TAPAs: How to Avoid Burnout as a Lawyer

The practice of law offers the potential of a rewarding and fulfilling career, but it can also carry the reality of considerable stress and significant demands. Lawyers often face long hours, heavy workloads, high expectations, and constant pressure to meet deadlines and deliver results. These factors can take a toll on their physical, mental, and emotional health, leading to what many call “burnout.”

Burnout represents a state of chronic stress that can cause mental and physical exhaustion, cynicism, and detachment and can result in reduced performance. It can affect anyone who works in a high-stress environment, but lawyers have a particular vulnerability due to the nature of their work. According to a 2016 study by the American Bar Association and the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation, 28 percent of lawyers reported experiencing symptoms of depression, 19 percent reported symptoms of anxiety, and 23 percent reported symptoms of stress. Eighteen percent of lawyers qualified as problem drinkers.

Burnout poses a serious problem for attorneys, as it can affect not only their mental and physical health but also their performance and ethical standards. Burnout can impair a lawyer’s ability to provide competent and diligent representation to their clients and to uphold the rules of professional conduct. It can impair their judgment, creativity, and communication skills, as well as their ability to handle complex and sensitive cases. Sometimes, it may lead to ethical violations, malpractice, and disciplinary actions. It can also reduce an attorney’s motivation and productivity and increase turnover and absenteeism. Burnout poses a serious threat to the well-being and success of individual lawyers—negatively affecting their personal and professional relationships, their reputation, and their career prospects—as well as to the quality and integrity of the legal profession as a whole.

Fortunately, burnout is not inevitable. There are ways to prevent and cope with it and to restore a sense of balance and well-being.

Tip 1. Set Realistic and Clear Goals

Unrealistic or unclear goals can create a sense of (sometimes overwhelming) frustration. Lawyers must often juggle multiple tasks and projects, each with different deadlines, priorities, and expectations. Without a clear and realistic plan, they can feel constantly behind or as if they cannot meet their standards. This scenario can and often does lead to burnout.

To avoid this, lawyers should set realistic and clear goals for themselves and their work. They should prioritize their tasks based on their importance and urgency, breaking them down into manageable steps. They should also communicate their goals and expectations to their clients, colleagues, and supervisors and seek feedback and support when needed. By setting realistic and clear goals, lawyers can reduce their stress, increase their motivation, and achieve their desired outcomes, making burnout less likely.

Tip 2. Manage Your Time and Energy

Poor time and energy management skills that lead to overwork and exhaustion provide another path to burnout. Lawyers must often work long and irregular hours, sometimes at the expense of their personal and family time. They must also deal with frequent interruptions, distractions, and emergencies that disrupt their workflow and concentration. These factors can drain their energy and make them feel overwhelmed and fatigued.

Lawyers can mitigate this risk by carefully managing their time and energy. Lawyers should create a regular and consistent schedule that allows them to complete their work efficiently and effectively while leaving reasonable amounts of time for rest, recreation, and socialization. Lawyers can help themselves by learning to delegate, outsource, or automate some of their tasks and to say no to requests or commitments that do not align with their goals or values. By effectively managing their time and energy, lawyers can improve their productivity, performance, and well-being, further reducing their risk of burnout.

Tip 3: Take Care of Your Health and Wellness

Neglecting one’s health and wellness can lead to physical and mental deterioration. Lawyers often sacrifice their sleep, nutrition, exercise, and relaxation for their work. These practices can negatively affect their immune system, mood, cognition, and resilience. Many lawyers tend to ignore and/or suppress their emotions, which can result in anxiety, depression, anger, or resentment, again potentially leading to burnout.

To minimize this risk, lawyers should attend to their health and wellness. They should get enough sleep, eat a balanced diet, exercise regularly, and practice relaxation techniques such as meditation, yoga, or breathing exercises. They should also pay attention to their emotions and seek help from a therapist, counselor, or coach if they are struggling with stress, depression, or other mental health issues. By taking care of their health and wellness, lawyers can enhance their physical and mental health, making burnout less likely.

Tip 4. Build a Support Network

Feelings isolated or unsupported can lead to loneliness and even despair. Lawyers often work in competitive and adversarial environments where they may face hostility, criticism, or conflict from their opponents, clients, and/or colleagues. They may also feel reluctant to share their challenges or vulnerabilities with others, fearing being judged, rejected, or misunderstood. Once again, these circumstances can lead to burnout.

To avoid this, lawyers should build a support network of people who can offer them guidance, encouragement, and empathy. They should cultivate positive and trusting relationships with mentors, peers, and friends. They should seek opportunities to network, collaborate, and socialize. They should also join or create communities of lawyers who share their interests, values, or goals and who can offer them advice and feedback. By building a solid support network, lawyers can reduce their isolation, increase their sense of belonging, and enhance their sense of well-being.

Tip 5. Find Meaning and Purpose in Your Work

Lawyers often enter the profession with a passion for justice, advocacy, or service, but they may lose touch with these ideals over time due to the demands, pressures, or routines of their work. They may also feel dissatisfied with or unfulfilled by their work if it does not align with their values, interests, and strengths. Once again, this can put a lawyer on the path to burnout.

To avoid this, lawyers need to try to find meaning and purpose in their work. They should reconnect with their original motivation for becoming a lawyer and reflect on how their work contributes to a larger cause or vision. They should also seek or create work opportunities that match their values, interests, and strengths and that challenge them to grow and learn. By finding meaning and purpose in their work, lawyers can increase their engagement, satisfaction, and fulfillment, correspondingly decreasing the likelihood of burnout.

Tip 6. Get a Hobby or Two

Lawyers often neglect their personal lives and interests due to the demands and pressures of their work, but this can lead to stress, boredom, and resentment, again putting a lawyer on the path to burnout. Hobbies and outside activities can help lawyers recharge their batteries, express their creativity, and connect with other people who share their passions. They can also help lawyers develop new skills, perspectives, and insights that can enrich their performance and growth. By balancing their work and life, lawyers can enhance their well-being, resilience, and happiness, making burnout less likely.

Protect Your Career and Your Mental Health

Burnout poses a serious and common problem for lawyers, but lawyers can prevent burnout and mitigate its negative impact. The tips in this article can help lawyers avoid burnout and enjoy a more fulfilling and rewarding career. They can also improve their quality of life, their relationships, and ultimately, their happiness.