Gary Miles

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How to Avoid Burnout in the Legal Profession

How to Avoid Burnout in The Legal Profession

Have you ever felt overwhelmed at work? That you simply cannot handle anymore? Although you loved your profession, now you are tired of it and getting frustrated? Have you ever felt burned out?

This is, unfortunately, not at all unusual. So many lawyers are overwhelmed, overworked, stressed out, and unhappy. We need to set boundaries between our professional and personal lives. How can we change this?

I will explain why we feel this way, some warning signs, the consequences, and, most importantly, eight tips for successfully navigating these situations. We all have a right to be professionally fulfilled and have a satisfying personal life. Let's see how we can do that together.

Reasons we need to set boundaries.

This is the problem. Our self-worth is defined by what we do professionally. Our professional success validates our self-worth. How often have we been accustomed to saying, “What do you do?” Instead, we constantly evaluate ourselves as professionals based on our success. We take on more and more because we see it as a badge of success. 

Moreover, our financial security is directly related to how we do professionally. If we want to achieve our monetary goals, we must be successful in our careers. As a result, we feel pressured to work harder, more hours, and more intensely to solidify our financial future.

In addition, we are so committed to helping our clients. We are problem solvers. We want to serve others. So, when we are presented with a problem, we want to dive in and help, often, no matter the time of day or hours required. The cost does not matter; we tell ourselves because it is what we do to help our clients. We justify this to our family and friends by saying that we provide excellent service to those in need.

Then, of course, there is the boss who keeps giving us more and more work, despite an already full plate. Paying no heed to our demands, the partner may pile more assignments on us even though we are already overwhelmed by too much work. Work interferes with our personal or family commitments.

Do any of these situations seem familiar to you?

For these reasons, our work plays such an important role that it interferes with our fulfillment. As a result, we need to set more boundaries between our professional and personal lives.

Warning signs of burnout. 

The first critical step is to be aware of what is happening in our professional life. We then look for indications that our work commitments have crossed the boundaries to interfere with our personal lives and fulfillment.

What are some signs that we may be doing too much, failing to set boundaries, and thereby starting to suffer burnout?

  • We frequently send out emails at odd hours, even when it could wait until we get into the office the next workday.

  • We are not taking breaks at work. Instead, we work incessantly, not stopping, nose constantly to the grindstone.

  • We are working far too many hours. We suffer through 10- or 12-hour days, coupled with some nights and weekends, and we still need more time. Although we know this is not what we signed up for, we continue to work excessively hard.

  • We are not delegating or collaborating with others (often because we think it’s easier to do it ourselves). We want to do it all ourselves. No one, we feel, can do it as well or as fast as we do. We do not want to depend on others for the success of the project we are handling.

  • We are constantly taking on more work than we need to. When someone needs to step up to the plate, we are the first to say, "I can do it." We are constantly taking on more and more and more work to prove ourselves, to help out, etc.

  • We often work from home when it could usually wait until we get back in the office. Even though we have important commitments at home, we tear ourselves away from them to work on another project.

  • Surprises drive us crazy. Small things that do not go the way we anticipated frustrate us much more than they should.

These are just a few examples. Have you ever experienced any of these?

Consequences of Burnout.

Left uncorrected, these behaviors can lead to severe consequences for us. So what are some of the implications of this professional burnout?

  • impaired sleep habits

  • emotional exhaustion

  • physical fatigue

  • lack of concentration

  • unhappy at work

  • poor work performance

  • impaired relationships

  • disconnected at home

  • feeling unfulfilled and dissatisfied

  • susceptibility to illness

So many of us struggle with establishing boundaries. While we used to love what we do, we can only get energized if we set some boundaries. These consequences can be devastating to us, professionally and personally.

8 Tips for Preserving our Boundaries and Preventing Burnout

The good news is we can restore a balance. We can do a great job at work, have a wonderful home life, and feel fulfilled. Here are eight helpful tips:

  1. Communicate. Let your business associates and your family know what time you have, your ability to work or help, and your needs. Sometimes we hide our time limitations and frustrations, which creates more stress for us. It can be freeing not to keep our work frustrations secret. Sharing them with our spouse, close friend, or trusted coworker can help us to receive some support and understanding.

  2. Breaks. Take breaks during your day. Go outside, take a walk, or do something that clears your mind and recharges your batteries. It is essential every day to disconnect, get some fresh air, and get some brief time away from the stresses at work.

  3. Say No. Just say no when it’s too much, and you cannot do it. We often say yes to something we cannot do and then get frustrated at the person who asked us. It is hard. We want to please our boss or satisfy our client's needs. But sometimes, we simply cannot, and we must learn how to say "no" properly and respectfully. Look for alternatives. Perhaps find others who can help, navigate to a different time frame, or seek other options for getting it done.

  4. Prioritize—set priorities at work. First things first, always. Plan what you need to do and when you need to do it.

  5. Organize your schedule. Plan your day. Schedule your work time, your breaks, and your family time. Make a list of what you are going to do and when. It helps. And, when you create your schedule, try to stick to it.

  6. Take time off. Take a long weekend. Go somewhere you love. Find time to get a break from the demands of your job. You deserve and need the time off. And, when you are away, disconnect from the office.

  7. Unplug. When you are at home, you can unplug from work. Do not check your emails. It can wait until tomorrow. We do not need to be connected to work 24/7. 

  8. Self-care. Take care of yourself. Eat healthy nutrition, and improve your body. Get exercise and relieve stress. Enjoy your hobby or activity that is your passion. We must take care of ourselves so we have the energy and strength to perform at work and to be present at home. 

Are any of these helpful to you? I love supporting folks who are struggling in this area. Please feel free to reach out to me; I can help. Let’s chat! Here is my link if you would like to talk-  https://calendly.com/garymiles-successcoach/one-one-discovery-call