26 Trial Lawyer • Spring 2022 Kristen West McCall Mónica Valenzuela By Kristen West McCall OTLA Guardian By Mónica Valenzuela There’s a room in our firm’s suite of offices with a mirror on the wall measuring 10 feet by eight feet. At the top, in dry erase marker, big bold words read, “YES, TEAM!!!!” The rest of the mirror is covered with phrases, scribed by our team of staff and lawyers: “Cooked a new recipe.” “First Peloton boot camp.” “Read for pleasure.” “More water, less sugar.” “Lunch with a friend.” “Water aerobics with a friend.” “Bought new house plants.” “Cooked a new recipe.” And on and on. The phrases tell of healthy and happy activities from staff and lawyers in our suite. The messages are reminders of our firm’s commitment to health— self-care and physical activity. They are reminders that inspiration from friends and colleagues matter so much when it comes to taking care of ourselves, especially in the face of what feels like constant and mounting threats to our mental health and wellbeing. The two of us, Monica Valenzuela and Kristen West McCall, work together at the Portland law firm Pickett Dummigan McCall. Valenzuela is the office manager and McCall is a trial lawyer. Both jobs come with high levels of stress. We’ve found by supporting each other and following our firm’s long-standing practice of prioritizing exercise during the workday, we can reduce that stress. Our firm believes wellness improves productivity. Lawyers and staff are often spotted riding their bikes, going to a yoga class, or taking a lunchtime walk or run. It takes dedication and commitment to the activity, and to the stress relief it provides, to make it happen when deadl ines loom and court and cl ients constantly demand your time and attention. We’ve expanded on ways over the years to inspire our team and each other to stay committed to the project that is health and wellness while running a busy plaintiff’s firm. Here are our top tips for staying healthy in the midst of it all. Schedule yourself first The kind of healthy activities we’re talking about (meditation, physical activity, therapy) would probably only consume 2% (30 minutes) to 4% (one hour) of your day. The idea is to put yourself on the calendar first —mark out the time and kindly, professionally schedule everything else around that time. Valenzuela is always looking to be the best version of herself for herself and as an exemplar to her four daughters. We’ll often hear her say she’s on the “struggle bus,” a term she first heard from a trainer in one of her favorite workout programs. She often finds herself there — on a roller coaster in her physical and emotional well-being, trying to convince herself that there’s never enough time to squeeze in for herself. Until… she finally does and finds that her 20–30-minute workout just flew by! What she will often remind herself of, is how she feels after the activity — a well-deserved feeling of balance and a breath of fresh air. How to Stay Healthy in the Midst of It All
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