How One Attorney Beat Burnout for a Better Life
5.19.2026
Overcoming burnout includes changing and challenging negative thought patterns, as well as finding joy.
The New York State Bar Association hosted a seminar on identifying the causes of burnout and breaking out of it. Sammy Catone, a former litigator who owns a professional coaching practice in Buffalo, led the program.
After eight years of practicing as a lawyer, Catone developed major medical issues and serious burnout.
“I struggled with my mental and physical health for the duration of my career. I had persistent gut issues and anxiety and depression,” said Catone. “And I became obsessed with personal growth. My second job, outside of practicing, was improving and bettering myself, and learning the wellness hacks, and building better habits.”
She managed to recover from her illnesses by studying neuroscience and neuroplasticity and learning how to alter her thought processes.
“This work is really about the reprogramming, not just rehashing things from the past,” said Catone. “I am not a licensed therapist or a certified mental health professional. I want to make that very clear to everybody. That is not my credentials. This is about identifying the things that are keeping you stuck and rewiring the brain.”
Catone explained that negative thoughts are driven by the subconscious, and it is possible to change those thoughts.
“If your belief is, ‘I’m only safe when I’m achieving,’ and this might be subconscious, you might not be aware of it, but this could be a belief system for you,” Catone said. “So we’re only going to pay attention to things that reinforce that belief, and that causes a never-ending, vicious cycle in a self-fulfilling prophecy. We can rewire this. And this is the work, okay? So, you want to figure out what are the persistent, anxious thoughts, and what is the belief that is driving those thoughts? You get to decide that you want to create a new belief.”
Some of Catone’s new beliefs were “rest is productive” and “saying no protects my energy and standards,” and she collected evidence to affirm these new beliefs. Catone said that when she put these practices into place, she had her most financially successful year as an attorney despite working less.
Another part of this process is forgiving oneself and others instead of ruminating on bad experiences and thoughts. Instead, reframe failures as feedback and learning experiences.
“When we can’t forgive other people, we’re implicitly telling ourselves that we can do something that is unforgivable, and that affects our own self-worth,” said Catone. “And holding on to resentment, or guilt – the research shows how much of a negative impact that has on our health. So, it’s really important to let that go, whatever that is for you.”
Another part of rewiring self-sabotaging thoughts is finding time for self-care and noticing moments of joy, Catone explained.
“It completely transformed my relationships with my spouse and my family members. I had much more richer and more meaningful relationships,” said Catone. “And this is not about becoming somebody new. It’s like meeting yourself for the first time. That’s how I felt. It’s really about remembering our true nature.”
The program was presented by the New York State Bar Association’s Attorney Well-Being Program and was made possible in part by a grant from the New York Bar Foundation.
