Just how stressful is the life of a lawyer? A study by the Law Society Junior Lawyers Division (JLD) showed that 93.5% of respondents said they experienced stress in their role. A quarter of those experienced extreme levels of stress.
Being a lawyer can be challenging. There are a lot of emotional situations that you have to deal with as a practicing attorney. There are demanding deadlines, extended work hours, and complex daily matters. In some extreme cases, you have to communicate with clients in emotional situations.
Although stress is common in the legal profession, you don’t have to live with it. By identifying the sources of your stress, you can make better choices about how to cope. We’ll discuss these issues and share tips to help you manage lawyer stress.
What are the causes of lawyer stress?
Lawyers are under constant pressure from clients, colleagues, and the court system to excel in their jobs as legal professionals. They must stay abreast of a rapidly changing industry, manage heavy workloads and deal with demanding clients. Below are some of the stress triggers:
- Overworking: most lawyers spend 49.6 hours each week and log an extra 140 hours of unplanned work (Clio: 2018 Trends Report)
- Being emotionally involved with your clients’ situations.
- Applying professionalism to disturbing situations. For example, criminal law, where there are assault or murder cases.
5 Ways to Decrease Lawyer Stress
First, take a deep breath. There are several ways to decrease stress, and making a conscious effort to address this can make a big difference to your work performance, health, and emotional health.
When you’re stressed, finding activities that increase your joy or meaning or connection can be helpful–activities that strengthen you. Here are some strategies for you to help decrease stress:
1. Exercise
Create a routine by scheduling gym, yoga, or running before or after work. The more stressful your practice area is, the more you have to schedule time for exercise. According to Harvard Medical School, exercise reduces the level of your body’s stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. It also promotes the production of endorphins, chemicals in the brain that are the body’s natural painkillers and mood elevators.
2. Get a supportive network of family and friends
Numerous studies show that people with supportive family and friends tend to be more resilient in stressful situations. They have a lower perception of stress and less physiological response to stressors. Maybe that court case isn’t so hard when you know your work buddies have your back, or perhaps the long day is nothing compared to going home to a warm family.
3. Work smart, not hard
Consider automating these mundane tasks to save you time and money. A cloud legal practice management, accounting, and billing system like CoreMatter is a perfect solution to working smart, not hard.
4. Set your finish line in mind
When you have a clear picture of where you’re heading, it’s easier to train yourself to be resilient even when things aren’t going your way. That’s because goals give you something to look forward to, which can help you get through any difficult patches in your legal work.
5. Set time for things that make you happy
Personal fulfillment is a crucial component of any successful career. Finding time for activities that give you energy and make you feel alive is essential. For some, this might be returning to a pastime they used to enjoy but put on the back-burner because of work pressures. For others, it might be exploring new hobbies or trying to participate in activities that help them unwind and recharge. So go back to what makes you happy, whether it is horse riding, painting, archery, surfboarding, or crocheting. If that makes you happy, you should pick it up again.
And Finally…..
Stress can take its toll on us in various ways. Stress can severely impact our physical and mental health due to your workload, the emotional burdens, or the pressure to keep up. While these stressors won’t disappear, you can handle your stress better. The key is having strategies to smooth the rough patches. From exercise to working smart to doing what makes you happy, we have power over how we respond to stress so long as we practice.
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