7 tips to reduce daily stress working in the legal industry

7 tips to reduce daily stress working in the legal industry

Mental health problems affect more than two thirds of lawyers, 40%[1] claim that since the beginning of the pandemic, their level of stress has increased. Burnout among lawyers is admittedly more common than ever.

The legal industry has always been high-pressured and fast-paced. For some people, the large volume of delivery dates and information to remember may become challenging. Because working in positions with a lot of responsibility can be exhausting, it's best to be aware of the symptoms and know how to handle them.

Stress shouldn't only be accepted as a central tool of the legal profession. Instead, they can actively try to have healthy responses to stressful situations by learning to recognise the symptoms, being aware of the impacts, and taking action.

Here’s how you can do this effectively.

1.Speak up

It’s important to speak openly about how you’re feeling. If you feel comfortable opening to colleagues, this can be a great way to relieve some of the mental burden. Your colleagues know the pressure you’re under and the conditions in which you work. Therefore, they’ll be able to empathize with your situation. They might even be able to take some of your workload off your hands.

Alternatively, talk to friends and family if you don't feel comfortable sharing with co-workers. Even though they may not be familiar with the issues you face at work, there are times when getting an outsider's point of view is exactly what you need. They'll also be able to help you remember that there is life outside of work, despite whatever is going on at work.

2. Find a workplace that supports you

Understanding your own stress factors and sensitivity will help you in finding a practise area and firm where you enjoy working. The interview process is an opportunity to ask specific questions.

3.Managing your workload

It’s easy to feel daunted by a heavy workload. Breaking tasks down and knowing how to delegate can ease the stress and make it feel manageable. Stop saying yes and start saying no.

Split large tasks into manageable chunks. If you have a complex task ahead of you (drafting a detailed opinion, for instance), start by splitting it into distinct parts. Next, estimate realistically how long each part will take to complete and reserve sufficient time for each part in your diary. This should help these major tasks feel much less daunting.

4.Utilise legal technology

Creating solid law firm processes is just the first step. To maximise efficiency and minimise lawyer stress levels, firms need to implement technology. Legal technology can aid and automate almost every aspect of a lawyer’s job.

By adopting legal tech tools that feature multi-user access, you can help break down the collaboration barrier. This allows lawyers to share information about specific cases in a secure way and to work together on documents in real-time. More generally, if a firm or chamber has a central hub for communications, for brainstorming, sharing ideas and submitting shout-outs for assistance, it can go a long way in reducing feelings of stress and isolation.

Take the billing process, for example. Rather than solicitors sloppily trying to account for every billable minute in a month (a process that’s slow, cumbersome, and fraught with errors), lawyers can instead use automatic time-tracking tools. This allows lawyers to instantly identify how long they spend working for each client, making the billing process quicker, easier, and more accurate.

5.Find a legal mentor

Last but not least, lawyers ought to think about finding a mentor in the field. This should be a person you feel comfortable talking to about your objectives, legal matters, and issues. "A problem shared is a problem halved," says the proverb. Legal mentors have already accomplished this. They can relate to the struggles that their mentees are facing because they may have encountered them themselves.

But empathy alone is insufficient. Legal mentors can also provide some much-needed pointers and suggestions on how to lessen the stress that comes with being a lawyer. For instance, describing how to set boundaries at work, maintain a work-life balance, delegate to less experienced work colleagues, and so on.

Lawyers need to understand that stress is occasionally unavoidable. There are still things they can do to enhance their personal wellness, so they shouldn't just accept it.

6. Determine your stress level.

If you feel under pressure, try to identify the source of your feelings. Acknowledge that you're not alone and express your feelings to others. Make sure the company you work for upholds your core principles; this will help to reduce lawyer stress levels. Build on this by developing effective legal firm procedures that use the newest technological advancements. Offer clients different payment options, work with paralegals, and find a mentor you can talk to when you're stressed.

Check our resources on how to improve your wellbeing:

• Five ways to boost your productivity that are backed by science – proven workplace wellness techniques
• Processing your feelings: three options
• How to remain resilient in tough times – straightforward advice you can take up immediately
• We need to open up to each other to save lives – signs to look out for in yourself and colleagues