Micro-Joys, Macro-Impact: Why Community Is the Secret to Playing Big Without Burning Out
What if joy was the missing ingredient in your self-care?
When office morale is down, chances are performance is too. And that doesn’t just affect people. It affects the success of the business as a whole.
On my recent podcast with Allegra Cohen, we explored the idea that your energy is like WiFi. Are you offering spotty reception, or are you a strong, high-speed signal others can feel? The energy leaders and teams bring into a room is contagious and it sets the tone for connection, collaboration, and results.
And there’s data to back this up. In a recent poll I ran, the top stress reliever named by professionals was simple: sharing a laugh with a colleague. A laugh in the middle of the day isn’t just a quick break - it’s a reset that lifts morale, strengthens connection, and makes work feel lighter.
This is where training makes a difference. Experts like Allegra and I help teams bring more positivity and joy into their work, and mindfulness teaches us how to tap into those same qualities from the inside out. And when practiced with peers, it fosters connection, shared humanity, and even fun. When teams show up with clarity and connection, culture shifts and companies achieve more together.
The Hidden Challenge for Women Lawyers
But here’s the part that doesn’t get talked about nearly enough:
What if the very years women lawyers are expected to play their biggest game are also the years their energy, focus, and confidence are most at risk?
Between the ages of 32 and 52, many women in law are leading teams, managing complex cases, and balancing intense personal responsibilities. At the same time, this is when perimenopause and menopause often begin.
The symptoms - sometimes recognized, sometimes not - can drain energy, disrupt sleep, cloud focus, shake confidence, and blunt ambition. The ripple effects touch performance, leadership, earning capacity, relationships, and long-term well-being.
That’s why I’ve teamed up with psychotherapist and Menopause Society Certified Practitioner Shonda Moralis, MSW, LCSW to create a 1-hour, CLE-eligible program: "Playing Big Without Burning Out: Mindfulness & Menopause for Women in Law."
In this supportive, engaging session, we share science-backed education, real-world examples, and practical tools in mindfulness, nutrition, and lifestyle. Participants also experience a guided practice to promote calm and clarity.
With World Mental Health Day next month, it’s the perfect time and a powerful way for law firms and legal organizations to support female leaders and teams.
The Power of Practicing Together
Here’s what I know for sure: sustaining any self-care practice is hard if we try to do it alone.
I’ve felt the difference when leading community events:
My LinkedIn Live just last week where participants practiced mindfulness together,
The free tapping + mindfulness workshop I co-facilitated with friend and fellow attorney, Joe Mitchell, Esquire,
And just today with the Mindfulness in Law Society free event that celebrated World Mindfulness Day, co-facilitated by me (Mid-Atlantic Chapter Co-Chair), Maria Bries (Illinois Chapter Co-Chair) and Ingrid Benninghoff Prados (Latin America Chapter Chair, who lead a practice in Spanish!).
In each of these spaces, the collective energy of people practicing together was palpable and it's an energy that both uplifts and sustains.
Mindfulness isn’t just about feeling calm and at ease. While it can promote more balance, relaxation and centeredness, it also cultivates connection. And when we connect with others, we remember joy isn’t something to chase - it’s something we grow and strengthen, moment by moment, together.
If you’re a law firm or organization committed to supporting your women leaders, now is the time.
✨ Let’s bring this program to your team. Schedule a free 30-minute 1:1 session with me so that we can discuss how Playing Big Without Burning Out can fit into your fall programming.
🎧 Watch the full conversation with Allegra on YouTube or tune in on Spotify now to learn how micro-joys can create macro-impact.
Stay connected with Allegra and keep the joy going - grab her free 7 Days of Brave Life Affirmations, follow her on Instagram, connect on LinkedIn, and don’t forget to subscribe to her YouTube channel for more inspiration.
With joy & care,
Courtney