Posted by Aoife Greally, people business partner EMEA & APAC at Legal Futures Associate Clio
Greally: Mindfulness or meditation can offer substantial benefits
Finding a balance between work and personal life has been a long-standing challenge for many professionals, particularly within high-pressure environments like the legal industry. Having observed World Wellbeing Week last week, it’s an opportune moment to reflect on our commitment to addressing such challenges and overall mental health.
Statistics reveal that approximately 83% of lawyers experience stress at times, and 71% grapple with anxiety overall. These figures underscore the importance of evolving our work environment to support better stress management and work life balance.
In short, we need to build a healthier and more supportive work culture within the legal industry to boost the well-being of legal professionals.
Creating a supportive environment for lawyers
Is work-life balance even genuinely attainable in the legal sector? The industry’s intense pace and pressures have often made achieving the right balance a formidable challenge. This has left many feeling like their wellbeing is suffering and their work and home lives are severely out of sync.
A fundamental cultural shift is necessary and within our reach to address this imbalance. We all know that long hours, substantial workloads and financial pressures in some way characterise the legal profession – and that each of these can contribute to adverse mental health effects, such as burnout and high levels of stress.
Recognising and proactively addressing these issues are crucial to creating a healthier and more supportive work environment.
The solution centres in building a supportive environment while encouraging open dialogue. This can be achieved by implementing regular check-ins with team members to discuss workload and stress levels, providing resources for mental health support, and fostering a culture of work-life balance.
Lawyers who feel supported are more likely to cultivate better relationships with clients and colleagues, ultimately delivering higher-quality work. Organisations with a better team culture are more likely to have lower staff turnover rates due to higher job satisfaction, allowing for better talent retention.
Strategies for healthier work environments
Failure to prioritise employee wellbeing can severely affect law firms, including substantial financial and reputational costs due to high staff turnover rates. After all, building a stable and cohesive team culture becomes an uphill battle when employees frequently leave the organisation.
Establishing trust, boosting productivity, and retaining top talent are tangible benefits of cultivating a supportive workplace, so law firms must consider this seriously.
However, while systemic change needs to come from the top, law professionals can do plenty of things on a personal level to help build a more positive environment at work.
These strategies will lead to better well-being outcomes – and, in turn, better work-life balance:
Embrace technology
The legal landscape is poised for a significant shift in how things are done, driven by the advent of AI. A considerable portion (32%) of legal professionals believe AI has the potential to enhance work efficiency.
However, it’s important to note that embracing technology also comes with its challenges, such as the need for upskilling and potential job displacement.
Tools like Harvey AI can automate routine tasks such as legal research, document review and data analysis, freeing up time for work that adds value, such as building client relationships. By optimising workloads and reducing the long hours often associated with the profession, lawyers may experience an improvement in wellbeing and their work-life balance.
Learn how to prioritise most effectively
When faced with overwhelming workloads and time constraints, it can be challenging to prioritise tasks effectively. However, by maintaining a calm and clear approach, lawyers can identify tasks that require deep concentration and tackle them first.
This method not only minimises errors but also fosters stronger relationships with clients and colleagues, enhances flexibility in handling responsibilities, and significantly reduces stress and anxiety.
By reducing interruptions, lawyers can preserve the continuity of their thought processes, thereby improving their efficiency and output.
Recognise distractions
Distractions are ubiquitous in the modern workplace – yet they often go unnoticed. It’s vital, therefore, to get to know the distractions that are impacting your work.
Try to be more aware of the times of day when you’re distracted, such as checking social media or replying to emails. By recognising these distractions, you can take proactive steps to mitigate them, like keeping your phone out of sight or delaying responding to your emails.
Similarly, acknowledging instances of procrastination without self-criticism is vital. This approach allows lawyers to address and overcome delays or avoidance of tasks more effectively, thereby enhancing overall productivity.
Practice mindfulness
For solo or small firm lawyers who may often find themselves overwhelmed by their workload, incorporating mindfulness or meditation into their daily routine can offer substantial benefits.
Dedicating as little as a quarter of an hour to mindfulness or meditation practices can promote relaxation, presence and focus.
Such a clear mindset allows lawyers to engage more deeply in meaningful work, boosting productivity, reducing stress and improving overall wellbeing both inside and outside the office. Importantly, mindfulness helps change one’s relationship with stress and challenges, fostering a balanced perspective, reducing reactivity and improving decision-making abilities essential in the legal profession.
Putting lawyer wellbeing first: the benefits for clients and firms
In the demanding legal profession, where high energy and resilience are often required, it’s crucial to balance the focus on client needs with attention to personal wellbeing. Neglecting one’s mental health can lead to significant challenges.
Acknowledging the strains faced by legal professionals and taking proactive steps to foster a healthier work environment are imperative.
By adopting strategies that promote a healthier work-life balance, tangible benefits can be achieved including enhanced client satisfaction, increased productivity, lower staff turnover and improved overall quality of life for lawyers.
This is not just an aspirational goal but a practical and achievable one that can profoundly benefit both professional and personal spheres.
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