Thursday, January 25, 2007
Burnout Assessment: How to tell if you have LBO (lawyer burnout)
Here are some telltale signs of lawyer burnout:
- You seem to be less productive although you're spending the same amount of time at work.
- You dread going into the office.
- You suffer from intense fatigue and low energy.
- You have little or no interest in the law, your work environment, colleagues or clients.
- It's tough to stay focused.
- You've lost the ability to experience joy.
- You drag yourself into work and have trouble getting started once you arrive.
- Youve become noticeably more irritable and less patient with co-workers, and/or clients.
- You believe that you face insurmountable barriers at work.
- Nothing in life seems to interest or excite you.
- You feel disillusioned about the practice of law on a consistent basis.
- You are self-medicating — using food, drugs or alcohol — to feel better or to not feel anything.
- Your sleep habits or appetite have changed (insomnia, loss of appetite.)
- You are experiencing chronic headaches, neck pain or lower back pain.
If you answered yes to 3 or more of these questions, you may be experiencing burnout. It may be time to take a hard look at what's working in your career and in our life.
Consider these questions
- Can you keep up this pace for the next 3-5 years?
- Are you satisfied with your quality of life?
- What might you risk if you continue on your current path?
For some life balance strategies: click here http://esqdevelopmentinstitute.blogspot.com/2005/11/cases-and-chaos-life-balance.html
Check back for our next in the LBO series: Common causes of Lawyer Burnout(LBO)
