Sign Up for our Free Newsletter
menu
Solicitors Journal Homepage
  • Home
  • News
  • Digital Edition
  • Practice Notes
    • Area of Law
      • Agricultural
      • ADR & Mediation
      • Asylum & Immigration
      • Aviation
      • Bankruptcy and Insolvency
      • Charities
      • Children
      • Clinical negligence
      • Commercial
      • Competition
      • Construction
      • Conveyancing
      • Costs
      • Crime
      • Data Protection
      • Discrimination
      • Education
      • Employment
      • Energy
      • EU
      • Expert witness
      • Family
      • Financial services & Tax
      • Health & Safety
      • Human rights
      • Inquest
      • Insurance
      • Intellectual property
      • Legal Aid
      • Litigation
      • Maritime
      • Media
      • Mergers & Acquisition
      • Pensions
      • Personal injury
      • Police & Prisons
      • Private client
      • Procedures
      • Professional negligence
      • Property
      • Public Law
      • Regulation
      • Residential
      • Road traffic
      • Vulnerable Clients
    • Management
      • Business Development and Marketing
      • Career development
      • Covid-19
      • Education & Training
      • Equality & diversity
      • Ethics and Compliance
      • Finance
      • Human Resources
      • Knowledge management
      • Leadership
      • Legal services
      • Marketing
      • Pro bono
      • Professional indemnity
      • Regulators
      • Risk & Compliance
      • Technical legal practice
      • Technology
      • Wellbeing
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • International
  • Interview
  • More
    • About
    • Contact Us
    • Subscribe
    • Newsletter
    • FAQ
    • Guide to Authors
    • Media Pack
    • Site Map
  • Contact Us
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Cookie Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • Follow us:
    Twitter
    LinkedIn
© 2023 Solicitors Journal in partnership with the International In-house Counsel Journal | Picture Credits: Freepix, Unsplash and by permission of the authors
Angus Lyon

Angus Lyon

Counsellor, Coach and CEORestart-One
Quotation Marks

Bookmark this article and block out 30 minutes in the next day or so to check out some of the links...

20 steps to better mental health for lawyers

Thu Oct 20 2022Opinion
20 steps to better mental health for lawyers

Angus Lyon shares his top tips for daily mental health help

There’s a worldwide crisis among lawyers. So said the International Bar Association (IBA) in a global report on mental illness among lawyers in late 2021. Lawyers’ levels of mental wellbeing are generally below the national averages, according to the report. Many are on the edge of burnout.

So, as lawyers and those who run firms, what can we do to make sure we and our teams are as healthy and happy as possible?

Here are 20 practical steps we can take:

1. Prioritise people above profit

A study by Deloitte in January 2020 highlighted, in the UK, a sixth of workers experienced a mental health problem at any one time – and stress, anxiety and depression were considered responsible for almost half of working days lost in recent years due to health issues. The study highlighted an average return of £5 for every £1 invested in staff wellbeing. Deloitte’s 2022 report showed the return had increased to £5.30 for every £1 invested over the period of the pandemic.

2. Learn about burnout

Research over the last 40 years has highlighted six major areas of workplace life which can lead to burnout. Maybe do a burnout self-audit?

3. Set up a wellbeing group for your firm – and have a senior member of the firm drive and champion it

4. Get buy-in from the top

Have senior management share their struggles with mental health. Despite appearances, some will have experienced problems. This helps to de-stigmatise mental illness. It can happen to anyone.  

5. No lip service

No virtue signalling. Don’t let your firm be the one where staff say, “We’ve got a wellbeing policy but management ignore it.”

6. Write (or update) your firm’s wellbeing policy

This is how one set of UK barristers’ chambers set about it.

7. Supervise staff

We all have systems for supervision, but are they working well? Yes, I know it’s time-consuming. But it’s vital. Working with lawyer clients in therapy, I see this basic practice for training and support so often observed in the breach. And ensure supervisors are well supervised too.

8. Have a zero tolerance for bullying

And when it comes to light, wonder what the bully might feel bullied by. It’s common to pass our frustrations on down the pecking order.

9. Train up mental health first aiders

This is how.

10. Have help in place for staff who are nearing burnout

Set up (or review) an EAP arrangement (for medium size and larger firms). Or find out about local therapists or counselling agencies (for smaller firms). Have private health insurance cover for staff. Download, then ransack some online resources. Start with these:

11. Law Society Guidance

Published in October 2019 and (in my view, probably largely overlooked because of the pandemic) the England and Wales Law Society’s Supporting Wellbeing in the Workplace guide.

12. Mindful Business Charter

Initiated by leading banks and firms, the Mindful Business Charter sets out practical steps to reduce unnecessary workplace stress.

13. Fit for Law

The ‘Fit for Law’ course from UK lawyer support charity LawCare (which also has a website full of wellbeing resources).

14. City Mental Health Alliance

The City Mental Health Alliance Thriving at Work Guide.

15. Check out the Five Ways to Wellbeing

Understand proven ways in which simple life adjustments can enhance mental resilience.

16. Avoid distraction

Set aside time for focused work. And allow staff to do so too. Top of my booklist here is Deep Work by Cal Newport.

17. Press pause

Having a simple practice to help stay (reasonably) calm and gain thinking space when the pressure is on is invaluable.

18. Get organised

We assume we are organised people, or workflow systems will do the job for us, but sometimes things get overlooked. Have a look at David Allen’s Getting Things Done.

19. Make it easy for yourself

Clarify what might be holding you back from taking the next step. Stanford Professor in behavior design, BJ Fogg, can help here – check out the Ability Chain.

20. Finally, take action now

Bookmark this article and block out 30 minutes in the next day or so to check out some of the links. Think about what can be done now, next month and over the next 12 months Then prioritise what works for you and your firm. Build momentum.

Angus Lyon is a counsellor and coach, author of ‘A Lawyer’s Guide to Wellbeing and Managing Stress’ (Ark, 2015) and was a practising solicitor for over 35 years: restart-one.com

Need help?

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’re not alone. LawCare provide a free, confidential support service on 0800 279 6888 (Monday - Friday 9am–5pm), or e-mail support@lawcare.org.uk or access live online chat and other resources at lawcare.org.uk. If you urgently need to speak to someone outside of LawCare helpline hours, call the Samaritans on 116 123

Tags:
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement
Latest News

Parents and carers to be given new employment protections

Fri May 26 2023

Committee finds plans to level up the country risk failure due to funding concerns

Fri May 26 2023

Government consults on enforcement mechanisms for animal health and welfare offences

Fri May 26 2023

Government expands legal aid eligibility

Thu May 25 2023

Council of Europe identifies serious concerns affecting minorities in the UK

Thu May 25 2023

ONS finds international migration to the UK hit new high in 2022

Thu May 25 2023

Government consults on plans to reduce reporting burdens on businesses

Wed May 24 2023

Committee report finds government not taking harms from alcohol seriously enough

Wed May 24 2023

Committee seeks views on the Digital Markets, Competition and Consumers Bill

Wed May 24 2023
Featured
A closer look at the trademark dispute between retail giants Lidl and Tesco
FeatureThu May 18 2023
A closer look at the trademark dispute between retail giants Lidl and Tesco

Angela Jack dissects the recent ruling in Lidl Great Britain Ltd & others v Tesco Stores Limited & others [2023] EWHC 873 (Ch)

The UK maternity care crisis: £5bn in avoidable damages claims
FeatureThu May 18 2023
The UK maternity care crisis: £5bn in avoidable damages claims

Billions of pounds in NHS damages claims could have been avoided had recommendations from past reviews been followed by action, argues Kerstin Scheel

Understanding Chinese underground banking and the risks
FeatureThu May 18 2023
Understanding Chinese underground banking and the risks

Laurence Howland explores the mechanisms of Chinese underground banking and the red flags

The building blocks for a successful collaborative culture
FeatureThu May 18 2023
The building blocks for a successful collaborative culture

Chris Marston explores the ways in which law firms can establish a powerful collaborative culture

SJ Interview: James Fulforth
SJ InterviewThu May 18 2023
SJ Interview: James Fulforth

The Solicitors Journal spoke to James Fulforth, Kingsley Napley’s newly appointed Senior Partner, about his experiences in the law, his thoughts on the UK’s tech sector and what he hopes to achieve in his new role

Long-awaited reports and controversial bills dominate
ForewordTue Apr 25 2023
Long-awaited reports and controversial bills dominate

Sophie Cameron takes a look at the news in the April Foreword