Self-Care Tips for My Fellow Attorneys
Life as an attorney can be extremely stressful and exhausting, especially if you are like me and you run your own law practice. We give so much of ourselves and too often, get little in return for our efforts. To make matters worse, we now have to deal with the emotional turmoil we are experiencing as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the racial unrest in our country. For me, it’s been very hard to process everything that has happen, and continue to happen, and I bet it has also been difficult for you as well. So, I’d like to share some self-care tips and activities that I use. I hope it will help you.
Calm App– I absolutely love this app! This app helps users to sleep better, reduce stress and anxiety with the assistance of guided meditations, nature sounds, soothing music, and bedtime stories. I use this app every night and as needed during the day. It has really helped me to focus and feel refresh. There is a cost to access the full contents of this app, but it is truly worth it.
Fishbowl App – If you are a small law firm owner like me, you know at times it can become very lonely. There isn’t someone in your space who you can talk to about work, issues related to a case, or go to happy hour with at the end of the day. What I love about the Fishbowl app is that it has a huge community of lawyers who discuss topics that range from difficult clients to mental health issues to even relationship issues. What is also great about the app is that you can choose to post anonymously, which allows the attorney to be vulnerable and express themselves without fear of repercussion. I really recommend this app and its free, so it won’t hurt to try it out.
Take Yourself on a Date- Sometimes you need to do something fun. Treat yourself. Go walk in the park. Buy a dozen roses for yourself (I prefer peonies). Take yourself to your favorite restaurant and, if you are in NYC, enjoy the outside dining experience. It’s fun, liberating and it will help your clear your mind. Make sure you turn your phone off while you are out. This is your time to reenergize.
Take Stock of Your Career – During the shutdown in NYC, I realized that I was truly miserable at work. This was confusing to me because I truly love being an attorney. I decided that I needed to dig deeper to find out what was causing such misery. I asked myself two questions: What was bothering me and how can I improve my work life? After a very long journal entry, I realized that my biggest issue was that I was accepting a specific type of case that was causing me to experience unhealthy stress and sleepless nights. Furthermore, these cases were taking me away from the legal work that I truly love. I needed to take control of my career. After all, this is the biggest reason why I decided to open my own practice: control. I decided that I needed to really focus on the type of work that I loved. I made the necessary changes and my excitement and joy for my work is back.
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Maybe you hate the type of work you are doing. Maybe you want more control and you want to start your own firm. Maybe you want to work for a law firm that provides a better work/life balance. Taking stock of your career really allows you to determine if progressing in the direction you want to go. It allows you to reexamine your career to figure out if you are truly living out your purpose. I challenge you to spend a few minutes today journaling. Ask yourself these questions: Am I where I want to be? What is it about my job that is causing me unnecessary and unhealthy stress? What changes do I need to make to be the best version of myself?
Take the Day Off – You know what? Don’t just take yourself out on a date, take the entire day off and call it “Me Day”. Every now and again, we need an unplanned mental health day. Sometimes you just have to do it. The last thing you want to do is spend the day at work procrastinating and lacking focus. It is not good for you and it’s not good for your client. So, if you don’t have any pressing deadlines, sleep in tomorrow and enjoy your mental health day.