The CBA Lawyer Well-Being Committee hosted a series of free events available to CBA members during Lawyer Well-Being Week, which ran from May 6 to May 10. These events are designed to introduce legal professionals to various wellness practices for improving mental and physical health. Attendees joined several virtual events hosted over Zoom throughout the week, including a mindfulness and meditation session led by yoga practitioner Siena Loprinzi, a sound healing seminar performed by the Florida based musical duo Sam and Luci, and a presentation on how to understand your core strengths and values as well as recognize common emotional triggers.
In addition to virtual activities, Lawyer Well-Being Week also included the 2024 CBA Well-Being Summit, which took place on May 8 at the Indian Harbor Yacht Club in Greenwich. The Summit, which was held for the second year in a row, consists of a free-to-attend half day of wellness presentations focused specifically on well-being issues commonly experienced by attorneys. Attendees at this year’s event heard from three professionals speaking on the topics of mindful eating, healthy sleep, and workstation behavior.
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(From Left to Right) CBA Lawyer Well-being Committee Co-chairs Tanyee Cheung and Sara Bonaiuto
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The summit began with a brief welcome and meditation session led by CBA Well-Being Committee Co-Chair Tanyee Cheung. She thanked the attendees for taking time out of their professional schedules to focus on their own well-being and encouraged them to focus throughout their mediation on the concepts of resiliency, hope, and opening your heart.
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Registered Dietician Sheryl Maggipinto presents on mindful eating at the 2024 CBA Well-Being Summit.
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Registered Dietician Sheryl Maggipinto began her presentation on mindful eating by having attendees participate in an activity where they silently ate breakfast, with the intention of placing an increased focus on their sensory experience of eating. She explained how consciously focusing on the processes involved in how we eat can help to encourage a healthier diet and better relationship with food. “Set the intentions before you go, that’s really what mindfulness is in terms of your eating,” stated Maggipinto. “What it does is it helps you, so you don’t overdo it.”
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Clinical Pyschologist Dr. John Cline presents on sleep science at the 2024 CBA Well-Being Summit.
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Clinical Pyschologist Dr. John Cline of the Sleep Disorders Center in Hamden provided a presentation on the science and benefits of healthy sleep. He explained to the attendees about various aspects and details of the sleep cycle and the many ways that modern society and technology challenge our ability to achieve healthy sleep habits. “Back in 1942, 59 percent of Americans reported getting eight hours of sleep and only three percent reported getting less than five hours of sleep a night,” stated Dr. Cline. “By 1990 that was 27 percent getting eight hours and up to 14 percent getting less than five hours a night.” He advised the attorneys present to avoid viewing digital screens for at least one hour before bed, while noting that if that proves impossible then it is still somewhat beneficial to use software settings that shift digital screen light away from blue hues that impede the human brain from preparing for sleep.
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Dr. Diana Gailes presents on workplace behavior at the 2024 CBA Well-Being Summit.
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The final presentation of this year’ Summit was provided by Dr. Diana Gailes of Greenwich’s Indian Harbor Chiropractic, who instructed attendees on various workplace behaviors designed to improve posture and preserve a healthy back. Dr. Gailes explained how sitting for long periods of time each day can damage the spine, promoted the extensive health benefits of using a standing desk, and described how to set up an office workstation to provide proper posture and back support. She also guided the attorneys in attendance through a variety of stretches that can easily be undertaken in an office setting.
CBA Lawyer Well-Being Committee Co-Chairs Sara Bonaiuto and Tanyee Cheung closed the summit, thanking everyone who attended and encouraging them all to advocate for an increased focus on well-being in the legal profession.
Thank you to our 2024 CBA Well-Being Summit headline sponsor Kronholm Insurance Services, Part of the Brown & Brown Team; gold sponsors Filippakos Law, Finn Dixon & Herling, and Shipman & Goodwin LLP; silver sponsors Cohen and Wolf, Horgan Law Offices, Jackson Lewis; and bronze sponsor Wiggin and Dana.