Lawyers are often highly stressed.
This can lead to a drop in productivity, or even complete burn out.
Mindfulness is a proven set of skills that build resilience.
We have designed and delivered a bespoke online training course for lawyers, based on a ‘little and often’ approach that really works.
For one law firm it contributed to a 20% rise in billable time.
What’s the problem?
Lawyers often feel overloaded with work, unappreciated, isolated, and unsupported; many complain of unattainable targets, poor working conditions, and long hours.
Surveys by LawCare and the Law Society reveal that more than 50 per cent of the profession feels stressed, and that 19 % have clinical depression. More than 95 per cent say their stress is extreme or severe.
After 7 years of practice, lawyers are they’re twice as likely to suffer from an episode of depression as other professionals. The pressures of work and the long hours culture in the law together with the perfectionist approach that many legal professionals have, can take its toll.
The key tool for lawyers is their mind. They use it to solve problems for clients. Yet how much time do lawyers spend taking care of this precious resource?
What is the cost to lawyer’s own wellbeing of working in an environment where the subject matter is inherently stressful and where ‘vicarious trauma’ is a real danger.
Where lawyers are under pressure, they are also likely to affect their colleagues and support staff. So productivity and wellbeing can both enter a negative spiral.
The six week course
We have a created a six week course, condensing our normal programme and focusing on addressing the stresses experienced in the legal sector.
How can mindfulness help?
Firstly, lawyers can benefit from a review of their approach to their working life. A good starting point is to clarify values and intention, and to make a commitment to a better work-life balance.
Secondly, individuals need to build their resilience. A programme of secular mindfulness, based on sound neuroscience, then provides the skills and training ground to learn how to live and work in a more balanced way.
There is also a role for organisational leaders to recognize the signs of stress, to be proactive in creating supportive culture, and in responding appropriately when problems occur.
Does it work?
Here’s what one legal services client said:
‘Simon worked with a group of 14 lawyers and operational managers to help them cope with a demanding workload and resulting anxieties.Simon’s training had an immediately beneficial effect. We saw productivity and chargeable time increase by around 20% and remain high, contributing to our most profitable quarter yet. Not only was it fantastic value; it’s also helped us create a happier workplace.’
HR director Paul Clayton of Capital Law
Register
Buy this course, with unlimited access to course materials and membership benefits for 6 months.
£95 (inc VAT) - 10 days free trial
If you're a manager in an organisation looking to provide this training for your teams, we can take groups of up to 25 people and guide them through the course with regular webinars. Contact us to find out more: