by LAWPRO

wellnes-and-balance

The legal profession is a stressful one. It can be difficult to manage stress or achieve healthy lifestyles. When we’re stressed, we tend to make mistakes. When we’re stressed, we’re more likely to miss a step, make an error inputting a calendar date, or not take enough time to properly delegate a task to a colleague.

Thankfully, self-care is a skill that can be developed. It will help us stay healthy and keep our practices healthy too.

Self-care: A skill that can be constantly developed

It takes time to find what works, but there are lots of ways to embrace self-care as part of practice. These tips can also help our productivity. There are lots of ways to embrace self-care. Here are a few to get started:

  • Be kind to your body: Stay hydrated and snack to avoid hanger.
  • Take breaks throughout the day: There are endless ways of doing this.
  • Get your rest: The research is clear that we can’t perform at our highest levels when we work without proper rest. The evidence is clear that sleep deprivation causes many difficulties for individuals; get your rest.
  • Plan your joy: Michelle Obama says “Plan your joy.” By planning ahead, we have experiences to look forward to. Whether it’s a night out, a dinner party, a book on pre-order, or an upcoming yoga class, having something to look forward to creates joy in preparing for leisure and ensures that we have leisure activities in the calendar.
  • Take your vacation: Carve out your vacation time in advance and take it. We all need to unplug and recharge. When we return to work, we’re refreshed.

You are not alone: The Member Assistance Program

Finally, remember that you are not alone. Support is available to help you develop self-care skills and in case you require mental health support. The Member Assistance Program is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. MAP services are confidential and are available to Ontario lawyers and others. To learn more about MAP, visit practicepro.ca/practice-aids/wellness or the MAP website.

This post was the last in our Time Management Tips Tuesday series. We hope you liked it and found the posts helpful. Let us know! Got feedback or a question? Reach out to p[email protected].

Categories: Wellness and Balance