Well-Being Week in Law: Balance through spirituality
by Stacy Parmer, LMFT, LPC, MOLAP director
Spiritual wellness is about bringing balance into your life by building habits that work for you and complement your existing values.
There are many factors that contribute to becoming unbalanced in the legal profession, such as juggling demanding work hours, stressful environments, and emotionally charged clients, while trying to maintain spiritual well-being. However, achieving wellness and balance is not only crucial for your personal happiness but also for your professional success. One way to accomplish balance is by aligning your life and work habits to serve your values.
If you have ever walked along a beach, lake, or forest, you may have noticed a cairn or a stack of stones balancing in a precarious manner. This act of delicately stacking stones is an ancient art form based in spiritual observance and is a testament to the need for creating balance in life.
Think of values as the base of the cairn, establishing the solid foundation to build upon. Values guide your choices and help you understand what you want to build and prioritize in life. Take a moment to reflect on your core values. What really matters to you in the work that you do and in your personal life? What will be the next stone you stack?
Do you value physical health over emotional and spiritual health, family over financial success, competitiveness over loyalty, perfectionism over creativity, adventure over calmness, responsibility over freedom, or honesty and integrity over wealth and power?
Now, take a moment to reflect on your work habits and current lifestyle. Are you cultivating healthy habits that are conducive to building upon the solid foundation set by your values? A 2018 Legal Trends Reports found that 75% of lawyers report working outside regular business hours and 39% of lawyers say work negatively affects their personal life.
Do you delegate and collaborate whenever possible to create more time for personal commitments and improve work efficiency?
Do you set clear boundaries to avoid burnout and maintain a healthy separation between personal and professional responsibilities?
Have you fostered a sense of belonging and pride in the work that you do, making it feel more meaningful?
Do you prioritize self-care by engaging in activities that promote physical, mental, and emotional well-being, such as exercise, mindfulness, or social connection?
When we engage in habits that move us away from our values, we become unbalanced.
Spiritual well-being encompasses an awareness and practice of your values that allow you to build healthy habits both in and outside the office to create balance in your life.
How will you stack your stones?
If you’d like to discuss how you could improve your overall wellness, the Missouri Lawyers’ Assistance Program is here to help! Please consult the Missouri Lawyers’ Assistance Program at 1-800-688-7859 for free, confidential counseling.
References:
(2018 Legal Trends Report. Clio.com. Retrieved April 2, 2024, from https://www.clio.com/resources/legal-trends/2018-report)