How to Set Boundaries for Self-Care

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Ask 10 people how to cope with stress, anxiety, or depression, and nine will answer “increased self-care.” With a busy life and demanding career, self-care must be more than treating yourself to spa days, bubble baths, and takeout. Proper self-care is intentionally constructing a life that ensures your needs are met and your time and energy resources are not depleted. ALM’s latest Mental Health and Substance Abuse Survey suggests that 31.2 percent of lawyers surveyed felt depressed, and nearly 64 percent reported anxiety. This alone is striking, but particularly so when compared with the national average reported by a 2019 National Health Interview Survey, which showed 6.7 percent of Americans reporting depression and 8.3 percent concerned about anxiety. For long-term success, self-care is not optional—it is part of the job. Without a solid framework of boundaries rooted in self-care, any promotion or expansion of your responsibilities likely comes at the expense of your well-being. The following simple strategies will profoundly change your work-life balance.