Self-Care Tips for Stressful Times
This article was written based on a couple of mental health themed lectures and discussions held in November. Special thanks to Terry Gardiner, Kara Hardin, Dr. Rumeet Billan, Stacey Barroso, and Charlie Williams for their helpful advice.
It is no secret that studying law can be stressful, and working in the legal profession is even more so. Lawyers and law students are more prone to mental health issues and COVID-19 makes it ever more important to take care of yourself. During this busy time of year, here are some things you can do to keep your mind healthy.
Know More About Yourself
“Why do you want to study law?” There might be an answer that you knew very well before coming to law school. But it is easy to lose track of what you are looking for in the daily grind of classes and readings. Many of your peers work around the clock for good grades and good employment prospects, so you might feel compelled to do the same. And, for some mysterious reason, they all seem to be handling it better than you.
There is nothing wrong with trying to improve. However, having a clearer idea about who you are helps you stay steady amid a competitive environment.
Here are some inquiries that can help you hold on to yourself. “Who am I?” “What are my hopes and dreams, values and interests?” “What are my needs, strengths, and vulnerabilities?” Take note of the answers as they come to your mind; you might be surprised that you have so many things to talk passionately about. With that in mind, have a look at your lengthy to-do list, and think about why you wrote things down in the first place: is it because you think everyone else is doing them so you should do too, or do they truly motivate you and help you grow, or is it something else entirely?
Another way to get to know yourself is to take note of your emotions. In a profession that prizes rational thinking, emotions can feel “inconvenient” — they stand in our way when we want to focus and get the work done. Often we feel the emotions but don’t know what they are related to or how to describe them. This is the time to be inquisitive about them rather than shoving them away. Recognizing what it is that you are feeling, what circumstances or thoughts trigger the feeling, and what these emotions prompt you to do, helps you understand patterns of your reaction and be prepared next time it comes around. This feelings wheel is a handy tool to identify your emotions if you need some help to pinpoint them.
Zoom Out To Life Outside Law
“Zoom” is probably one of the most mentioned words just after “COVID” in 2020. Video conferences are an integral part of our lives now. Jumping from one Zoom meeting to another from the comfort of home, albeit convenient, can blur the fine line between work and life and lead to a sense of overwhelmingness. Here are some ways to zoom out from the meetings and reconnect with your life.
- Create a routine and stick to it. The pandemic creates a lot of uncertainty, which in turn creates anxiety. Building up a schedule that promotes physical and mental health — for example, eating and sleeping regularly and setting some time for the things you enjoy — can help offset some of the uncertainty outside of our control.
- Get physically active. Not only is it good for your body, it refreshes your mind so that you gain more clarity and energy when you come back to work too. Being active does not mean that you have to go out for a run or lift some weights though; walking around the dining table when you are on a call counts too — you can be creative as long as it helps get you up from the chair once in a while.
- Connect with friends and family. It is more important than ever to hear from each other when we have to keep two meters apart and hide our faces behind masks. Regular and consistent social connections help you feel supported and alleviate the sense of isolation: find some time to talk to your family and friends, sharing the good things or the not-so-good ones, in any form of communication you like.
Habits We Want To Break Away From
We’ve all been there: get up ambitiously in the morning, fully motivated to tick off a number of to-dos on the list, but struggle to hit our goals at the end of the day. So you decide to stay up late to finish them “within the day,” but the sleepiness kicks in just in time to derail your focus. You might find yourself sinking in the chair, scrolling social media and simultaneously feeling guilty for slacking off.
Working late to compensate for the lack of productivity in the day is not a good idea. When you try to make the day more productive by giving up much needed down time, you are essentially borrowing energy from the next day. It does not make you more productive. In fact, it is more likely to decrease productivity and make you feel bad about yourself.
When it’s time for sleep, it’s better to put down the work and pick them up tomorrow. If you often find it difficult to complete your goals for the day, the reason might be that your goal is a bit too ambitious, rather than because you are not productive enough.
Apart from school work, the constant flow of information from news and social media can be a big stressor too. It is not your fault that you find it hard to put down the phone sometimes — that little gadget is engineered to grab your attention as much as possible. Try putting your phone away for some time and see if it makes you feel better. It is unlikely that you are going to miss out some big news anyway.
Helpful Resources
If you need help, don’t hesitate to reach out. The Faculty has a wealth of health and wellness resources, including accommodation services, mindfulness sessions, and counselling appointments. You can also talk to your peers through Law Chats or the Peer Mental Health Support Program. It might sound like a cliché, but in terms of mental health, it’s good to keep in mind that “we are all in this together.”
