The process of qualifying as a lawyer is long. With the rise of virtual events, we may feel obliged to attend every session given that they are more accessible than in-person events. On top of this, we’re juggling applications, studying and hoping for a lockdown-free festive season. 

This time of the year can be a challenge for us all as we’re pushing ourselves to do too much and falling into the burnout trap. As you may already know, ‘burnout’ is a widely used term that refers to work-related stress that can leave us feeling physically and emotionally drained. It is something that impacts the entire workforce, with lawyers and lawyers-to-be being some of the most affected. 

This blog post seeks to offer recommendations for how to prevent burnout this season. 

Prioritise your tasks

For me, organisation is key. I work out what is necessary and urgent then I write a list of priorities under each of these headings and allocate my time according to this list.

Distractions during lockdown appear to be minimal, yet we still find ourselves procrastinating, finding it hard to focus and forfeiting key tasks. It’s advisable to plan to prevent this from happening early on. For example, we need to adjust to working in a new environment. Therefore, make working from home work for you. You can achieve this by taking the time to ensure you have the right resources, support and routine. This may take time, but in the long term it will increase your productivity and set you in good stead for legal practice.

An ineffective plan is preparation to fail, as this might mean not completing important tasks that could prepare you for your future career, such as virtual internships. The benefits of planning mean that you can start ticking these important tasks off your checklist, rather than having a stack of outstanding tasks. 

This opportunity to plan and adjust is valuable. If you can, try to find some time to review your daily plans. It is important to make sure that not every consecutive day is the same. Identifying the need for prioritisation and the things that work for you, will help you to navigate your tasks more effectively and allow you time to unwind. 

Once complete, it can then be easier to put the tasks out of your mind, knowing that you have allocated the right time to them. 

Battles of the season

Achievement is still very important in the legal industry – no matter what stage in your career you are at. The fact is that law is a difficult profession to enter. 

Often we can get wrapped up in our studies and careers, that we forget to make time for ourselves and our loved ones. While it is important to achieve top grades for a career in law, you must remember to enjoy yourself. This time of the year can be particularly difficult for setting aside time for yourself. Towards the start of the festive season, we tend to feel a sudden rush. After all, we know that this is a time to prepare for non-stop celebrations. 

It can feel extremely difficult to maintain a good work-life balance. Admittedly, the reality is that we are approaching deadlines for training contract and vacation scheme applications. Further, this is combined with many late-night study sessions that can include 'cramming' in long case law. The legal world is a deadline orientated one. My recommendation is to stay grounded and make the most of this season. 

Take your time to practice self-care. 

Plan for self-care  

First of all, take breaks. The desk can wait. 

For instance, this can be making healthy meals, doing workouts (or going on long walks), listening to podcasts and staying in contact with loved ones. It can be difficult to meet up with friends due to the lockdown restrictions and the restrictions we place on ourselves but with technology at our fingertips, we can still stay connected to others. Communicating with others is something that brings joy. This can sometimes be all we need before we reimmerse ourselves into the legal world. Not taking breaks could cause some serious harm – both mentally and physically.  

Also, practising self-care is about taking the time to do nothing. I say this because sometimes we can put pressure on ourselves to stay busy. It can easily become an excuse to say "no" to the things that matter. We live in an age where we’re always on the go. The legal world is constantly evolving and the way to keep up is to take time to refresh in order to re-engage. 

You are never too busy to look after yourself. 

Using burnout to your advantage

With hindsight I now see that burnout can push you to work harder. It is important to take all your experiences and use them to your advantage. At the point of burnout, we should recognise that it can be a great motivator towards reviewing and re-engaging in a manageable way. Being honest with yourself will allow you to take control. 

Remember that by allowing yourself time to relax, that is doing something. In addition, this is important to ensure that you are refreshed and ready to take on new tasks and a career in law. Finally, these small adjustments are steps towards maximising your full potential.