Stress addiction in lawyers needs attention

This Mental Health Awareness Week, Mandy Rees, a Birmingham-based career expert, has raised alarms about what she describes as a "stress addiction" epidemic among female lawyers. Mandy, who founded Next Generation Women after leaving her career as a commercial real estate lawyer in 2010, points out that stress has become a “status symbol” within the legal profession. She explains that many in the industry feel the need to embody the image of being "busy," as it has become shorthand for being valued and committed. “In law and other high-performance careers, the first answer to 'how are you?' is always ‘busy,’" she said. “Lawyers won’t and don’t openly admit to being stressed, hiding behind the badge of being ‘good and busy’."

For the past decade, Mandy has dedicated her work to supporting women grappling with chronic stress and career burnout. During Mental Health Awareness Week, she encourages open discussions among colleagues about the real impact stress has on their lives, challenging the long-standing notion that it should be viewed as a “badge of honour.” She expressed concerns for those who manage their stress effectively, noting that “there is no space in this conversation for the woman who has actually found her footing."

According to LawCare's 2025 Life in the Law report, nearly 60% of legal professionals report poor mental well-being, and half often feel anxious. Mandy contends that these figures will remain stagnant unless the culture shifts away from glorifying stress. "Talking about stress is not the same as recovering from it," she said, indicating that many women feel they lack permission to take breaks due to fears about their reputations at work.

Instead of typical stress management programmes, Mandy advocates for a concept she calls “prescribing rest and recovery,” emphasising the importance of integrating rest into women's working lives. Alongside this, she promotes gratitude practices as practical tools to combat overwhelming workloads. "When you practice noticing what is working, you change the lens," she stated, stressing the need for personal ownership over one’s stress levels.

Work-related mental health issues cost the UK economy over £57 billion annually, with considerable losses attributed to presenteeism. Mandy concludes, "The goal is not to manage stress better; it is to stop performing it,” making it clear that a transformation in workplace culture is essential for sustaining mental well-being in the legal field.