Co-authored by Monica Woolridge, Health Advocate, with Sonja Cilliers (Advocate) and Maryke Swarts (Neuro Coach) from the Professional Mind Resilience Institute (PMRI)
In the high-pressure environment of law, where stress is a constant companion and time is a precious resource, managing health can feel daunting. It is said, “Stress is bad for you.” “Stress is linked to chronic inflammation.” “You should manage your stress, remove the stress from your life, or change the way you react to it.” But what if you don’t have a choice? What if ‘just relax’ isn’t on the table? asks Monica Woolridge, an integrative health practitioner.
For legal professionals who often have little control over their work stress, finding practical, sustainable ways to stay healthy and resilient is essential. Sonja Cilliers, Advocate and member of PMRI, understands this first-hand. “The legal profession doesn’t slow down. We’re expected to constantly be available, and stress is simply a given,” she says. With demands that regularly exceed typical work hours, a highly competitive environment, and constant deadlines, the idea of finding time for extensive self-care routines can feel out of reach. Yet by leveraging small, accessible habits around nutrition and stress management, professionals can create powerful, sustainable shifts in their health—even in the busiest of schedules.
Introducing the Inflammation Bucket: Why It Matters in High-Stress Professions
Imagine the body as a bucket, designed to handle a certain amount of stress and inflammation. Small amounts of inflammation are normal; they help the body protect itself. But when life continually adds more stress, poor diet, environmental toxins, lack of sleep, and other pressures, the bucket begins to fill. Eventually, it overflows, leading to chronic health issues like fatigue, pain, and burnout.
Maryke Swarts, Neuro Coach at PMRI, highlights how chronic stress and unmanaged inflammation affect resilience. “In my experience, stress is like fuel to inflammation,” she says. “When the body is on high alert moment-by-moment, day after day, it struggles fully recover. We start to see subtle symptoms like fatigue, poor digestion, poor sleep and even mental fog. If left unchecked, these can grow into chronic conditions.” Understanding how to keep this “inflammation bucket” from overflowing is essential to preserving both physical and mental well-being in a high-stress environment.
Why Chronic Inflammation Matters
Unlike the body’s immediate response to injury, chronic inflammation is a long-term, low-grade stressor that gradually impacts every area of health. This persistent inflammation can drain energy, impair focus, and weaken immunity, increasing the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other conditions. “For those of us in high-stress fields, managing what fills the bucket becomes crucial,” says Woolridge. By focusing on reducing controllable sources of inflammation, we can protect health, sharpen focus, and build resilience—no matter the demands of the job.
What Fills Your Inflammation Bucket?
Inflammation isn’t fuelled by stress alone. It builds up over time from various sources, each contributing to a fuller “bucket.” Here are some primary “bucket fillers” that often go unnoticed in busy lives:
- Diet: Sugars, refined carbs, trans fats, and highly processed foods.
- Toxins: Everyday exposures to pollutants, household chemicals, and environmental toxins.
- Infections: Lingering bacteria or viruses that keep inflammation active.
- Sleep Quality: Lack of restful sleep prevents the body from fully recharging.
- Movement (or Lack Thereof): Sitting for extended periods without regular movement.
- Chronic Stress: The constant high-alert mode driven by professional demands.
Each of these elements fills the inflammation bucket, but through mindful nutrition, intentional stress management, and regular movement, professionals can prevent overflow and sustain health.
Nutrition’s Role in Managing Inflammation: The Power of Whole Foods
One of the most effective ways to manage inflammation is by choosing whole, unprocessed foods, which naturally provide vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants essential to the body’s resilience. “Nutrition is one area where we can actually control what goes into our bodies,” says Woolridge. “By eating real, whole foods, you’re nourishing your body instead of adding to its stress load.” For legal professionals, who may have little time to spare, focusing on simple, nutritious meals can reduce inflammation and improve energy without a major time commitment.
- Nutrient Density: Foods like dark leafy greens, berries, nuts, and fish offer essential nutrients that actively reduce inflammation.
- Stable Energy and Focus: Whole foods digest slowly, offering steady energy without the highs and lows associated with refined sugars.
- Mental Clarity: Nutrient-rich foods help keep the mind sharp, reducing brain fog and improving overall cognitive performance.
“With the demands of our field, we don’t have time for energy crashes,” Cilliers adds. “It’s essential to choose foods that provide reliable energy and mental clarity.” By simply incorporating whole foods like vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, and healthy fats, legal professionals can begin to support their bodies through even the most hectic days.
Tuning into Your Body for Resilience and Balance
In high-stress environments, it’s easy to overlook what the body truly needs. Yet Maryke emphasises the importance of paying attention to subtle cues the body sends, like fatigue after a meal or mental fog. “Tuning into how you feel after certain foods or stressors helps you make intuitive adjustments,” she says. When legal professionals understand which foods and habits support or hinder their energy and focus, they can make better choices—even under pressure.
Nutrition, Cognitive Ability, Hydration, and Stress Resilience
Woolridge further explains that food choices can directly impact mental clarity and cognitive resilience, especially under chronic stress. “Foods high in antioxidants and essential fats don’t just lower inflammation—they actively support cognitive function by reducing oxidative stress in the brain,” she says. “When you feed your brain whole, nutrient-dense foods, you’re essentially fuelling its ability to focus, process information, and manage stress effectively.” According to her, the brain relies on consistent, balanced nourishment for peak performance, so a diet rich in leafy greens, berries, fish, and nuts can provide the mental clarity needed in demanding professions like law.
Hydration, too, is essential for optimal brain function, as even mild dehydration can impair focus, memory, and decision-making. “Staying hydrated improves blood flow to the brain and helps maintain energy levels and cognitive performance throughout the day,” Woolridge notes. By regularly drinking water, legal professionals can prevent the sluggishness and mental fatigue that often come with dehydration.
Exercise also plays a critical role in maintaining cognitive flexibility and resilience by promoting the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that supports neuroplasticity—the brain’s ability to adapt and grow in response to new information. For high-stress professionals, regular physical activity can enhance focus and memory, essentially reinforcing the mind’s adaptability and resistance to burnout.
Cilliers emphasises that for those in high-demand professions like law, building resilience requires a strong foundation. “The only way to protect yourself and maintain optimal functioning through extreme work periods is to strengthen your body with consistent habits,” she advises. By committing to regular, balanced nutrition, exercise, hydration, and sleep, legal professionals prepare themselves to withstand the intense demands that inevitably arise in their practice.
In a field where heart disease, hypertension, and even cancers are known risks, these preventative habits are critical. “We love practising law, and the impact on our health doesn’t have to be inevitable,” Cilliers adds. “By prioritising our health, we not only sustain our ability to practise with vigour but also protect ourselves from the chronic illnesses that so often affect our profession.” With a proactive approach to wellness, legal professionals can pursue their careers without compromising their long-term health.
Health as a Steady Upward Curve: Building Lasting Resilience
Health doesn’t happen overnight; it’s a steady upward curve of small, daily improvements. Legal professionals may not always have a perfect day, but by focusing on one better choice at a time—whether that’s staying hydrated, eating a balanced meal, or getting enough sleep—they can see significant progress over time.
Hydration and sleep are also critical in keeping the inflammation bucket from overflowing. “Hydration helps flush out toxins, supports energy, and reduces joint pain,” says Woolridge, while quality sleep allows the body to repair and regulate inflammation levels. By taking small steps to prioritise these habits, legal professionals can maintain steady progress, building resilience that endures through busy periods.
3 Steps to Managing the Inflammation Bucket
A practical approach to managing the bucket, even when stress is constant, involves three key steps:
Step 1: Reduce Controllable “Bucket Fillers”
While some stressors are unavoidable, others are within our control. Here are a few simple strategies:
- Choose whole foods like leafy greens, berries, nuts, and fish.
- Minimise refined sugars, processed foods, and alcohol.
- Drink at least 2 litres of water daily.
- Opt for non-toxic cleaning and personal care products.
- Take brief movement breaks during the day.
- Limit screen time and blue light exposure before bed to protect sleep.
- Practise deep breathing or mindfulness exercises for a few minutes each day.
Step 2: Support the Bucket by Strengthening Your Immune System
A strong immune system provides a solid foundation for managing the inflammation bucket, helping it withstand life’s challenges without overflowing.
- Gut Health Support: Probiotics and prebiotics help keep the gut—and much of the immune system—in balance.
- Immune-Boosting Nutrients: Include Vitamin C, zinc, and Vitamin D for immune resilience.
- Adaptogens for Stress: Herbs like ashwagandha and rhodiola can help the body adapt to stress.
- Antioxidant-Rich Foods: Berries, leafy greens, and green tea are full of antioxidants that protect cells from damage.
Step 3: Empty the Bucket Regularly
Simple practices can help clear out excess inflammation and prevent overload:
- Fibre-Rich Foods: Fibre aids in digestion and helps flush toxins.
- Deep Breathing: Calms the nervous system and reduces inflammation.
- Cold Therapy: A quick cold shower or pack boosts resilience.
- Massage or Foam Rolling: Promotes circulation to support recovery.
- Nature Time: Outdoor time can reduce stress hormones and inflammation.
A Commitment to Progress Over Perfection
“Perfection isn’t the goal here; it’s about making small, consistent improvements,” says Woolridge. “One healthy choice per day becomes powerful over time.” Cilliers adds that in the legal profession, it’s essential to set achievable goals rather than expecting instant results. By focusing on manageable changes rather than perfection, legal professionals can sustain healthy habits even during intense work periods.
A Holistic Approach to Resilience from Within
Through a combination of nutrition, hydration, movement, and mindfulness, the journey to health becomes one of steady, lasting progress. Woolridge’s own journey from corporate insurance to studying at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition has equipped her to share practical tools for resilience. With PMRI, she offers support for those in high-stress roles to build strength from within.
“Sometimes, stress is part of life, but its impact doesn’t have to be,” Woolridge shares. By making conscious choices—choosing real foods, listening to your body, and building sustainable habits—you can manage inflammation, avoid burnout, and stay energised, even when things are challenging.
Listen to our podcast, The Resilient Lawyer, where we discuss these strategies in detail. For more resources and support, visit the Professional Mind Resilience Institute (PMRI) or reach out to us at info@pmri.co.za. To learn more about Monica Woolridge and explore her nutrition resources, visit her website at The Art of Undieting.
