Attaining a work-life balance in your professional field is of utmost importance.
It does not matter if you are a parent, spinster, or bachelor because you still have a life, a family, personal interests, and hobbies. Regardless, you need a flexible schedule and some personal days off from work.
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What You Should Know
Accepting a company’s job offer without looking out for employee Prerequisites like a work-life balance might be a little bit risky for your mental, physical, and social health, but do not fret if you do not know about the importance of having a work-life balance.
You have already accepted the job offer; all you have to do is cultivate a work-life balance by communicating with your employer(s) about the need to have a flexible work schedule.
This well-detailed article serves the exact purpose of describing all it takes for a “Lawyer” to cultivate a work-life balance; the article also describes “what is a work-life balance,” “the tasks and responsibilities of lawyers,” “why it is important for lawyers to cultivate a work-life balance” and “how can lawyers cultivate a work-life balance.”
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Cultivate Work-Life Balance As A Lawyer
There is no doubt about the fact that despite the need to work and earn money to handle life’s responsibilities, all skilled workers (salary earners, working class) have the desire to have some time to themselves, some time to tend to personal goals/hobbies/ and relationships too.
A work-life balance means that despite having a job that needs your undivided attention and 247 devotion, you still love yourself enough to take a break, relax and cool off from all the stress.
Placing so much relevance and putting your job first before anything else may get you all the money you need quite alright.
Still, in the long run, you will realize you are only hurting yourself and negatively impacting your mental/physical health and wellness.
An individual can achieve a satisfactory lifestyle by setting strict boundaries between his/her professional and personal life.
There is a more flawless approach to achieving success at work and tending to life’s personal needs; there are no more work-life balance conflicts but tranquillity and harmony.
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A Lawyer’s Tasks And Responsibilities
Lawyers perform quite an array of duties and responsibilities for clients, third parties, and judges. Each country has specific laws, so the tasks and responsibilities of litigators differ widely.
Their responsibilities also differ because of their field of specialization. Here are some common tasks lawyers perform;
- They keep their clients updated about the improvement or deterioration of their cases.
- They are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of their client’s case information and identity.
- They are responsible for developing strategies and techniques to win their client’s cases.
- They assist clients who want to pay taxes, sign business contracts, transfer assets, and address other legal concerns.
- They provide their client’s legal support, advice, and guidance.
Importance Of A Work-life Balance For Lawyers
98% of today’s lawyers experience extreme burnout and physical/mental health deteriorations because of the exhausting responsibilities they carry out daily.
It is advisable for lawyers to cultivate a work-life balance because it provides an equilibrium between work and personal life, and it also yields a gratifying lifestyle for you as a lawyer.
As a lawyer, practically, it’s up to you to determine whether you will enjoy a work-life balance.
You can either accept job offers that seem extremely stressful and time-demanding or accept job offers from a company that will value you as an employee and set professional boundaries by having a balanced work schedule.
Preferably, choose the latter and enjoy a gratifying job and adequate time to tend to personal goals.
As for the lawyers who are devoted to their jobs and have little or no personal goals to tend to, many firms and people are willing to employ such dedicated lawyers.
We are basically trying to say that pursuing a law profession can either positively or negatively impact your life.
The career path demands you dedicate some hours to arranging legal papers and client(s) information.
Legal practice can negatively impact your social, mental, emotional, and physical health because of the lack of work and personal life balance. Hence, it is important that you prioritize your job and your personal life equally.
How Lawyers Can Cultivate A Work-life Balance
- It is helpful to use the first two hours of your work time to get very important/critical jobs done; this can be achieved by planning your day and updating your to-do list (specifying important roles first!)
- If you seem stuck at work and have no idea what to do anymore, taking occasional breaks can come in handy. Take some time to cook off as it may help to boost work productivity.
- When you are at work, it is essential that you set boundaries with your family and let them know you will be busy for a certain period to avoid unnecessary distractions.
- When you are at home, it is essential that you set boundaries with your coworkers, employer(s), and clients and let them be aware of the fact that you need your personal space to take care of the home and tend to your personal needs.
- Your work area should be in a different space or room from your resting area.
- When you are on vacation, on sick leave, or on a personal day off, it is advisable that you strictly reject work calls, emails, and chats to get adequate rest.
- Some extra effort should be put into work to meet up with deadlines. But, if work requires that you do this consistently, you are heavily burdened with work. You may need to communicate with your manager to reduce the workload or communicate with a close coworker and get him/her to offer assistance.
- Instead of slowing your work process down by always having to skim through a pile(s) of paper to access the information you need, you can optimize your workflow with the help of Technical and organizational tools.
- In your “alone time,” ask yourself questions that will reveal all you want for yourself, reveal all that is working and not working in your life. Questioning yourself will reveal clarity and effective solutions that can help cultivate a work-life balance.
Ask Yourself Questions Like
- What are some bad habits of my Work-life that I have to change?
- What does a gratifying lifestyle despite having a demanding job feel like? What is in the way of me achieving the work-life balance I deserve?
- What procedures do I need to oversee strictly every day, every week, and every month to achieve a satisfactory lifestyle despite having a demanding job?
Have your manager or employer distribute legal work equally among you and your colleagues. Managers sometimes, due to preferences, bombard jobs with legal employees who seem more competent.
Psychological Effects Of A Poor Work-life Balance On Lawyers
Some psychological effects can be; Depression, Boredom, Anxiety, Lethargy, Negativity, Indifference, Anger, and Frustration.
Physical Effects Of A Poor Work-life Balance On Lawyers
A poor work-life balance can negatively impact a Lawyer’s physical health by causing; Insomnia, Fatigue, Dizziness, Hypertension, Headaches, Body weakness, and Inability to breathe properly.
Behavioral Effects Of A Poor Work-life Balance On Lawyers
Due to the constant frustration from the lack of a work-life balance, behavioral effects such as;
- Overeating
- Alcoholism
- Smoking
- Doing drugs
- Ceaseless irritability
- Impulsive behavior
- Poor interpersonal relationships can consume the individual.
The instructions on cultivating a work-life balance given in this article are not to be adhered to specifically, as just one set of basic work-life balance instructions will not necessarily be enough.
It is important that you try other means, like talking to a counselor, an advisor, or someone dear to you for advice on cultivating a work-life balance or reading books on balancing professional and personal goals.
FAQ’s
What Is The Least Stressful Field Of Law?
Real estate, estate planning, and intellectual property law are commonly known as the least stressful types of law you can practice.
Where Do Lawyers Work The Most?
Lawyers usually work in law firms.
How Can I Be A Successful Lawyer In Nigeria?
A young lawyer working in a big law firm will learn from experienced lawyers like the Senior Advocates of Nigeria. The guidance and mentorship of an experienced senior lawyer can help a young lawyer breakthrough in the legal profession.
What Are The Golden Rules Of Work-Life Balance?
Prioritization is the only way to create work-life balance – it’s the golden rule of work-life balance. Setting priorities doesn’t have to be too complicated.
What Promotes Work-Life Balance?
Encourage your employees to take breaks, walk around, or work in a different part of the office. You can create separate rooms or set aside spare desks for workers to walk to. Sometimes team chats and phone calls can be overwhelming, and breaking away for a while is healthy.
What Causes Poor Work-Life Balance?
60 per cent of employees who deal with work-life balance blame bad or overbearing bosses. 39 per cent point to consistent work beyond standard working hours. 39 per cent report inflexible working hours or rigid scheduling of time off.
What Is Another Word For Work-Life Balance?
Work-life harmony
Conclusion
Please Note; We know that all lawyers live unique lives and have personal responsibilities that fluctuate occasionally; the need for a work-life balance differs individually.
Cultivating a satisfactory work-life balance will be a different process for each lawyer, in the sense that they all have unique decisions to make on how and where to spend their leisure time.
We hope this article has proved helpful to you; you can do well to share with your friends and loved ones in dire need of these recommendations.