Tips and Tricks to Minimise Stress

Published Friday, 29 May 2009 by by Susan Waywood

The legal profession is demanding. While stress cannot be avoided, it is important to take steps to keep stress at a manageable level.

1. Choose your clients carefully.

Law is an extremely competitive field and it can be tempting to take on as much work as possible. Pressure can sometimes cause an ordinarily prudent lawyer to make poor decisions when entering into a lawyer-client relationship. Take a moment to evaluate prospective clients. Does a prospective client have unrealistic expectations in relation to their matter? Difficult clients consume excessive amounts of a lawyer’s time, generate ethical dilemmas and create a disproportionate amount of stress. It is better to identify such clients at the outset and avoid taking on the matter entirely.

2. Choose your business partners carefully.

It is equally important to take care before entering into a relationship with a prospective business partner. Your business partner should share your objectives, values and style of practice.

3. Find a mentor.

If you are a junior lawyer, establish a relationship with a mentor. The practice of law is a continuous learning process. However, the learning curve is especially steep for the first few years. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. A good mentor can help you navigate your way through substantive legal issues and ethical dilemmas.

If you are a young lawyer in a small firm, establish a solid support network including law school alumni associations and friends who are lawyers.

4. Do not take on more work than you can handle.

The practice of law is a marathon, not a sprint. Pace yourself. There is a never ending supply of legal work and it is impossible to do it all. Taking on too much work at once creates stress. In addition, we tend to make mistakes when we are overloaded and this in turn creates more work and more stress. If you leave the office at a reasonable time in the evening you are more likely to be efficient and better at finding the right solution for your client.

5. Maintain a balanced lifestyle.

For many lawyers, achieving work life balance is a constant struggle. It isn’t possible to do everything and it is necessary to make choices. Sometimes this means saying no. Stay involved with your family, friends and the community. It is necessary to balance work, family, exercise, other activities and fun. If you are a new lawyer, recognise that it often takes time to achieve a healthy work life balance.

6. Participate in the legal community.

Take advantage of continuing legal education programs. They a good opportunity to brush up on the law and network with other lawyers. If you are a junior lawyer, consider becoming a member of a young lawyers’ division of your law society. This is a good way to meet other lawyers who are experiencing the same issues.

7. Take time out to exercise.

Being a lawyer is a sedentary occupation and it is easy to put on weight. Client lunches, office functions and long hours compound the problem. Finding the time and energy to exercise can seem impossible. However, regular exercise helps combats stress. Find a way to plan exercise into your day. This can involve changing the way you commute to work, working out at lunch, or joining an evening activity. Some people find it easier to choose activities which can be done alone at any time of the day, such as jogging. For others, structured programs such as martial arts or dance are more suitable. Activities which require focus often provide a better distraction from the practice of law, but be sure to pick an activity that you enjoy.

8. Extend professional courtesies.

The legal system is adversarial in nature and one consequence is that the legal profession tends to be a high pressure environment. Recognise that stress is part of the practice of law. Be civil and extend courtesies to the other side. Eventually you will need reciprocal courtesies.

9. Do what you love.

There are many lawyers who love the practice of law, but the practice of law isn’t for everyone. There are many lawyers who find that although the practice has many positive attributes, it is very high-pressured, competitive and time intensive. If you find the practice of law to be overly stressful but decide to keep practising, try to incorporate something into your life that you love to do. Alternatively, many lawyers move on to non-practicing positions where their legal training is a benefit or even try something completely different. Be true to yourself.