Our top 10 tips for preventing burnout
As the end of the financial year approaches, and Winter well and truly sets in, it’s easy to feel a bit overwhelmed, overworked, and under the weather.
It is so important to look after your physical, emotional and mental health – this not only has benefits for you on a personal level, but also on a work level.
One of my favourite quotes is “Don’t give from your cup, give from your overflow”.
It took me awhile to realise I wasn’t winning any prizes by depleting my reserves entirely and falling in a heap. If I take care of myself, I can take care of others and perform well in all my roles in life.
From my experience meeting and working with many In-House Counsel over the years, the common personality trait is generally willingness to go above and beyond to help colleagues, be incredibly high achieving, and work extremely hard. This is great for meeting those tight deadlines and achieving what most see as impossible. But it can also mean your health (both mentally and physically) falters as a result.
You need to prioritise time to look after yourself so you can continue providing high quality legal advice and support to your businesses (as well as living a happy, fulfilling life which really is the most important thing!)
So for something a bit different, this blog post will share our top 10 tips for preventing burn out:
- Meditation, there are some great free apps available or meditations available on YouTube
- Self care in the form of relaxing massage or facial
- Reading a good book… with our without a glass of red wine
- Asking for help when it all just gets a bit too overwhelming
- Chatting to a colleague, friend or family member; a problem shared is a problem halved
- Keeping up a good dose of vegetables and staying hydrated…. Apparently we should be eating 9-13 serves of plants a day?!
- Well organised work processes in place so you can feel comfortable switching off over the weekend
- Trusting your team and collaborating well, so if you need to take that sick day, you can do so without the stress
- And speaking of stress – cortisol wreaks havoc on your immune system and your brain function, so please take a deep breath and try to recenter yourself when you feel yourself starting to spiral
- Getting out in nature – beach walks, a round of golf, or a decent hike
We’d love to hear any of your great suggestions!
