?? Did I tell you how I was diagnosed with diabetes in law school? I was 29.

As lawyers, our jobs are incredibly stressful. We have to find healthy and sustainable ways to manage stress and celebrate our achievements. If not, the consequences can be serious.

Here's my story.

Ok, so listen, my relationship with food was never great. Dr. Pepper and I have been in a toxic relationship since I could remember. Taco Bell was my right hand man. And cinnamon rolls with the perfect bread to icing ratio? Forget about it! ??

I always knew it wasn’t the best, but I was in my #twenties and #grinding. I had no time to worry about #health&wellness. It wasn’t until law school that I started to really evaluate my relationship to food.

You see, I hated law school - full stop. Although it was the best decision of my life, it was also one of the worst experiences. From the first day of class, I felt like everything I knew about the world came to a screeching halt. I felt like I was in a #pigeonhole and my #creativity was being stamped out of me. I was stressed everyday, barely sleeping, and rarely speaking to family or friends. Not to mention, Ann Arbor is a dream in the fall, but 7 months of consistent cloudy gray deeply impacted me.?

So, I ate. Especially on the days where I crushed all my readings, spoke up in class, and reviewed my notes - I felt like I DESERVED some sugary and caloric goodness. I guess that’s what they mean when they say #miserylovescompany, and food was my bestie.

After a routine visit to the doctor, I was diagnosed with diabetes. I was 29. Luckily, I found out that for me, all I had to do was lose weight AND keep it off. No medicine, no pricking my finger, just good ol’ fashion exercise.

I went on a strict #macro diet, lost 20 pounds in 2 months, and reversed my diabetes. It was tough. But evaluating my relationship to food was tougher.?

I realized that since I could remember, food had always been my stress relief. When I did well - I ate. When I didn’t do well - I ate. Food was my constant companion, offering a comforting escape from the #pressures of my studies and the isolation of law school life. It became clear to me that I had never developed healthy #copingmechanisms for stress. Instead, I had constructed a nuanced relationship with food where I felt entitled to #indulgence as a reward for my hard work. Every successful day in class, every challenging assignment completed, every stressful moment, I turned to food as a way to cope.

This introspection was a wake-up call, pushing me to rethink how I approached #stress and #reward. I began to see that my relationship with food was a symptom of a larger issue: a lack of healthy, sustainable ways to manage stress and celebrate my achievements. This journey of self-discovery and change was not easy. It required a level of ruthless self-awareness and a willingness to confront some #uncomfortable truths about my habits and their impact on my life. But it was also incredibly liberating.

None of us have it all figured out, but in order to create sustainable change in our lives, we have to lead with ruthless self awareness. We have to confront the heavy truths that can be impacting our personal lives which ultimately impacts our professional lives. Being #ProductCounsel isn’t easy and stress is simply the name of the game as a lawyer, especially in #BigLaw, but STRESS MANAGEMENT is the key and it looks different for everyone.

Here's how I cope now.

It’s been 5 years since my initial diagnosis and I am writing this post the day after I signed up for my first #10k! I am down 45 pounds since then, am cooking #healthy meals at home for myself and my veg/vegan flex partner, and my palate truly has completely transformed except for the occasional Dr. Pepper, Taco Bell, and cinnamon roll because they will always be the loves of my life. ?? Can’t wait to kick it up into high gear with my virtual 10k training with @feetfleet and keep leaning into my health & wellness journey along the way.

Take a moment today to reflect on your own stress coping mechanisms. Are they truly serving you, or are they just quick fixes? What’s your story? Love this post if you can relate. Like if you've found healthy coping mechanisms for stress. Celebrate if you've run a 5k, 10k or the oh so scary half or full marathon!

#biglaw #leavingbiglaw #lawschool #healthandwellness #healthandwellnessgirlie #StressManagement #WorkLifeBalance #HealthyLiving #burnout #MentalHealthAwareness #LawyerLife #CorporateCounsel #diabetes #WellnessJourney #DiabetesAwareness #HealthyHabits #SelfAwareness #CareerGrowth #ProfessionalDevelopment #LifeLessons #annarbor #umichlaw #stress #founders #highwageearners #stressmanagement #10k #5k #healthyliving #dcspeaks #10Ktraining #feetfleet #marathon

p.s. this pic is of my first 5k in 2023!