Stress management for an attorney
Bottling up stress and not properly dealing with it is bound to bite you in the behind sooner or later. Stress can take an emotional and physical toll; it can lead to depression, anxiety and feelings of hopelessness. – Dr. I. Kennedy Oguamanam
According to Dr. I. Oguamanam, there are so many sources of stress for an attorney - the work of a legal practitioner can be difficult and demanding, the deadlines are constant, there just never seem to be enough time to get everything done, competition in the legal environment, office politics and all.
The female lawyers face their own particular set of challenges, they shoulder most of the domestic chores and childcare duties, which is an additional stressor to an already stressed out attorney, and chronic stress can cause muscle aches, upset stomach, high blood pressure, and a weakened immune system, stress can also lead to burn out and poor job performance.
There are lots of different ways people deal with work stress, the under listed are by no means exhaustive, these tips are simple and rely on common sense.
Time Management; A lot of stress management is time management. Sometimes it is easier to keep busy with a task that is of low priority than tackle an onerous yet important project that really needs attention. It is important to put first things first, prioritize tasks according to importance, deadlines, and amount of work involved.
Be aware of thoughts and emotions; Lawyers are praised for being logical, reasonable, analytical and detached. These traits can leave some lawyers out of touch with their own emotions. If one can’t figure out what he/she is feeling, you can’t figure out how to get better. In stressful situations, a stream of negative thoughts may be running through the mind unknowingly, the best step is to slow down, and be an observer of our thoughts.
Practice Relaxation Techniques; In certain instances, being under a time crunch can create anxiety and stress, in those situations, although you might not have a minute to spare, that is when taking a couple of minutes to engage in a few relaxation techniques like stretch, breathe modulation, e.t.c
Delegate some responsibilities to colleagues; the support staff are there to support a legal practitioner, have them proof read your documents, sometimes it helps to have a fresh pair of eyes look at a piece of writing you have become so familiar with that your eyes gloss over mistakes. If you do not have confidence in the abilities of those that you assign projects to, provide clear instructions, allow and encourage questions, mistakes are inevitable, be a guide and the support staff might surprise you.
Have an outlet outside work; Legal practitioners ought to get a hobby outside the legal environment, this provides an opportunity for an attorney to get in tune with happenings outside the legal profession. When the whole of an attorney’s life is restricted to the legal profession, the daily stress of the job begins to take a toll on the health of the legal practitioner.
The key to enriching universal health lies with preventive medicine whereby disease processes are nipped in the bud before they manifest; Legal practitioners ought to give thought to their lifestyle. There is nothing wrong in taking a walk in the morning before getting set for work. A legal practitioner can register with a spa and beauty parlor for massage therapy, or lymphatic massage, or register with a gym, or engage in swimming every Saturday.
The job of a legal practitioner is stressful and hectic, and a legal practitioner would remain a lawyer for life, it is imperative and advisable that a lawyer engages his/her mind in activities outside the legal environment, this would go a long way to build the self-esteem and focus of the legal practitioner on his/her set goal.
It is wealth to live healthy. At the just concluded NBA AGC in Lagos, the medical practitioners after conducting several tests on lawyers, informed some conferees that they were either under-weight or over weight, and recommended other health habits to inculcate in our daily routine. ‘Health is Wealth’.
{Source; Health tips of the Young Wig Magazine}
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