As legal professionals, we devote the majority of our time to serving our clients. After all, that is a cornerstone of our job description! However, professionals in the legal industry tend to overextend themselves, allowing the needs of others to overshadow their own. Often, that leads legal professionals to experience issues affecting their health and wellness.
If the demands of your legal profession begin to creep into your personal time and reduce your ability to care for yourself, it’s time to take a step back and refresh your schedule. If not adequately addressed and managed, your stress from lack of self-care will undoubtedly hamper your ability to serve your clients to the best of your ability. Try out these tips for improving your health and wellness!
Organize on Weekends
Being able to cut back on hours at work, especially on weekdays, is not always a feasible option for legal professionals. But, making the work week more manageable is possible by taking on some prep work on the weekend. Ideas to use weekends to keep your workweek under control are:
– Meal Prep on Weekends. Reduce time spent in the kitchen during the week by preparing meals on the weekend. Often, a few hour prep-session is all that’s needed to prepare, cook, and store all the meals you’ll need during the week.
– Laundry and Home Maintenance. Tackle loads of laundry or small home maintenance jobs while your weekly meals are simmering on the stove. The more you do on the weekend to ensure you’re cared for during the week will make your workweek more palatable.
Self-Care Structure: Set it and Forget it
Self-care regimes that require shifting schedules and juggling responsibilities are not effective. If too much effort is needed to accomplish self-care, then it will likely be axed for more urgent concerns. Set yourself up for success by making it easy to fill your health and wellness reserve!
– Exercise like a Pro. Don’t put yourself in a position to easily cancel your gym session. Have your gym gear ready to go and keep it in sight to encourage you to prioritize that time.
– Time for you is better for the job. Be inflexible with the time you scheduled for yourself. Taking time each day to focus on your health and wellness will inevitably benefit, not just yourself, but your quality of work.
Mental Health Maintenance
Body and mind are equally crucial for legal professionals, and both require consistent care and attention to guarantee full body health. Take your mental health seriously and allow yourself to ask for assistance when needed.
Mental health maintenance can be as simple as maintaining connections with friends and family. However, if attempts at mental health care fall short, seek out professional help as early as possible.
Health and Well-Being for Life
There is no question the legal profession is a demanding practice that requires greater devotion to our careers than other fields of industry. However, it doesn’t require sacrificing personal health and wellness.
As a legal professional, it is possible to establish routines that support health and wellbeing, but they do take some consideration and effort. Use your downtime effectively to prepare for your workweek, get in regular exercise, and remember to check in regularly on your mental health.
