Five Steps You Can Take to Reduce Stress in Your Life

Today is Observe National Stress Awareness Day. As lawyers, we know stress all too well. Ehow.com has a list of five things you can do to reduce stress in your day-to-day life.

1. Prioritize your life. Our lives are stressful because each day is jam-packed with things to do. The list of things to do never seems to end and only carries over to the next day. People tend to do the least important things on the list first and then feel as if they haven’t accomplished enough in their day.

2. Don’t worry if you don’t get through your day doing all the things you have planned. As long as you do the most important things first, you have succeeded. And, your spouse will be happier.

3. Take a break. On National Stress Awareness Day, take a day off from the list. Take a break from all lists and spend the day in a stress free way with your loved ones. If you feel stressed out taking your kids along, bring a babysitter. If you feel stressed out going on a weekend trip, do a one day trip. Keep it close to home and away from traffic. Relax.

4. Celebrate National Stress Awareness Day by relieving your stress in a long term way. Find meaning. If that means finding God, do that. If that means letting hobbies fall to the wayside, do that. If that means quitting your stressful job and doing what you always wanted to do, take steps to move toward that. Make long term decisions that will relieve your life of stress.

5. Go nowhere. All week long you either have to go to the post office, the office, the kid’s soccer games, or somewhere else. Plan a day at home doing absolutely nothing. Stock the fridge the day before with easy to prepare meals. Rent or buy stress-free movies. Clean your most comfortable clothes and get in them. Sleep in late and stay in bed or on the couch all day. Do nothing for one day a year and enjoy.

At LAWPRO we are very aware that lawyers are exposed to high levels of stress on a daily basis. The results can be use, misuse or even addiction to drugs or alcohol, and challenges to physical or mental wellness. Stress is also a contributing factor in many LAWPRO claims. The practicePRO Wellness page provides lawyers with tools and resources to help manage stress, and achieve a healthy and balanced lifestyle.

Resources found on that page include:

• Getting Stress Hardy workshop: a series of modules in our Online Coaching Centre designed to help lawyers quickly and easily assess how they can manage stress in their daily lives.
• A list of links to organizations that can help with addictions, fitness and nutrition.
• A quick link to all the articles on wellness and balance that have appeared in LAWPRO Magazine.

We encourage any lawyer feeling a bit of burnout (or something more serious) to have a look at all the resources we have to offer.