Invest in yourself: tips to re-balance and recharge your personal well-being

Stress, anxiety, burnout; unfortunately all too common themes in high performing senior lawyers I meet and work with. Mental health awareness week does great things to raise the profile of the importance of firms to improve well-being in the workplace and better support their employees. However, I also believe it’s vital for us to take control and care for our own body and minds in any meaningful ways whenever we can to safeguard our personal well-being.

I was asked the question this week how I deal with my mental health and achieve a successful work/life balance. Well, it’s a hard question to answer because its not easy balancing running a growing legal recruitment business, full time partner fee earning and helping raise 3 young and demanding children. I often call it my day and night jobs. Weekends are often busier than the working week. There is little restbite. However, I try hard to find those moments that take me away from all the day to day stresses to re-balance and recharge.

Time for myself:

The first one is just for me. My time. It’s through exercise and particularly swimming – which I try to do most days over lunchtime. There is nothing like jumping into water in the middle of the day to unwind and recharge. However I am feeling going in, I feel much better coming out. People ask me how I find the time but as my father-in-law once told me it’s all about how we choose to spend our time. We make excuses about time but ultimately we choose how and where we spend our time. It’s all about starting and consistently doing something until it becomes a habit. Now I preciously guard that time each day.

Inclusion & belonging:

The other area in my life that takes me away from the cut and thrust of the commercial world and demands of being a parent is religion. I’m not about to launch into a sermon but it brings to me a few things which enhance my well-being : a sense of community and belonging, giving life a purpose and direction and once per week I get to think hear sermons that centre my thoughts and approaches on inclusiveness, kindness, charity and consideration. Key values I have always sought to bring into RedLaw both internally and how we treat and work with lawyers externally.

Find things which resonate with you. We are all different. What genuinely brings you happiness, enriches your life, frees your mind? I admit, I know it’s not the perfect work/life balance as I often don’t get as much sleep as I would like, but I am taking positive steps and these things help give me perspective and hopefully longevity and, if not, well hopefully it’s earned me fast pass entry to a better next world.