Elizabeth Rimmer
This Mental Health Awareness Week, LawCare is urging people in the legal sector to take easy steps and make small changes to move more each day for better mental health.
- The legal sector is well known for its long working hours and high-pressure environment, making it difficult to find time to get up from your desk.
- Movement and exercise are powerful tools for managing mental health. Physical activity can help reduce stress, improve mood, lead to better sleep, and increase concentration.
- Throughout Mental Health Awareness Week (13 to 19 May), LawCare will highlight simple steps to increase physical activity and share success stories from people in the legal sector who have significantly improved their mental health by moving more.
- Join LawCare for free events during Mental Health Awareness Week. Sign up now for the Moving with awareness workshop on Tuesday 14 May at 12.30pm and the Let’s talk about the billable hour webinar on Thursday 16 May at 12.30pm.
“As CEO of LawCare, I cannot stress enough the critical role of physical activity in managing our mental health, especially in the legal sector, known for its long hours, high stress, and sedentary lifestyle. This Mental Health Awareness Week, from 13 to 19 May, we’re championing the power of movement and exercise—not just as a means to enhance our physical health, but as essential tools to reduce stress, improve mood, enhance sleep, and sharpen focus. We urge everyone in the legal community to join us in committing to taking one small, manageable step towards increasing physical activity.”
– ELIZABETH RIMMER
Start small
You don’t need to run a marathon or climb a mountain; start with small changes today and try to make them part of your daily routine.
- Take the stairs when you can, or simply try to stand up more during the day. Could you take your next phone call standing up or even whilst you are taking short walk?
- If you commute, try to include activity as part of this. Could you walk or go by bike? Alternatively, park further away or get off public transport a few stops early to incorporate walking into your commute.
- Take your lunch break and use part of it to move around. Try to leave the building; find a place with some greenery for a 15-minute brisk walk, or you could even fit in a short exercise session.
- Schedule your movement and exercise like you would a meeting. Once you’ve decided what you’re going to do and when, add it to your calendar and commit to it.
Explore more simple steps to increase your daily movement for better mental health here, and read about how regular activity significantly improved Andy’s mental health in “How everyday adventures boost mental health“.
Moving with awareness workshop
Tuesday 14 May 12.30 to 1.30pm
As part of Mental Health Awareness Week, LawCare have invited Lawsight Ltd to lead a workshop about Moving with awareness. This free, online, practical workshop is about the importance of moving with awareness and the science behind it.
Let’s talk about the billable hour webinar
Thursday 16 May 12.30 to 1.30pm
Join us for a lively debate during this free webinar about the billable hour on Thursday 16 May 2024, from 12.30 to 1.30 pm.
The webinar panel will explore the pros and cons of the billable hour, its impact on legal culture, its effect on client relationships and mental health, and how it can hinder access and progression within the profession. The webinar won’t only focus on the well-known challenges; instead, it will explore actionable strategies for effecting change.
