Lawyer Jennifer Alvey writes, “I’d be willing to bet more than 80% of you live with a Happy Horizon in your head. The Happy Horizon is the fantasy you use to convince yourself that all your angst over your job is just a temporary blip, rather than the actual contours of your daily existence.” Read her Blog
The Happy Horizon Keeps Unhappy Lawyers Stuck
Introverts in an Extroverts’ World: Most Lawyers Are Introvert, and That’s Not a Bad Thing
The current issue of the ABA Journal reports, “It’s not something you’d intuitively think, particularly when you think of litigators,” Wisnik says. “But it makes sense. Many lawyers spend a lot of time by themselves—reading, writing, thinking—compared to other jobs where the majority of the work is interacting. Introverts make good lawyers, especially for clients who want a thoughtful answer.” Read the Story
Attorneys Grapple with High Rates of Stress, Burnout
Business West reports, “Lawyers say they entered the legal field to help people with their problems — often very difficult, serious problems. The danger is internalizing those problems and making client stress a permanent part of one’s psyche. That pitfall, and other stressors common to lawyers, from time pressures to sometimes-adversarial work relationships, contribute to unusually high levels of burnout, depression, substance abuse, and even suicide in the legal field. One challenge, experts say, is to recognize those dangers before they take root.” Read the News
Lawyers, Don’t Let Perfectionism Ruin Your Health
Duke University Law grad, Jennifer Alvey explores why lawyers have such poor mental and physical health: “Part of the answer lies in lawyers’ predisposition toward perfectionism. I often encounter lawyers who can only envision doing something if they can be all in. Doing something less-than-perfectly is seen as failure. When it comes to exercise and diet, this kind of thinking can set anyone up for failure because they will try to make big, grand changes at once, be unable to sustain them, and quickly quit in disgust.” Read the rest of her Blog
How Lawyers Can Avoid Burnout and Debilitating Anxiety
From the ABA Journal, a great overview of why lawyers suffer such high rates of anxiety and depression and what you can do about it. Read the News
Does the Way that Lawyers are Encouraged to Think and Work Make Them Vulnerable to Depression?
A high stress job combined with a temperamental inclination to analyze and pick apart can leave lawyers unusually vulnerable to depression. Read the Blog
Does Your Personality Fit Into the Law?
Ever wonder whether the law is a good fit for you? Read the Blog
Helping The Wounded Trial Lawyer
From The Huffington Post, Don McNay powerful piece about why so many middle-aged trial lawyers commit suicide. Read the Story
The Lawyer Personality: Why Lawyers Are Skeptical
Lawyers are outliers and tend to see the glass a half-empty. Why are lawyers so prone to skepticism? Read the Story
Does Your Personality Fit Into Law?
A post from Leaving the Law that encourages us to deal with who we actually are. Read the Blog
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