Lawyer Burnout - The Struggle is Real

Lawyers face many stressors that can cause burnout. They must juggle multiple deadlines, meet clients’ needs, and stay on top of new laws and regulations. Burnout can affect lawyers differently, so it's important to recognize when it's happening and learn how to cope.

Know When You're Overworked

If you feel overwhelmed by your workload, you might suffer from burnout. This condition occurs when people become emotionally exhausted and physically drained. It can lead to feelings of anger, frustration, anxiety, and even depression.

When you are feeling the effects of burnout, it is essential to recognize when you are overworked and take steps to stop it. You may make mistakes, be more irritable, and be less productive if you are overworked. It is essential to rest and take a break from work - set boundaries with your work.

At an extreme level, you may also need to take a step back from your career. If you are still feeling the effects of burnout after taking steps to stop it, you should talk to a professional.

"One of the ironies of overwork is if you take a day or two off, you return more productive, and the work still gets done."

Lynda Artesani

Take Time Off

It would help if you took time off every once in a while. Even if you're not feeling burned out, taking some time away will help recharge your batteries.

When attorneys feel overwhelmed, they need a space to take a break and wind down. Sometimes lawyers can take a break when they're on vacation, but they might need to take a break if they're feeling burned out from work. When it comes to taking a break from work, lawyers might need to take a vacation or take time to focus on themselves. Lawyers need to know when to take a break and how to do so healthily. To make yourself more productive, you can use these steps:

•  Take a spa day; leave your phone at home
•  Meditate
•  Do yoga - it's a wonderful de-stressor
•  Exercise - go for a hike or a walk at the beach - get closer to nature
•  Have a technology-free day
•  Listen to music and declutter your home

Evaluate Your Day

If you feel like you're burning out, evaluate your day. Are you spending too much time at work? Do you spend too much time worrying about things that aren't worth worrying about? Is there something else you should be doing instead? Take a lined pad (yes, old school method) and write what you do in your day. Evaluating your day is an eye-opening cathartic method but will guide you in easing up an overworked day.

Seek Help from Others - Delegate

You need to ensure you're not burning out by delegating tasks to others. Delegating is the hardest step for most attorneys. 

As a lawyer, you have many important tasks to perform daily. Delegating tasks to others frees you up to work on more important things and boosts efficiency. After evaluating your tasks, are there any that a legal assistant or paralegal could handle for you to make your time more efficient?

Make Time for Yourself

If you feel overwhelmed by stress, try to find ways to relax. Take breaks throughout the day to do something enjoyable, such as reading a book, listening to music, or going for a walk. Try to schedule some downtime in your daily routine.

We hope you enjoyed our article about lawyer burnout. If you have difficulty balancing your workload, we hope these few helpful suggestions might help you. Remember that it's essential to know when you're feeling burnt out and try to seek out help as soon as you can. Please feel free to reach out to us anytime if you have further questions or comments by going to our contact form. We would love to hear from you!