Roundup: The Wellness Docket
The CLIA team first met Erin Durant when she spoke at our AGM about mental health and wellness in the legal profession. We were thrilled when she agreed to share her experiences with our blog readers, and her series, The Wellness Docket, has become one of our most popular:
An overview of why there is a dire need to focus on mental health and wellness in the legal profession. As Erin notes:
Since my own personal experience with mental illness early in 2021, I have spent a lot of time and effort researching, communicating and advocating for better practices that will assist lawyers and paralegals with enduring and thriving in our very challenging profession.
Encouraging the legal professions to embrace sabbaticals may well assist in improving mental health across the professions – and reduce the number of claims in the process. See Erin’s post for more information about her experience with sabbaticals and how it assisted with her practice.
See this post as Erin tries to uncover the secrets to a lengthy career in law:
I have started asking senior and retired legal professionals about their careers in recent years. I start from the premise that a career in law is a challenging, exhausting and emotional endeavor that is difficult for everyone. I wish to gain an understanding of how some people manage to have a long, full and mostly happy career. I like to ask: “How have you managed to work in this profession for so long? What are your secrets?” The responses that I get are fascinating and, often, can be replicated. Below I share some of those secrets.
A common question Erin receives from legal professionals who are looking to improve their mental health is this one: How do I know when I need to take time away from work? It is a good question and one that is not easy to answer. See Erin’s post for assistance with this difficult question.
Managing and leading within law firms is difficult. However, in the isolation of our own offices, it is easy to think that we are the only ones struggling. Erin provides her own personal insight into the struggles she’s faced running her own firm and tips to help.
This post includes ideas on how you can make some changes to your workplace to reduce distractions, allow your knowledge workers the ability to focus and possibly reduce stress and anxiety in the process.