Mastering Stress as a Lawyer: Tools and Tips for Success
Do you ever feel stressed at work? Do you often feel overwhelmed by pressure from all sides? And do you need to figure out how to manage it best so you can enjoy fulfillment in your professional life?
We face many high-pressure situations and demanding workloads that can lead to stress and burnout. We work long hours in a competitive environment, handling emotionally challenging cases. This constant stress can have significant adverse effects on our mental and physical health, as well as our job performance and quality of life. However, lawyers can manage that stress and be happy and healthy. This newsletter explores the primary causes of our stress and how that affects us. I will also detail some effective tools and techniques that we can use to manage stress and maintain our overall health and happiness.
What are the primary causes of our stress?
We face pressures from so many different directions. So what are the major stresses that we face? These are just some of them:
Billable hour requirements. We are always on the clock. We are tracking our time. Measuring our worth in minutes recorded on a time sheet. Feeling like there always needs to be more time in the day.
Financial concerns. If we are a partner in a small firm, we are always working on bringing in more work to make enough profits and income. In larger firms, we must generate fees to justify our appropriate share of the firm revenues. As younger attorneys, we feel compelled to build a book of business to make partner or build leverage. And it always seems that there needs to be more money. After taxes and expenses, there often is not enough to go around.
Client pressures. Clients often have high expectations and can be so demanding. It can be challenging to satisfy them. They can place unreasonable demands on when the work is performed and the outcome.
Heavy workload. We are asked to manage multiple matters simultaneously which creates additional pressure.
Other attorneys. Sadly, one of the worst stresses we face is the conduct of other attorneys. They often engage in unnecessary personal attacks. They may not return calls. They are much more interested in fighting than solving problems.
The pressure of failure. In litigation, there are winners and losers. Even the best attorney trying a great case will not infrequently lose. That can create real emotional pressures.
High-stakes cases. Our cases often have high financial and emotional stakes for our clients, a pressure that we carry while we advocate for our clients.
Work-life balance. Finding time for our family and our personal activities, hobbies, and self-care can be difficult when work becomes so all-consuming. We can lose sight of what is most important to us. We often work long hours, including weekends and holidays, which can lead to physical and mental exhaustion.
Firm Competition. In some firms, there is an internal competition to do better than the other associates, to bill more hours, and to bring in more clients. Rather than a sense of teamwork, there can be stressful and challenging conflicts in our own firm. Our profession is highly competitive, competing against each other for both advancement in our firm and new clients.
Demands of our partners. Often, no matter what we do, it seems not enough. The partner gives us more work and is usually unhappy with our work.
Is this a fair summary of what we all encounter? No, of course not, but all of us have experienced at least some of the stresses from time to time.
How does the stress we face as lawyers affect us?
Why is stress such a big problem for us? It has many adverse effects on us. When we feel stressed, our muscles tense; our heart beats faster; and we feel tired, anxious, and distracted. It can contribute to many serious health problems, including high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, stomach issues, and diabetes. And we may eat and sleep poorly. Stress is a leading cause of mental health issues, such as anxiety and depression. Addiction is an all too common problem in our profession.
It affects our relationships. When constantly stressed, we do not show up to our spouse, friends and family as our best selves. Instead, we become irritable and moody and may lose interest in social activities.
Perhaps most significantly, we begin to lose the enjoyment and fulfillment of the profession we had loved for so long. We get burned out. We become physically and emotionally exhausted at work. We are less productive. We are no longer professionally satisfied. Our work performance suffers: we cannot concentrate, we become indecisive, and we cannot effectively manage our caseload. Our judgement may be impaired.
We must manage this stress and prioritize self-care to prevent these negative effects and maintain our overall health and well-being.
What are helpful tools to manage our stress?
How do we manage that stress so that we still find our position fulfilling and are successful in what we do? Here are a dozen practical tools you can begin applying in your daily life:
Be aware of what stresses you. What situations or circumstances make you feel stressed? Is it a particular person at work? Are there negative thoughts or feelings that enter your mind? Is it something about your physical environment? Does your work schedule stress you? Identify the patterns that cause you stress and how you respond to them. That helps you figure out how to handle those situations better in the future. Once you understand precisely what causes your stress, you will be better equipped to respond healthily.
Start your day right. Try to begin your day with as little stress as possible. Get an early start. Have a good breakfast. Do something relaxing (meditate, read, walk). Prepare for your day. Organize your schedule. Avoid traffic stress if you can. Dress well. If you start the day refreshed, prepared and relaxed, you will handle stressful situations better.
Establish your boundaries. Maintain boundaries between your work requirements and your personal life. The limits are different for each of us. For example, avoid checking work emails during your family or personal time or answering business calls during your family meal or relaxation time. Avoid unnecessary interruptions at work and instead focus on completing the important task you are working on.
Practice relaxation techniques. Try to be mindful, aware of your thoughts and experiences. Deep breathing or meditation practices can help relieve stress. Focus on positive, warm, relaxing images.
Take a break! Find a break in your schedule during the day to go for a walk, relax and refocus. Eat a healthy lunch and take a real lunch break. Schedule a daily time to turn off your phone and emails and focus on something positive and relaxing. Take your vacation and make it a respite from work.
Be healthy! Eat clean and nutritional food. Enjoy exercise and develop your hobbies. Get a good night's sleep. Read, or listen to relaxing music. Engage in whatever activity you find fun and relaxing, allowing you to escape from the stress of your work. Regular physical activity can help reduce stress levels by releasing endorphins, which are natural mood-boosting chemicals in the body.
Change your workplace environment. Make your office as calm and relaxing as you can. Include pictures you like, see if you can have more natural light, use a comfortable chair, or make other changes to make your workplace relaxing. Your office is your second home, and it should be as pleasant, warm, and comfortable as possible.
Socialize. Develop relationships with your associates, partners, and coworkers. Enjoy some social interactions that allow you to relax and build your connections. See those you work with as part of your team, working together on a common goal. View them as your teammates instead of a source of conflict or frustration. Nurture your social friendships outside of the office as well. Connecting with colleagues, friends, and family can provide emotional support and help reduce stress.
Organize yourself. Plan your day and schedule what you are going to do and when. Time block your activities. Even schedule such things as lunch and breaks from work. When you schedule a time to respond to emails or work on a particular project, make that your sole focus. Organize your office; put away unnecessary papers and files. Too many projects in front of you only make you feel more overwhelmed. Clutter only increases stress.
Discard your negative thoughts and replace them with positive ones. What we think about has a direct impact on how we feel. Instead of focusing on what bothers you in your office, think of something positive. What do you like about your profession, office, and coworkers? Instead of being frustrated about an assignment you were given, see it as an opportunity to learn, grow and perform. Instead of reflecting on how your partner annoys you, think of his helpful characteristics and how he has helped and trained you. Focus on the positive traits of those you work with instead of the mannerisms that frustrate you.
Get into action. Most of us enjoy the work of our profession. I love being a trial lawyer and a family law attorney. When preparing a case, outlining a deposition, or organizing a file for trial, I feel energized and enthused. Instead of being stressed about how much we must do, pick the most important matter and tackle it. We will have a feeling of success when we complete that task. We will enjoy the work we just did.
Enjoy the fulfillment of our profession. Most of us are in our profession because we feel genuinely fulfilled by helping and serving others. Of course, many times, it is difficult. But the reality is we became lawyers, doctors, accountants, or financial planners as a way to be of service to others. Helping others nourishes us. When we are of service, we feel less stress and more fulfillment.
Conclusion
Managing stress is essential to maintain our health, well-being, and job performance. By incorporating these tools, we can effectively manage stress and prevent burnout. Lawyers need to prioritize their health and well-being, as this will ultimately lead to better client service, job satisfaction, and quality of life. By managing stress, we can continue to thrive in their careers and lead fulfilling lives inside and outside the courtroom.
Is work stress an issue for you? If so, perhaps I can help. Let’s have a confidential chat. You can schedule it here: https://calendly.com/garymiles-successcoach/one-one-discovery-call