Take Time to Take Some Time

I can only speak for myself here, but wow, do I need a break. Between work and a once again budding travel and social life, I'm definitely burning the candle at both ends. Do I want to change it? Nope. Not at all. I'm lucky to do a job I truly love and find rewarding and fun. Likewise in my personal life. So, how should we manage all this stuff? It's time to take a break. It can be a full day off, a full weekend off, or maybe it's just shutting off the computer at 6pm and bingeing a show for the rest of the night with some yummy delivery dinner. Whatever floats your boat, take time to take some time for yourself. The benefits?

Reduce Stress

Yes, even if it's fun stuff that's causing your busy schedule, it still takes a toll over the long haul. The stress of having a busy schedule is there, whether it's for fun or for work. Taking a day or two off of the fun stuff will certainly give you some much-needed downtime. If it's work that's causing your schedule to overflow, we don't even need to discuss how your stress will be reduced. The trick here is how you manage all the to-do's if you are taking some time for yourself.

For solo law firms, we highly recommend looking for some project-oriented or perhaps ongoing paralegal support. Take some tasks off your to-do list. We all know how truly critical paralegal professionals are to driving the efficiency of the law firm. Not ready to hire a full-time or even part-time person? Check out our on-demand paralegal resource to help complete that to-do list enough so you can take some time.

Increase Motivation

We all have ok days, great days, and well, not-so-great days. Burnout is very real. And with all the turbulence the world is experiencing right now on top of it, it can really affect your motivation. Taking a break from a busy work or personal life and just re-charging can really increase your motivation. If bingeing a show isn't your jam, that's great. Whatever it is that gives you some semblance of 'rest', whether exercise, some self-care in the way of massage or something, or a hobby like painting or reading, make time to fill up your cup.

Improves Physical Wellness

I have a dear friend who is an exercise machine. She is a bankruptcy attorney. She just ran the London marathon and is off next week to run the New York City marathon. Between all that running, she is an avid weight lifter and a fellow cycler. Very impressive, right? The trick here is not only that the physical exercise is a reward in itself, but this is how she de-stresses. Clearly, she has some stress. What you do with your downtime could be exercise focused. But it doesn't have to be. Taking a break from the 'grind' gives your body some time to relax, lets that cortisol level drop, and hopefully gives your mind some time to clear. And all of that is good for your physical health.

Get Some Perspective

Distance helps remove some natural distortion of situations. Taking a break gives you a chance to look at things from more of a distance, instead of getting stuck in the weeds. From there, you may be able to find ways of improving processes, find balance throughout the week and weekend, and maybe even realign your priorities. And all of this helps you better manage all of the demands a bit more clearly, finding some creativity when your brain is allowed to rest a bit.

Improve Concentration

We all know the feeling. You start the day with a to-do list, feeling like you have a real shot at getting it all done. Then the distractions start. Whether it's an email, a phone call, or something else, you lose your focus. Maybe it's just being super productive and then your focus wanes, as it does. Taking a break - whether it's for 15 minutes or a couple of days off - helps recharge and re-energize your concentration skills.

To have a healthy practice, you need to be healthy too. Make sure to take time to take some time to keep your battery charged and performing at your best.