• Login   

• For Solicitors
• For the Community
• About the Law Society
• Ressource center

Prevention, Detection and Observation

Prevention

We (being the lawyers who have drafted this website) are not psychologists or mental health experts.

Having said that, we like to think we know a bit about the stressors involved in living life as a lawyer. We recommend the following tips and tricks to keeping those stressors at bay:

• Get 7+ hours sleep. Simple but effective
• Make time for yourself as well as your family and friends. Like anything in life, if you don't work at something you will lose it. You need to make the time, not wait for time to become available
• Consider what makes you happy and make an appointment to do this every day
• Schedule exercise as part of your routine. Regular physical activity significantly reduces the risk of people developing depression
• When you're frantic and can't leave the office, take 2 minutes to stretch out your neck, back and shoulders at least twice a day
• Limit alcohol. Find alternative, positive ways to wind down after a long day in the office
• Limit caffeine. Drink 8 glasses of water a day and eat breakfast each day
• Capacity is an arbitrary term, understand what the definition means for you. Learn to say no to the one too many briefs
• Play to your strengths. Doing something that makes you happy, but in a busy world this may not always be easy – think about playing to your strengths. Other than the law, there are things that interest and motivate us. For example:
  
  • helping others – get involved in the pro-bono work
  • public speaking – volunteer to help with graduate recruitment
  • business strategy – offer to help your Partner with marketing plans
  These suggestions can add to your workload but they are things that give you pleasure and energy and can be a good balance to the mundane but inevitable tasks assigned to young lawyers.
• Be less self-critical – be realistic in assessing situations if a Partner appears not to be listening to your ideas – they are probably busy and absorbed in something else – assess the situations in context.

Check out the Black Dog Institute 'Exercise and Depression' fact sheet and the Black Dog Institute 'Treatments for Depression' fact sheet.

Detection

Take time to consider the following resources:The beyondblue 'Understanding Depression and Anxiety' checklistThe Black Dog Institute 'Self testing for Depression' fact sheetThe Black Dog Institute 'Symptoms of Depression' fact sheet

Observation

Consider the Black Dog Institute 'Helping someone else' fact sheet and the R U OK guide.

Help

See the Solicitors and Barristers section and the Student section for information about seeking help for a mental health problem specific to you.