In an article for Litigation News, a magazine publication by the American Bar Association, Erin Clifford, Managing Director at Clifford Law Offices and Corporate Wellness Consultant at Erin Clifford Wellness, shares her insights on how attorneys can create balance beyond the courtroom to achieve harmony in their lives. Her article, “Creating Work-Life Harmony for a Lawyer’s Well-Being,” encourages legal professionals to examine their ten life domains that intertwine their personal and professional goals, reflecting on each to consider how satisfied they are and where they need to make adjustments.
Erin highlights that the legal profession is centered around winning major verdicts, striving for accolades, and achieving continued success — a high-pressure career that often leads to imbalance. This intense environment can cause lawyers to experience issues such as illness, exhaustion, emotional fatigue, mental health struggles, and addiction. For many young associates striving to make partner at their firm, the relentless demands can strain their personal lives, leaving little time for family, self-care, or health. Neglecting areas of our lives that bring us joy and fulfillment can lead to burnout, causing lawyers to question whether the pursuit of success is worth the personal cost.
“Over-prioritizing work can often lead to imbalances in other aspects of life, causing stress, illness, and mental and emotional fatigue. Lawyers can embrace wellness and still be successful in their careers—it all begins with awareness.”
-Erin Clifford
Erin suggests regularly assessing your ten life domains to identify areas that need more attention and recognize changes that you may want to make:
- Career: Think about what your job means to you – is it only about salary and insurance? Or is it fulfilling your life in other ways?
- Finance: Focus on your current financial situation rather than future goals to prevent financial worries from impacting your mental and physical health.
- Family and Friends: Maintaining relationships with your family and friends can be challenging with a busy work life, but prioritizing these connections creates balance and support.
- Community: Connecting with personal or professional groups like your neighborhood, church, or bar association fosters connection and helps you achieve longevity.
- Health: Prioritizing your overall well-being by addressing health issues, keeping regular health appointments, and looking out for your mental health.
- Self-Care: Incorporate self-care and support into your regular routine to increase your mental and physical well-being. This can include exercising, vacationing, or resting.
- Personal Development: Prevent stagnation and create positive change by developing new skills, learning a new hobby, or changing your environment.
- Spirituality: Use tools like nature, meditation, personal prayer, art, or gratitude to nurture your spiritual domain and bring you peace during challenging times.
- Contribution: Give meaning to your life by paying it forward through volunteering, serving on a philanthropic board, or supporting causes that are meaningful to you.
- Attitude: Embrace gratitude and keep an optimistic outlook for improved physical and emotional well-being.
“Creating work-life harmony is not a passive activity. It takes perseverance, commitment, flexibility, and grace. Once lawyers find a healthy rhythm that weaves together their life domains, they will experience the positive benefits of improved well-being in their professional and personal lives.”
Erin’s article is a reminder for legal professionals to regularly assess their life domains to ensure they are meeting their individual needs and staying aligned on their life goals. She emphasizes the importance of consistent effort in maintaining balance across all of their life domains to experience the positive benefits of wellness and achieving work-life harmony.
Read the full Litigation News article here. To learn more about Erin Clifford and her work in legal wellness, visit her Erin Clifford Wellness and Healthy Lawyers websites.