Are You Heading for Law Firm Burnout? (EP 102)

Today on the podcast, we are talking about law firm burnout and how to recognise if you are doing too much! It can be stressful running your law firm.

Not only are you a lawyer, helping clients and meeting the demands that lawyers face, but you are also running a business. There are only so many hours in a day, and at times law firm owners are stretched way too thin and doing way too much.

Being responsible for all aspects of running files as well as marketing, accounts, finance and HR. This is a recipe for burnout!

So what are the signs of law firm owner burnout? If you are working crazy hours, not switching off on the weekends and trying to hold everything together, it is essential that you listen to your body and how you feel, as you could have signs of burnout and not even know it. Are you tired constantly? Do you feel stressed? Are you having trouble sleeping? These are signs you should not ignore as it could mean you have burnout.

In the past, I have experienced burnout without realising what it was. If you are unsure, here are some signs that you may be heading towards burnout and need to change how you run your law firm.

1. You dread going into your law firm and have deep Mondayitis!

If you are not excited about a new week and instead get that dreaded feeling on Sunday about the week ahead, this is a sign of potential burnout. This is more than being sad that the weekend is over. Getting that feeling in your gut about the week ahead, facing clients, staff members, or opening emails can be signs that something needs to change.

2. Feeling exhausted all the time.

Feeling either emotionally or physically exhausted all the time are signs of burnout. This can cause a lack of motivation, concentration and strain as you do your usual tasks. You find that you make silly mistakes and are at risk in your law firm of creating issues on client files or making costly business mistakes.

3. You are not excited about your law firm.

When you first started your firm, you were excited, full of hope and had the enthusiasm to get your law firm working for you. A sign that you are heading towards law firm burnout is that you are feeling disinterested in your business. Maybe hopeless, the satisfaction isn’t there, and you are wondering why you started your firm or thinking maybe being an employee may be better. Everything feels like hard work.

4. Your performance is suffering, and you are making avoidable mistakes.

Your performance isn’t what it used to be, and you have noticed that you are dropping the ball. You don’t feel like calling people back and dread opening your email. This may result in more incoming complaints from clients or clients going elsewhere. On the other hand, this could be because you are burnt out and need to implement other strategies into your law practice to return to being the peak performer you once were.

5. Your sleep is suffering!

If you are lying awake at night with work issues running around in your head, this is a sure sign that something needs to change in your law firm. If you have niggling thoughts keeping you up at night, burnout is either already there or just around the corner. Physical ailments are appearing.

Your body is telling you that you are doing too much, over-stressed and need to look at how you are running your law firm.

6. You may even have physical symptoms before recognising what is happening.

If you are burnt out you may experience the following:

• Heart palpitations
• Stomach aches
• Headaches
• Appetite changes
• Shortness of breath

It can be stressful running a law firm, however, it doesn’t have to be this way. It can be the opposite! It can fun, and bring you joy and freedom. It is just a matter of knowing what you need to implement to create a law firm that can provide you with the lifestyle you have dreamed of.

Head on over to my free workshop to learn exactly how you can scale your law firm without burnout!

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