Session from 25th February 2025
In the demanding world of legal practice, maintaining peak performance is essential. Patryjusz Zamorski, who has worked closely with lawyers for 25 years, including at the world’s largest law firm Dentons, shared valuable insights on how legal professionals can optimise their physical energy to enhance performance and sustain productivity.
The Foundation of Performance
Zamorski emphasised that physical energy forms the foundation for all other types of energy—mental, emotional, and spiritual—that contribute to sustainable peak performance. Despite its critical importance, many lawyers, especially early in their careers, pay little attention to managing their physical well-being.
“Especially when you’re at the beginning of your career, you don’t really think about what’s really happening in you and whether it’s sustainable,” Zamorski noted. “It’s usually working very long hours thinking that this is not going to impact me, which is not true.”
The Four Building Blocks of Physical Energy
According to Zamorski, physical energy can be broken down into four essential components:
1. Sleep
Sleep is fundamental to cognitive functioning. Zamorski debunked a common myth among lawyers: that sleep deprivation during the week can be remedied by catching up over the weekend. “Sleep deprivation truly leads to diminished productivity and health issues. There is a direct correlation,” he explained.
Most adults need seven to eight hours of sleep per night, and consistency is crucial. “If you want to work on the quality of your sleep, finding even if it’s late, but make it habitually more or less the same time when you go to bed and when you wake up,” Zamorski advised.
During sleep, the brain detoxifies, removing waste products that accumulate during waking hours. Insufficient sleep prevents this process from completing, leading to diminished cognitive function the following day.
2. Nutrition
When discussing nutrition, Zamorski focused on avoiding “spikes and crashes” in blood sugar levels. “If you have big meals, they will usually create spikes in sugar levels. And then our body produces insulin so that it counteracts the glucose. And then it creates the crash,” he explained.
These fluctuations are detrimental to both health and productivity. Large, heavy meals create larger spikes and more severe crashes, making it difficult to function optimally for 30-40 minutes afterward. The solution is to consume smaller, more nutritious meals spread throughout the day.
Zamorski also cautioned against excessive caffeine consumption, recommending that lawyers avoid coffee after mid-afternoon as it can disrupt sleep patterns.
3. Exercise
Exercise is vital for maintaining energy levels and cognitive function. “If you really want to be high performing and efficient and [have] no brain fog, operating at this really high level mentally, cognitively, exercise is a must,” Zamorski emphasised.
Just 20 minutes of moderately vigorous activity daily can make a significant difference. This could be a brisk walk, a run, or a gym routine. Zamorski also recommended achieving at least 10,000 steps daily for cardiovascular health and optimal brain function.
For lawyers who spend most of their day sitting—which Zamorski described as “the new smoking”—he suggested using standing desks, conducting walking meetings, and incorporating simple stretching exercises throughout the day.
4. Recovery
While sleep is the ultimate form of recovery, Zamorski stressed the importance of incorporating recovery periods throughout the workday. He explained that humans naturally work in cycles of about 90 minutes and recommended taking a five-minute break after each cycle.
“Every 90 minutes, you should take a micro five-minute break,” he advised. “This is your recovery, and it’s both physical and mental recovery.” These short breaks might involve walking away from the computer, doing a breathing exercise, or practicing mindfulness.
Even in high-pressure situations like deal closings, these brief recovery periods are essential for maintaining peak performance. “Nothing will happen if you take care of yourself for five minutes,” Zamorski reassured.
Practical Application in Legal Practice
Zamorski shared that some law firms have begun implementing these principles. “What we did at my law firm, we actually encouraged teams to take two or three minutes at the beginning of each and every meeting to simply properly connect. We even sometimes did a moment of mindfulness.”
He also offered practical advice for managing client interactions, which often involve meals and alcohol. While acknowledging the social importance of these rituals, Zamorski suggested making mindful food choices and limiting alcohol consumption, as it significantly disrupts sleep quality.
For lawyers looking to improve their cognitive function during important tasks, Zamorski noted that most people experience their peak mental performance between 9 and 11 AM. “This is the time when the brain functions at its optimal level. This is the time when we should take the hardest, most complex cognitive tasks on.”
Simple Techniques for Immediate Implementation
Zamorski recommended several simple techniques that lawyers can implement immediately:
- The 4-7-8 breathing exercise: Breathe in for four seconds, hold for seven seconds, and exhale for eight seconds to reset and refocus.
- Eye exercises: Look far away through a window, then focus on something close, to relieve eye strain from computer work.
- Stretching: Stand up and stretch between work periods to release tension and promote circulation.
By incorporating these practices into their daily routines, lawyers can maintain higher energy levels, improve cognitive function, and sustain peak performance throughout demanding workdays.
As the legal profession continues to evolve, understanding and implementing these physical energy management strategies may become increasingly important for lawyers seeking to thrive in a high-pressure environment while maintaining their well-being and effectiveness.
