American Bar Association
The stress of law practice can be difficult to manage, said Erin Clifford, health and wellness coach and partner at Clifford Law Offices in Chicago, when she offered wellness strategies during the recent American Bar Association Annual Meeting session on August 1, “Real Solutions for Lawyers to Thrive Even During Stressful Times.”
Clifford offered these tried-and-true tips for maintaining work-life harmony:
• Maintain flexible boundaries. Creating boundaries allows you to put your well-being first, enabling you to create more work-life harmony.
• Know your limits. Not just with your career but in your personal life. Saying yes to everything takes up physical and mental space.
• Listen to your emotions. Is the situation making you feel anxious, overwhelmed, depressed, excited? Ask yourself, if you had to take on something new tomorrow, would you do it?
• Listen to your body. If you feel exhausted, use the “no” button.
• Know your values. Does the decision align with your top five values?
• Assess the adequacy of your boundaries. Are they porous, rigid or flexible? If too porous, the boundaries might need to be reinforced; if too rigid, you might be isolating yourself.
“Setting boundaries is a skill,” Clifford said.
Prioritizing sleep during trials also is a key self-care strategy, Clifford said.
“Your body recharges when you have a good night’s rest and will provide you with the energy and mental clarity you will need for the next day’s grind.
“You are worth five minutes” of self-care, especially during trial, Clifford added.
“Sit in a quiet place. Pause in your day to do a breathwork, exercise or meditation. Breathe in fresh air and sunshine. Complete a brief workout on an app. Walk to court.”
Using your vacation time also is essential to lessening work-related anxieties, Clifford said.
Use the following strategies to unplug and recharge:
• Communicate with your colleagues and clients about your absence.
Share plans and instructions with anyone who is covering your work.
• Establish clear boundaries with clients and coworkers about your availability and what type of urgency will constitute an “emergency” call or email.
• Commit to unplugging by turning off work email notifications and texts. If you feel it is necessary to regularly check your communications, choose a one- to two-hour
period each day and maintain this boundary with yourself.
• Give yourself permission to relax. Use this time away to enjoy the moment, the place where you are and the company you are with. Life is short and you cannot get these experiences back.
• If your schedule does not allow for a formal vacation, take a staycation and use your paid time off to relax at home.
• Plan a reset week to get back into your routine. Make self-care a top priority, revisit your routines and re-engage.
“If we don’t practice self-care, we won’t be at our best for our family, friends and clients,” Clifford said.
(https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/ aba-news-archives/ 2024/08/stress-busters-to-achieve-harmony/)
The stress of law practice can be difficult to manage, said Erin Clifford, health and wellness coach and partner at Clifford Law Offices in Chicago, when she offered wellness strategies during the recent American Bar Association Annual Meeting session on August 1, “Real Solutions for Lawyers to Thrive Even During Stressful Times.”
Clifford offered these tried-and-true tips for maintaining work-life harmony:
• Maintain flexible boundaries. Creating boundaries allows you to put your well-being first, enabling you to create more work-life harmony.
• Know your limits. Not just with your career but in your personal life. Saying yes to everything takes up physical and mental space.
• Listen to your emotions. Is the situation making you feel anxious, overwhelmed, depressed, excited? Ask yourself, if you had to take on something new tomorrow, would you do it?
• Listen to your body. If you feel exhausted, use the “no” button.
• Know your values. Does the decision align with your top five values?
• Assess the adequacy of your boundaries. Are they porous, rigid or flexible? If too porous, the boundaries might need to be reinforced; if too rigid, you might be isolating yourself.
“Setting boundaries is a skill,” Clifford said.
Prioritizing sleep during trials also is a key self-care strategy, Clifford said.
“Your body recharges when you have a good night’s rest and will provide you with the energy and mental clarity you will need for the next day’s grind.
“You are worth five minutes” of self-care, especially during trial, Clifford added.
“Sit in a quiet place. Pause in your day to do a breathwork, exercise or meditation. Breathe in fresh air and sunshine. Complete a brief workout on an app. Walk to court.”
Using your vacation time also is essential to lessening work-related anxieties, Clifford said.
Use the following strategies to unplug and recharge:
• Communicate with your colleagues and clients about your absence.
Share plans and instructions with anyone who is covering your work.
• Establish clear boundaries with clients and coworkers about your availability and what type of urgency will constitute an “emergency” call or email.
• Commit to unplugging by turning off work email notifications and texts. If you feel it is necessary to regularly check your communications, choose a one- to two-hour
period each day and maintain this boundary with yourself.
• Give yourself permission to relax. Use this time away to enjoy the moment, the place where you are and the company you are with. Life is short and you cannot get these experiences back.
• If your schedule does not allow for a formal vacation, take a staycation and use your paid time off to relax at home.
• Plan a reset week to get back into your routine. Make self-care a top priority, revisit your routines and re-engage.
“If we don’t practice self-care, we won’t be at our best for our family, friends and clients,” Clifford said.
(https://www.americanbar.org/news/abanews/ aba-news-archives/ 2024/08/stress-busters-to-achieve-harmony/)
––––––––––––––––––––
Subscribe to the Legal News!
http://legalnews.com/Home/Subscription
Full access to public notices, articles, columns, archives, statistics, calendar and more
Day Pass Only $4.95!
One-County $80/year
Three-County & Full Pass also available
