not exist in the brain. However, based on this recent research, we understand now that it is all the more important that we concentrate on detoxifying the body as well as the brain. One of the best ways that we can detoxify the lymph system is through our calves. Our calve actually act as pumps for our lymphatic system. And one of the easiest ways to stimulate lymph drainage is through using a mini trampoline or simply bouncing up and down with your heels coming up and down off the ground. So, there are a couple of quick tips to help stimulate your length drainage and contribute more toward your overall, as well as your cognitive health. Now let's turn to a discussion regarding vitamin deficiencies. The average lawyer's brain weighs approximately three pounds, however, vitamin deficiencies can actually result in brain shrinkage resulting in a decline of cognitive function. Evidence shows that B vitamins and omega fatty acids are not only good for preventing cognitive decline, but in some cases may actually reverse it. Any oxidants are also extremely powerful for our bodies and our brain health. In considering the impact B vitamins has on the improvement of our memory, it's worth considering the fact that research has demonstrated that a B12 deficiency may actually mimic dementia symptoms. This point is powerful if we understand the connection between vitamins and our cognitive health, and know that when symptoms arise, one of the first steps should involve testing of our vitamin levels in case it is simply a vitamin deficiency. We certainly would not want to have to incur or have a loved one incur additional therapies or even the potential for medication if the problem is simply one that can be resolved through adequate supplementation, either by diet or micronutrients and micro vitamins. Of course, the most effective way to supplement B vitamins and folate is through the diet. Good sources of folate include liver, romaine lettuce, spinach, asparagus, turnip greens, mustard greens, parsley, colored greens, broccoli, cauliflower, beads, and lentils. Hopefully there's something in that list that is part of your diet or something you could easily incorporate. The appropriate dose varies for folate based upon the individual. Therefore it is important to have your levels tested and work with a practitioner that can assist you to maintain proper vitamin levels. This can be done through something as simple as a hair mineral analysis or bioresonance testing which is something I do in my practice, both as a coach and as a practitioner. So if that's something you want additional information on, please don't hesitate to reach out and contact me about that or any other part of this program. Now let's examine the benefits of coconut oil and cognitive health. Coconut oil has a longstanding reputation based on its medicinal use. In recent years, it has been expanded to cognitive health. In fact there are numerous articles including scholarly articles that document the benefits of coconut oil when it comes to cognitive health, both as a preventative and even as a remedial measure. Specifically, coconut oil is an excellent source of medium chain triglycerides, which have been shown to act as a wonderful source of alternative energy for the brain. Coconut oil can not only improve your brain health, but your overall health as well. And you will find on the suggestions I have included here as research has found that when we take natural measures and incorporate nutritional foods and supplements into our diet, the more we improve our nutritional health, we improve our cognitive health, and the more we concentrate on a nutritional approach to cognitive health, it improves our overall health as well. And in the end, that's what we all want, is to be our healthiest, happiest versions of ourselves, both personally and professionally. Okay, let's turn towards sharpening through sleep. Despite overwhelming evidence that demonstrates the importance of good sleep, as lawyers, we still operate on a system of sleep deprivation. I believe most of these habits are actually developed in law school and we just carry them forward thinking if we borrow from sleep, that we can make it up elsewhere. The truth is time borrowed is never made up, especially when it is at the risk of good sleep. We know that sleep deprivation not only has short term, but actually has long term consequences. So the short term gains we believe we are making have long-term effects. Specifically of failure to get adequate sleep, actually impairs the brain's ability to properly store memory which impacts the way that we as lawyers are able to perform our daily jobs. Manifestations of cognitive impact include irritability, diminished attention, logical reasoning, and the ability to multitask, as well as even the use of our fine motor skills. So again, the short term gains are not worth the long term and often drastic effects of losing sleep. I understand our system of practicing is built upon long hours and little sleep, but research over the last few years and the studies that have been done on lawyers with regard to overall mental health show us that our current rate of practicing is unsustainable long term. There are many changes we need to make, that is the primary reason that I am a lawyer wellness coach, as well as a naturopathic doctor. Is the understanding that the profession I love is in dire need of a new paradigm, and I hope to be a valuable part of that paradigm. Now, let's turn to a discussion regarding the importance of getting social. And I'm not just talking about social networking, according to a Harvard study of more than 1600 people employed in various fields, those who worked in the legal field were the loneliest of all professions. I don't think most of us actually think about the fact that lawyers tend to be lonely and surprisingly are more lonely than other professions. Social interaction has been proven to benefit the physical as well as mental health, including memory and overall cognitive health. Things like firm gatherings in social events can actually be planned around our central goal of cognitive health. Other options include eating together, bringing in a private chef to cook, or even offering cooking lessons firm wide. Whether you're a solo practitioner or an associate or partner of a large firm, the importance of interacting and socializing with your peers and with those outside the profession is extremely important. Sadly, the last couple of years have shined a spotlight and even exacerbated for those working remotely, the problems of loneliness. In fact, many call loneliness the true long haul COVID meaning that its effects have lasted much longer than the virus for many people who have experienced COVID. For a profession already plagued with loneliness issues, I am concerned that this has raised the problem to a crisis level. So let me state here, if you are one of those lawyers who are facing loneliness or struggle with feelings of loneliness, please do not hesitate to reach out, we are all in this together as a profession. I understand that we are an adversarial based profession, but nevertheless we are in it together, and we are all here to help one another, especially in issues that we share as a profession, because our goals should always be to leave the profession better than we found it and to do the best we can to promote the very best our profession has to offer among ourselves and to the public at large. I wanna turn also to the discussion of spiritual grounding, no matter what your belief system is, research supports the benefits of maintaining a spiritual connection. In fact, many believe that it is critical to our overall physical and mental health. A study on the effects of spirituality revealed that it was linked to the way the brain functions and how it processes information. Now let's look at movement which is another form of mind medicine. The adage that movement is medicine is no less true when it comes to our mental health. Numerous studies have documented how exercise not only helps delay and even prevent cognitive decline, but is also beneficial for those suffering from neurodegenerative diseases. In fact, exercise is so beneficial to our overall mental health that some studies have found it has a benefit analogous to that of antidepressants. When considering movement think about walking outside, getting fresh air, breathing in the fresh oxygen, filling the sun on your face, so you get the benefits of oxygenation, vitamin D as well as the actual exercise of walking. Also consider changing up your routine to incorporate something like walking meetings. Again, these are beneficial on multiple levels and help change the status quo to offer a little bit more variety, which is also an improvement for your overall outlook, perspective and mental health. According to research, similar results are also achieved through mental exercise. So, consider something like zoom meetings instead of just sitting inside to participate, but putting them on an audio only function so that you can be outdoors, again, walking while participating in your Zoom call to get added benefit. These are just a couple of ways that you can increase activity and exercise for purposes of strengthening your mind as well as your body. Again, there's many more benefits I incorporate with regard to exercise as well as statistics and examples in my coaching and in some of the other CLE presentations, but for purposes of this presentation, suffice it to say that any form of exercise that you can incorporate into your daily routine is going to benefit your mind and your cognitive health overall. Okay, let's consider the advantage of incorporating healthy office snacks. Some examples of these would be walnuts. Have you ever noticed that walnuts have somewhat of a brain type shape to them? It may not just be a coincidence, according to research, adding walnuts to your diet may have a positive effect in reducing the risk, delaying the onset or even slowing the progression of Alzheimer's and in some cases may actually prevent a form of cognitive decline, walnuts and other nuts are a wonderful way of boosting your brain while having an overall healthy snack. I encourage lawyers to have these their desk or have mixed nuts in the common area for easy snacking and a boost of not just brain power, but also a boost of energy. Did you know that oranges are for more than boosting vitamin C? In fact, whether you choose to eat an orange or inhale an orange through the form of essential oil, or just slicing one and inhaling it prior to eating it, can actually reduce your stress by more than 70%. Think about that, just the simple act of inhaling orange essential oil or the aroma of a freshly cut orange prior to eating it can reduce your stress by more than 70%. Now let's consider the benefits of light and the way it impacts your environment. Adding the correct lighting in the workplace can significantly impact the health and productivity of employees. The benefits of infrared light therapy are also well documented. The numerous benefits include cellular regeneration, sleep improvement and improvement in learning memory and stronger reaction time. So something just as simple as changing out your light bulbs to natural light can actually have a tremendous boost in your overall health, as well as your outlook. Now let's look at dietary allies for cognitive health other than those previously mentioned. Consider the Mediterranean mind or ketogenic diet. Additionally foods shown to lower inflammation and reduce cognitive decline include oily fish, such as salmon and sardines, nuts as we just discussed, chia seeds, avocados, cocoa, leafy vegetables, and broccoli, and yes, even coffee, which for many is a lawyer's best friend. Now turning to additional natural therapies for some of you who may not be familiar, Bach flower extracts, or Bach flower essences are another form of natural therapy. As a bit of background on Bach therapy, Physician Edward Bach is the founder of Bach Flower Remedies and that whole Bach flower system. Dr. Bach believed that the root cause of all diseases are fears, anxiety, and other emotions, which if addressed will result in healing of the manifested disease. We know that our DNA is influenced by our thoughts and our feelings. In other words, our bodies respond to our thoughts and our thoughts respond to our bodies. In considering Bath Flower Remedies, let me say that there are no known interactions with Bach remedies, so even if you or someone you know, is on a prescription medication for any type of cognitive issue, Bach remedies can still be employed and incorporated into any protocol. There are 38 Back remedies that can be applied topically to address our different emotional states. However, throughout the world rescue remedy, which is a blend of five different flower extracts is by far the most popular. The way this works is Bach remedies are usually blended with distilled water at a certain measurement, and then applied directly onto your wrists. So if you find yourself getting unusually stressed or in a difficult or challenging situation, even if your client or a family member is getting stressed, taking the remedies, even if it's the rescue remedy, and applying it directly to your risks and rubbing them together can have an energetic effect almost immediately. Again, it's just another tool in the cognitive health tool chest to incorporate as part of your overall stress reduction protocol. Now, hydration and cognitive function. We all understand the importance of hydration for good health, but most of us don't understand that dehydration can result in various physical conditions, including mood changes and impact our overall cognitive health. Research has shown that even mid dehydration can actually impact our cognitive function. Specifically, dehydration can exacerbate feelings of anxiety, impair the body's ability to make serotonin, and hinder the ability to store and recall memories. And yes, even decrease the body's reflexes and fine motor skills, making it all the more important that during our daily functions and our daily practice, we need to have water readily accessible. For those of us who consume caffeine, it's important that we add additional hydration because caffeine actually counts against hydration, not in favor of it. The importance of comfort breaks to refresh cognition cannot be overstated. This is a principle that I really emphasize in my coaching for lawyers. The reality is as attorneys, we all like to push through when we're drafting a pleading pleading or working on a brief or some other deadline, however, countless studies have established the numerous benefits of taking five, including added focus, greater engagement, elevated productivity levels, greater job satisfaction, and yes, increased cognition. So, some micro break suggestions include stretching or engaging in desk exercises. Again, those are something that I incorporate in my coaching, but you can certainly find examples online or feel free to email me for some links to direct you to additional sources for that information. Another micro break suggestion is watching pet videos. Now, the reason I specifically referenced pet videos is because a study was conducted on workers who watched pet videos as opposed to other videos during their work breaks. The study concluded that those who watched pet videos actually had greater results in regards to their stress reduction and improved cognitive function versus those who watched other videos. So if you are a pet fan, this is certainly worth considering as a micro break activity. Another suggestion includes listening to music. We all have our own personal preferences when it comes to music. However, something that you find either stimulating or relaxing can serve as a great micro break function, just pull it up on your iPhone or whatever smart device you have handy, and take a few minutes to listen to that song and you will be amazed how much it recharges you and changes your perspective in tackling whatever is next in your day. Another activity I encourage during my coaching sessions with firms or as part of my recommendations is the use of chair massages, or even having a designated massage area within a firm if that's possible. Another option is bringing in a massage therapist or even offering coupons or gift cards for employees to get massages away from the office. There is tremendous research on the benefits of massage, including lymphatic drainage massages, which again can help your overall health as well as your cognitive health. So definitely consider incorporating or offering some form of massage. And as a similar point of reference to massage, or touch therapy also consider the benefits of acupressure. Acupressure is something that can be practiced on yourself. There are trained professionals, but again, this is something I encourage in my coaching with firms as well as with individuals by touching pulse points. Whether you think of this in terms of reflexology or acute pressure, that can also have tremendous stimulation for your overall health. Basically the bottom line is any activity that allows you to have a momentary disengagement from your routine and gives you the opportunity to refuel your mind should be considered. Along these lines, I also encourage firms as well as solos to have some creative outlet, whether it's something you take a break from your normal day to engage in either as a micro break or an extended break or something you do after hours or even firm wide, we all need creative outlets to channel our energies away from work and into something else that gives our brain an opportunity to encourage that creative thought, but in a less demanding way. So again, find something that you like, that you are willing to engage your time and energy in away from work, the more you can do that, the better you are at your work. There's the same work smart not hard, we are all used to working hard and for most of us we're used to working smart, but when those two intersect we have to choose which one, and of course working smarter is always better than working harder. So keep that in mind as you plan your days and allow yourselves the breaks you need to pause and reflect and rejuvenate, it will benefit your work more than you can know. Let's now turn to the cognitive benefits of companion animals. Anyone who knows me knows my love for animals based on my prior practice, which focused on advanced planning for companion animals. As a lawyer and now with my doctorate of animal naturopathy, animals are important part of my life, both personally and professionally. So no discussion regarding cognitive health could be complete without me addressing the enormous benefits, both cognitively and otherwise of incorporating companion animals into your daily routine. According to a recent study, adults with pets were found to have improved cognitive health. The results were believed to show that stress can negatively impact the cognitive function and the potential stress buffering effects of pet ownership could provide a plausible reason for our findings. The study added that a companion animal can also increase physical activity which in turn could benefit cognitive health. I also offer a course through Quimby involving companion animals. That one has to do with advanced planning for companion animals, but my other mental health and wellness courses address the benefits of companion animals as well. And I'm going to draw on one of those examples here to emphasize the benefits of companion animals when it comes to mental health. Studies have shown that animals not only reduce our stress levels and our risk of depression, but also in cases of addiction, can help lessen the detrimental effects often associated when one is withdrawing from whatever adverse substance is the basis of their addiction. So, the role that companion animals have in overall cognitive health, as well as our overall enjoyment of life cannot be overstated. Again, if you are an animal lover, I would encourage you to incorporate this in your life. Some studies have also been conducted on lawyers who have companion animals in their workplace. And again, this is a point I raise in my wellness coaching for lawyers and law firms. But for purposes of this presentation, let me simply suggest that if you have a pet, you consider bringing that pet to the office if you're set up at your space allows for that, other suggestions would be having each member of your firm, whether lawyer or support staff, rotate bringing in an animal or consider adopting an animal, whether dog or cat to have in your workplace as long as someone is agreeable to taking the pet home every night, of course. Another option is to consider planning an outing or a retreat involving horses and horseback riding. Although not necessarily considered as companion animals, horses are commonly used for their therapeutic benefit and provide a wonderful outlet for stress and strengthening cognitive function. This is also a great way to again, plan an event outside of the office, getting in the great outdoors and enjoying time individually or as a firm outside of the normal structured environment while getting again, the therapeutic benefit that horses are well known for providing. Just as an added point here, another suggestion I like to make in coaching is to encourage firms whether small or large to consider volunteering at animal shelters, or having a pet adoption day depending again what your office situation is if you own your space where you could have something like that, for example, in your parking lot, you would be amazed what a beneficial experience that is not just in assisting animals and getting adopted, but also channeling so much of the energy that can often be negative into something so positive. Again, the cognitive benefits of giving of oneself are well documented and this is a great opportunity to do something as a firm that is outside of the normal stressful environment we operate in. Another suggestion is creating a cognitive supportive workplace. As our learning objectives indicated early on, research reflects the benefits for lawyers and law firms that incorporate wellness plans in the workplace. Although this topic is covered in more detail in another presentation that I offer, some general examples include as we've briefly discussed an onsite gym or other form of exercise, yoga, or even mindfulness classes, again, you can bring in an expert, maybe somebody in your firm is familiar or comfortable enough to lead a mindfulness or yoga class, or just consider adopting any other form of contemplative practice as well as work life balance programs, also nutrition consulting, and firm-wide as well as one-on-one coaching. Obviously I'm a fan of this, and you may be saying, I don't need coaching either as an individual nor the firm I'm a part of, but the reality is, again, we know that the track we're on as a profession is unsustainable. The statistics don't lie, they are clear that we are in a crisis point as a profession, so whatever we can do, and however we can change to advance wellness within our profession is certainly worth pursuing. These are just a few of the suggestions that I'm making here, please note that I have many more, especially regarding contemplative practices that I address in other courses as well as in my coaching as a whole. So again, if you want information beyond what is covered here, please don't hesitate to reach out to me. With regard to nutrition consulting, again, these are benefits that are shown far and wide beyond the obvious of eating healthy, knowing that our overall cognitive function can depend on what we're consuming, having a professional to help guide you in that is a wonderful addition to whatever changes you can make individually. And these benefits are not only individual and relational, but they're also financial as well. The statistics are enormous on the amount of people who miss work due to mental health and cognitive challenge issues. So whatever we can do to strengthen mental health in the workplace helps all of us benefit, whether it's lower insurance premiums, less time off or just greater work quality. Again, this is a passion of mine, and I hope it shows the purpose for this passion because our profession literally hinges on whether we make the changes to this newer better paradigm than the way we're currently existing. We wanna create a workplace where lawyers thrive the most and in an environment where cognitive wellness is made a priority. Roger Arneson an Oregon professor said in a presentation, "The best advice when it comes to cognitive health "is do something, then do two somethings, "then three somethings." The point is make the changes that you are willing to follow, what matters and what works best is what you are willing to adopt and practice and incorporate into your daily life both personally and professionally. We know that lifestyle plays a significant role in preventing, slowing and possibly reversing cognitive decline. As we discussed, essential oils are a form of plant based medicine that are also extremely effective in addressing cognitive health issues whether by their powerful brain boosting properties or through their ability to calm and relax, essential oils should definitely be considered as part of any toolkit for addressing cognitive health and one that is so easy to incorporate in your daily life. Similarly, another small and yet significant addition you can make to any wellness plan is the incorporation of herbs, specifically in the form of herbal teas or herbal coffees that you may choose to offer in your common areas or your snack bar wherever your beverages are consumed. These again offer a wonderful health benefit both physically and cognitively. Herbs, specifically adaptogenic herbs can actually lower your mood and calm you down or relax you as needed, or give you the added boost that your body may need, or your brain may need at a given time. That's the power of incorporating herbs into your daily life and offering them not just for yourself and your firm, but also for clients as well. We do know that the way our clients perceive life and their emotions are something that we absorb so often in interacting with them, so the more we can calm our clients down and get them to a comfortable place in their own mood and emotion, the better it is in interacting with them. And there have actually been studies that have been conducted with regard to depression and interacting with someone who is repeating negative thoughts over and over again, or even we ourselves repeating negative thoughts over and over again can actually mimic clinical depression. So the more that we can change or reframe, which is something that, again, I incorporate as a lawyer wellness coach is reframing from negative to positive, that's a skill we know as lawyers and it's one that we so seldom incorporate in our own cognitive health or in that of engaging with our clients. So the ability to reframe the way our clients are engaging with us can in turn strengthen our own mental and emotional wellness. Herbs that can actually help boosting our cognitive health include green tea in general, or matcha green tea, gotu kola, peppermint, or spearmint, ginseng, ginger, rosemary, and Ginkgo biloba, these are just a few suggestions. And by the way, when we're talking about benefits for us as lawyers as well as those for our clients, essential oils can also be used in a similar manner. One suggestion I often make in coaching or in my presentations, is to consider having common areas that have diffuser set up to release the aroma therapy benefits into the areas for clients and support staff to breathe in as well. Also consider if your firm engages in promotional items that you provide clients consider something such as providing them with nasal inhalers or even essential oil roller bottles that is such a nice touch, and it shows your clients that you truly care and you go beyond and above their expectations by actually acknowledging the fact that engaging in a legal process, whether it's just in creating and estate plan or participating in some form of litigation is extremely stressful for most people. So whatever we can do as a gesture of goodwill, again, if your firm is so inclined, something that actually benefits their overall physical, as well as their mental wellness is usually extremely well received, so that's just additional food for thought. Additional thoughts I wanna make here as a lawyer and as a naturopathic doctor, if I can do one thing to help a fellow lawyer feel a little bit more satisfied in his or her work, a little bit happier in his or her life, or a little bit healthier, I am so grateful for the opportunity. My goal is not to ever minimize the severity and the complexity of the subjects that I discuss or to in any way dismiss the benefits of other treatment or therapeutic options as each person's circumstances are unique to that person. Rather, my hope is that the information provided presents lifestyle strategies for better living and better lawyering. One of the most amazing concepts of natural health, especially with regard to cognitive health, as related to this presentation is the reality that we can control at least to some degree our own cognitive health. We can control what we choose to allow to define us as human beings and as lawyers. We know that ideas, challenges and circumstances can only have the power over us that we give them. Therefore, I encourage each of you to resist the temptation to let this struggles of the profession weigh you down or impact you in any way that impacts your health, your wellness, or your quality of life. One thing I find extremely beneficial in assisting lawyers is encouraging them to remember why it is they entered the area of law to begin with, what it was that drew them to the legal profession, and what your motivation is at this point in your life. Also to help think about where you are now and where you wanna be, and to imagine yourself where you wanna be and see what is different and that future person versus who you are today. To think about the changes you wanna make to adjust your life in a positive way to becoming that person, to think about what it is in your life now that weighs you down or takes too much of your energy or your time that is destructive to your goals or your quality of life. At the end of the day, we as lawyers are also human beings, we have families, we have friends, we have outside relationship. Hopefully we have outside interests and hobbies that we can channel some of our energy, some of our creativity into other than the practice of law. We can only be the best version of ourselves by focusing on what it is we need to refuel our tank, whether it's an hourly basis, daily basis or a weekly basis, giving yourself the care that you need to be able to function at your best is the gift that you can give those around you, as well as allow you to function at your best as a lawyer. I mentioned earlier that I believe that each of us should aspire to do more than the bare minimum. I aspire to be and to encourage others to be the lawyer that leaves the profession better than we found it, that contributes in some positive way to the overall impression and overall reputation of the legal profession. It is still a noble profession and one that I am so proud and privileged to be part of. In considering some key takeaways from this program, I wanna draw your attention to a quote by Roger Arneson, an Oregon professor who was asked what his best advice was when it comes to cognitive health, his response was to first do something, then do two somethings, then three somethings. Lifestyle we know plays a significant role in preventing, slowing and possibly reversing cognitive decline. As we've discussed, essential oils are a form of plant-based medicine that have been found to be extremely effective in supporting mental health. Firms can take simple steps to reap significant benefits in protecting and preserving cognitive function. There are many practices that can be incorporated, whether you're a solo practitioner or a member of a large firm to create a better workplace that helps instill and reinforce and support lawyer wellness rather than one that contributes and negatively impacts wellness. So as a final word, allow me to thank you for the opportunity to share time with you and to speak about a topic that I hope you can tell I am passionate about, and a profession I feel so privileged to be a part of. If you have not heard one of my presentations before, if you're not familiar with my pain to purpose journey, and my passion for this profession, I would encourage you to check out my website and read more about me or my work. I hope that there is something you have heard today that will benefit you or someone you know. Please remember that no matter what the challenge is, there is always always help, and there is always hope. If you have any comments, suggestions, or feedback, or you simply wanna say, hello, my contact information is included. So until next time, thank you so much for joining me, take care and be well.