Page 12 - CCCA 278683 Magazine_Spring 2018

{ MENTAL HEALTH }

“ reCAlCulAting” our CAreer

mAnAgement plAns

By Wendy Lund, RN, BScN, MSc

“ Hey Siri, I need directions to June 17, 2042.” downs or death by suicide. No one makes safe to say that there is an overwhelming
“Getting directions to June 17, 2042.” concrete plans for bad things that may number of legal professionals who suffer
happen. But maybe it’s time to consider from mental un-ease or dis-ease.
how to safeguard your mental ftness and Disturbing as that may be, all this en-
Where would we be without our modern capacity to handle your career in a proac- courages us individually and collectively
navigation systems to map out our route tive, forward-thinking way. to take better care of our mental health in
so that we get to where we want as eff- If you are thinking to yourself, “That our demanding, often high-stakes profes-
ciently as possible? While failure to plan won’t happen to me,” think again. Given sion. As our navigational assistant would
your path doesn’t mean you won’t get the burgeoning evidence of mental un- put it, we need to “recalculate” our paths
there, it does increase the likelihood that wellness among lawyers, now is the time as we go along.
you won’t. The same can be said for your to pay attention to building your resilien- Career management planning is the
career—and your mental wellbeing. cy cortex to better equip you to manage best time to prepare yourself proactively
Career management planning should the occupational stressors you can antici- for the known stressors in each phase or
be a dynamic, refective and ongoing pro- pate with each new goal in your plan. position you hope to reach in your legal
cess that makes the intangible more tan- A recent survey of 12,825 licensed, em- career. Indeed, career management should
1
gible. Career management plans have you ployed lawyers found the following : include a stress management component
identify goals, both short- and long-term, ■ 23% experience problematic drinking that is continually revisited.
You may be wondering how to navi-
that ultimately refect who you are, where ■ 28% have experienced depression gate a plan that includes intangibles like
“ Career management planning is the best time to prepare One suggested route you can investigate
you’d like to go and how you’ll get there.
■ 19% have anxiety
mental health, purpose and meaning.
is to learn about how cultivating mindful-
ness, gratitude and self-compassion can
you considered a few other intangibles pharmacists and dentists. Moreover, next tal health. ”
foster positive mental and physical well-
yourself proactively for the known stressors in each phase
being. There is enough current evidence
or position you hope to reach in your legal career.
supporting how these qualities of mind,
when regularly practiced, help promote
health, build resiliency and enhance our
Building your wealth and a good exit Equally disturbing is the fnding that plan focuses solely on building your CV,
strategy should be important undertones lawyers rank fourth in suicide rates after you risk not having a career that supports
to each step of your plan. However, have other professions, including physicians, meaning, life satisfaction and good men-

that need to be addressed no matter what to female frst responders, female lawyers quality of life. If your career management
Jon Kabat-Zinn, founder of mindfulness-
stage you are at in your career: purpose, ranked second in suicide rates. based stress reduction, defnes mindful-
meaning and mental wellbeing? If your evaluation of those numbers ness as “paying attention, on purpose, in
It would be absurd to create a career leaves you thinking they are “not that the present moment, without judgement.”
management plan that considers when bad,” keep in mind that stigma keeps sta- But don’t be fooled by its simplicity.
you should make time for anxiety, depres- tistics related to mental illness low. The Mindfulness is challenging to cultivate as
sion, burnout, drug or alcohol addiction, above are reported percentages. If you step a dispositional mind quality.
disordered eating, relationship break- back and look at all of those together, it is There is some evidence to suggest we

1 Krill, Patrick R. jD, llM; Ryan johnson, MA; and linda Albert, MSSW. “The Prevalence of Substance Use and Other Mental Health Concerns Among American Attorneys.” Journal of Addiction
Medicine 10.1 (2016): 46-52.

12 CCCA MAGAzine | SPRinG 2018 PRinTeMPS