Professionals need to spend more time looking after themselves, rather than always putting others first.
I was facilitating some training the other day around mental health awareness. It was in a law firm so the audience was a mix of senior lawyers as well as managers from various business service functions. We were talking about the factors that might make lawyers, but also other professionals, more susceptible to problems, or perhaps less likely to be aware of developing problems. I have various ideas but one participant asked astutely whether it is simply that we are trained to serve clients, to put their interests first, to worry about their needs and their demands, to the ultimate exclusion of our own. We learn not to take care of ourselves, or at least only to do so if there is no client need to meet. I think there is something in there.
Related Articles
Let's Talk About Stress...
Work in its proper place
Mindful Business Charter and lawyers' purpose - it is a hard and hugely important job you do
People Management: HR must protect workplace investigators from the threat of vicarious trauma
Head of Resolution Zoe Wigan shares how to recognise and mitigate this risk for investigators of distressing subject matter.
Personnel Today: Six ways to kickstart conversations about team stress at work
Rachael Forsberg shares six steps for workplaces properly discussing team stress, as a crucial first step in tackling it.
Reworked: The 3 Best Ways to Invest in Employee Mental Health and Well-Being
Investing in wellbeing can boost both productivity and profitability. Where should leaders begin? Mark O'Grady shares three key focus areas for workplace leaders in his latest piece for Reworked.
