10 Stress-Coping Techniques to Try at Work from Lawyers in High Stress Environments

Stress is part of everyday life, and the fast-paced lifestyles of lawyers are no different. The severity of stressful events may vary, but they trigger a set of biological and behavioral reactions that help us deal with the situation. These changes may be adaptive in the short term, but prolonged stress can cause physical and mental illnesses.

The challenges of the workplace can have a profound impact on your wellbeing. In fact, at times it seems that the professional and social environment in which attorneys work is designed to create distress. Learn more about stress, the human response and how lawyers can cope with stress.

These 10 tips from lawyers will help you deal with stress more effectively and avoid its negative effects:

1. Get plenty of sleep:

Despite the fact that sleep is essential for the recovery of body and mind, we often deprive ourselves of sleep by setting an alarm. Sleep deprivation can have many negative effects, such as irritability or reduced cognitive ability. Sleeping 7-8 hours is thought to be necessary for a person to feel rested and ready for the next day. As we age, however, taking naps during the day can also prove beneficial, even though it may mean fewer billable moments.

2. Exercise regularly:

According to Malerie Rose, a family lawyer with Rose Family Law in Mississauga, exercise is often her lifeline from the stress of the job: “Being able to leave the office after a long day and hit the gym is not only great for my body, but honestly, I mostly go there to reset my mind and release some endorphins. I find with tired muscles, comes a refreshed state which helps me unwind and relax”.

3. Use social support:

Friends, family members, co-workers, and intimate partners are all important sources of social support. They can help you cope. They can help you see things differently, solve problems and lend tangible assistance. It has been shown that social support can reduce the physiological reaction of the body to stressful situations. Use social support for the right purposes.

4. Take part in activities:

Akash Dhillon is a criminal lawyer in Brampton, Ontario and releases stress by playing his favourite sport, hockey: “I’ve been playing hockey twice a week since I was in law school. The game itself is high intensity, great cardio and fun, but what I really love about it, is just hanging with the guys and letting go of the worries of the day. Everyone I play with has stress in their lives and not once has anyone brought it to the rink. This is a no stress zone and that’s the way we like it”.

5. Take a vacation:

We all need to take a vacation every now and then to recharge our batteries, avoid burnout and recharge ourselves. Leave your laptop and cell phone at home and take the vacation you are entitled to. Plan vacations as far in advance as possible and plan your work to accommodate them.

6. Gain control:

Controllability plays a big role in our perception of stress. Take steps to feel more in control of your environment. Remember that, despite all our efforts, some events are beyond our control. Concentrate only on the aspects of a situation you can influence.

7. Use problem-focused strategies to cope:

Instead of focusing on emotions, use problem-focused strategies (e.g. talking openly about your problem, politely and firmly confronting the client who is causing you problems, creating a list of things to do, and completing it) rather than emotion-focused ones (blaming yourself or others, ruminating over the problem).

8. Stay flexible:

Look beyond your first impressions of a stressful situation and try to reframe it in a different light. Perhaps there’s an upside that you missed (e.g. We lost revenue from a demanding customer, but that’s a headache we don’t have to deal with. If one method of coping doesn’t seem to work in a certain situation, you can try other strategies. You will be better able to adapt to the changing demands of your environment if you remain flexible.

9. You don’t need to do it all yourself, despite how tempting that may be:

Ahmad Karzai is a Criminal Lawyer based in Toronto and has been running his only law firm for the past 3 years: “If there’s one mistake I’ve made as a lawyer beginning my own practice, was to try and do to much myself. I’m a bit of a control freak and I sometimes think I’m the only one who can get the job done right. Once, I found employees I could trust, the stress just began to melt away. It’s truly amazing the difference in my mind and body since I decided to let go. I can’t ever imagine going back to doing everything myself again. I don’t think I’d last a week”.

10. Create many short-term goals:

We all need to be motivated and feel like we’re achieving our goals. Set a number of smaller goals in addition to some larger long-term objectives. Each small task completed will give you a feeling of accomplishment and reduce your stress about your workload. It will also motivate you to achieve more.