As the COVID-19 pandemic brings rapid changes to everyone’s way of life, the legal world is facing almost daily shifts in work and home life, which are causing extra stress and worry.
Sarah Myers, the executive director of the Colorado Lawyer Assistance Program, said there are many new pressures facing attorneys as they adjust to a new way of life, from their work, personal life, and client and staff concerns.
“All of this is about our nervous system activating our stress response because of all the uncertainty,” Myers said. “The problem that is going on now is that uncertainty is heightened, so stress is heightened.”
Financial concerns, changes in routine and physical illness are three of the biggest disruptors a person can have, she said. Further, discussions about physical illness can include discussions about mortality and death. Myers said these topics are things everyone is dealing with at this time.
Lawyers also often absorb the problems of their clients. The changes in people’s ’ work situations as well as their home life compound on top of each other. Some people are likely to adapt easily while others are getting antsy.
“It seems different, but really when you boil it down, all these different things that people are going through and how we respond to them is completely based on how the nervous system activates its survival strategy by increasing stress hormones and chemicals, and how the brain and body respond to those changes,” she said, adding that any way to reduce those stress levels would help.
Working From Home
As attorneys begin to work from home regularly, they are now surrounded by people they may love — constantly.
This itself can lead to feelings of being crowded and can create challenges when trying to focus during the workday, Myers said. If being in the house with loved ones is getting to be too much, go take a walk, she said.
Attorneys with children are now trying to find a way to work from home with those kids. She had heard an anecdote of one attorney who had taken their children out of state to relatives because they knew they had to be in court and they were going to be exposed. “Talk about a disruption — and a very difficult one filled with stress and worry,” Myers said.
On the flip side, feeling isolated, especially for attorneys who live alone, is another adjustment, Myers said. “A clinician friend of mine said, ‘This is the time when people really find out if they’re introverts or extroverts — in how they deal with this.”
Financial Pressures
Income is another concern, Myers said. Clients could be falling away during the pandemic, and cases may face motions for continuance.
For solo attorneys, some of the specific concerns surrounding stress at this time could include paying for rent of an office, paying staff and trying to keep the business afloat.
And even if things are running smoothly financially, another challenge could be in figuring out a person’s most productive work hours, she added.
Perhaps an attorney can’t work their normal workday because of needing to help kids with remote learning. As a result, the clock shifts, Myers said. An attorney used to working until 7 p.m. might now working until closer to 9 p.m.
Once work is over, they may want to some downtime, and maybe they’re now going to bed around 1 a.m. instead of 10 p.m.
Or, attorneys may be working too much during quarantine, Myers said. Some may be unable to put work down when faced with it constantly, which can also affect how much sleep someone may get.
“Workaholism” can come out during this time, and COLAP has seen all sorts of situations like these, Myers added. A person’s bad habits can come out more during this time, and all of it grows from trying to adjust to a new routine.
Finding Healthy Outlets
From a behavioral health standpoint, as stress goes up, substance use, addictions and mental health issues go up as well, Myers said. “It’s not going to in all cases, but it’s certainly a risk.”
For a profession with a history of depression and substance abuse issues, the current quarantine could be a challenging time.
A 2016 study focused on substance abuse and mental health of attorneys published in the Journal of Addiction Medicine, “substantial rates” of behavioral health problems were found among 12,825 surveyed attorneys with 20.6% screening positive for harmful, hazardous and “potentially” alcohol-dependent drinking. Younger participants, men and those working in the field for a short time had a higher portion of positive screens.
“Levels of depression, anxiety, and stress among attorneys were significant, with 28%, 19% and 23% experiencing symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, respectively,” the study results state.
Myers said COLAP had heard from attorneys that it is difficult to manage drinking.
When she spoke to law students, she advised them to be in a bar-exam-preparation mode without day drinking. “With lawyers, we may not be in bar-prep right now, but we might be in trial prep.
For people who already use psychoactive substances to help manage anxiety, stress or depression, that is a big issue,” Myers said.
Aside from people with diagnosed addiction issues, these bad habits can have serious and long-term health effects, Myers said. Further, those habits don’t need to be serious addiction either to become devastating. They might range from day drinking to seemingly innocuous activities like overeating processed food or watching too much television.
Healthy Recommendations
So, how do you handle the stress? Getting outside and getting fresh air is important for reducing stress, Myers said. She also staying hydrated and doing continual deep breathing.
“Lawyers are unfortunately really good at breathing shallow or holding their breath … the higher the level of stress the more they tend to hold their breath,” she said. The more stressed a person is, the shallower the breathing becomes.
Everyone already knows these tips, she said, but everyone just needs to practice them. She suggested creating a schedule and sticking to it to provide some level of predictability. Eat fruit and vegetables, even if they’re canned or frozen.
“Pay some attention to your wellbeing. Do the best you can, and don’t be hard on yourself if things aren’t perfect,” she said.
“Expect interruptions and expect things to be delayed, and expect people to freak out as everyone is going to react to this differently.”
Myers also said that kindness toward others is key, since each person has a different level of resiliency. One attorney might not know anyone who is sick while another’s entire family is diagnosed with COVID-19.
“This is a time to prep for whatever level of normal we’re going to go back to,” she said. “Set yourself up well.”
COLAP has been working virtually and offering sessions via Zoom, telephone and support groups, Myers said.
Attorneys can always call to discuss problems for free and to help them figure out situations involving COVID and beyond.
“Lawyers problem-solve for everyone else, and sometimes they need help problem-solving for themselves,” she said. “There’s no harm in calling, it literally can only help.”
— Avery Martinez