Think Immigration: Biohacking for Beginners (and Everybody Else): Welcome to Well-Being Week in Law 2025!

If the term “well-being” evokes for you images of yoga mats, lavender fields, and green juice, I’m going to venture a guess that you may see the invitation to Well-Being Week in Law and hardly register the words before you’re on to the next email. And you’re in good company; breathing exercises, peaceful strolls in nature, and designer foods – in this climate?! Who has time for that! Especially when you’ve developed systems and habits that have worked well enough so far. Maybe you throw on a smart watch and count steps; maybe you eat extra vegetables here and there; maybe you grit your teeth through the long hours and the hard cases and just make it until the end of the day or until the end of the week. Maybe you take some melatonin to rest up and do it all over again on repeat. Any amorphous concept of “well-being” beyond what you already do seems unrealistic and – dare I say? – unnecessary; after all, your routine has been good enough to get you this far.

I hate (or love?) to break it to you, but Well-Being Week in Law is here to tell you that you deserve more than “good enough.” And not just that, but we can show you actual science behind the tools and techniques that will be shared during our Well-Being Week events. You know that you feel better after you exercise or eat well. But somehow the scientific basis for and benefits of other mindfulness and wellness practices isn’t quite as widely discussed. How does it change your perception of well-being to know that breathing exercises (that one could theoretically do on a yoga mat) actually hack your brain function, changing the information being sent from the vagal or vagus nerve and improving your ability to think clearly and make good decisions? Are you intrigued to know that when you feel like a zombie – when you are feeling numb, disconnected, and at a loss – this is the dorsal vagal nerve activating to protect you from trauma? Are you curious to learn that there are science-backed tools that you can use to pull yourself out of a state of overwhelm, and to help manage your emotions and reduce anxiety?

This is “well-being” in 2025: leveraging strategic habits and behaviors to optimize the way your brain works and to improve your overall wellness. In other words, bio-hacking. It is not a nebulous concept, and it is not reserved only for those that have extra resources and time on their hands. In fact, it’s an ideal practice for a time-strapped professional that expends all their brain power serving others.

When we optimize the function of our brains, we position ourselves to be the most efficient, resilient, ethical, and compassionate advocates possible. We also position ourselves to feel our best and to avoid living in a state of prolonged stress and anxiety. (Sound familiar?) Whether you are new to Well-Being Week or a repeat attendee, we invite you to explore various mindfulness and wellness tools through curated seminars and roundtables, and to grow your own wellness practice in ways that make (science-based) sense for you.