Life is stressful - especially for Lawyers and those that work in law firms but…

Life is stressful - especially for Lawyers and those that work in law firms but…

You may or may not know - that April was Stress Awareness Month.

Some of us that were working too hard didn’t know.

And we were too stressed to find out about it.

But luckily for us there are people that help those working too hard - manage their stress.

It was interesting to see even ex Dragons Den boss James Caan. Who might even be a bit stressed himself.

He did a LinkedIn poll talking about stress. This poll wasn’t just for lawyers.

Unlike ours about our next event (which is also about mental fitness and beating stress.)

But his poll was very telling.

WE ARE GETTING MORE AND MORE STRESSED.

And so to help businesses and individuals better cope with stress. The American Bar Association and the American Psychological Association declared April. Stress Awareness Month. The ABA and APA are now working together. To raise awareness about the effects of stress on workers' health. Both physically and mentally.

We are sure law firms and organisations supporting them are doing the same in the UK.

Researchers have found that excessive stress can lead to. Increased blood pressure, which can be a risk factor for heart disease. When mental health is affected by excessive stress. It can cause depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders.

It's no wonder then that stress has been called "the silent epidemic" in recent years. Because so many people are still unaware of its effects. For example:

A study reported that only 40% of those who worked with at-risk populations were aware of their employees' high levels of stress.

And guess what lawyers and those that work in law firms are under that high risk category. Take it from someone who was married to someone in this world. I know how stressful it is. So every April, we at Your FLOCK, celebrate the idea behind Stress Awareness Month. And want to remind all you that lawyers are stressed, and that stress can affect their mental health.

April is Stress Awareness Month.

You know that old joke about the one who gets to tell someone else's joke? Well, sometimes you're the one who has to hear it.

Some of us have a lot of stress in our lives. Not everyone does, but if you do and you want to learn how to relieve some of it, this month is for you.

As a reminder, stress can lead to short-term symptoms such as irritability, sleeplessness, and fatigue. But if it persists, it can lead to long-term mental health issues like depression and anxiety. We want you to know that you're not alone. To help you manage these symptoms.

Your FLOCK events to help.

So we are putting together TWO different events. With trained psychologists and business coaches. And those working in the legal sector to help you.

One has already happened - but it is recorded as we know how busy lawyers are.

And so you can catch up at your own time. And it will also be repeated on a live stream as well. And the other event is happening early June next month.

We know that stress can be a huge burden—you may have even taken time off work recently to deal with it. You might have tried yoga or acupuncture, but you just can't seem to get your mind off of it. Maybe you even feel like there's nothing you can do about it. Or maybe you think that dealing with the stress in your daily life is something you just have to learn to live with.

You are not alone.

Well, we're not here to tell you what to do or how to live your life. But we are here to remind you that there's help out there for people who need it.? And we want you to know how you can get involved.? And make a difference for yourself and others who are going through hard times.

We've got some ideas for how you can help:

• Talk about your personal stressors at work on your lunch break. (And remind yourself that nobody is judging)
• Join a local organisation that supports people in your community. And sectors who are going through hard times.
• Go to events like ours but also those put on by the Manchester Law Society as well.
• Give feedback to your manager or team leaders using something like YourFLOCK. Our team engagement platform - so your team knows more about you.

FEEDBACK IS KEY AS IS COMMUNICATION.?

This one is so important for me personally. As this helps me eliminate stress. Getting feedback from my team members—and giving them feedback in return. Nowadays, there are lots of tools that make this easier than ever before. Employee engagement surveys can tell you where you're already doing well. And where you can improve. And tools like Slack let us dial in our communication from anywhere on Earth.

Whether we are working from home, working remotely or working in the office.

Of course....

We would add in Your FLOCK to this mix as it is a specially made team engagement platform based on values. Which works especially well for legal teams and small law firms. As our work with the IMD shows.

As this is what we are all about at YourFLOCK. Helping teams stay together and be more productive together. And so this is why we are happy to put on events like the one next June and write things like this blog.

Hope you found it useful. And you can come to our event in June.

Drop a comment below and we will be in touch with a personal invite.