Doing The Impossible: Managing Work-Life Balance
Litigation and work-life balance aren’t necessarily very compatible. I spend my days juggling a large case load of ever-changing deadlines and cases, with everyone wanting a piece of my time. On top of that, there are firm management, business management, and marketing needs that I have to fit into the puzzle. Not to even mention the networking that I do. My job is inherently stressful, as I have clients going through one of the most profound and life-changing moments of their lives, which will directly impact their finances and relationships with their children. That affects me daily. So how do I go home at night and not take that all with me?
Well, I will admit that I do it a lot more nights than not, but a few key things help me manage my work-life balance.
Exercising
The first and most important is working out. Admittedly, this is generally the first one that falls off my list when I am in a time crunch, despite it being the most essential for me. Working out mentally separates my day from work time to personal time. It is tough to think about work while exercising - that’s a good thing! And then, once my mind has separated for the evening from my work, it’s easier to keep that separation.
Loving On My Dog
This sounds so basic, but my furbaby Max keeps me in check. He has needs, y’all. He needs more than just walks and dinner; he is a needy little cuddle bug. But it’s so good for me; I walk in the door to this little fluffball who is just so happy to see me, play with me and make me smile.
Fun Adventures
I know I say this over and over again, but I live to travel. So making plans for my weekend or a trip and then doing those things really promotes my work-life balance. It gives me something to mentally look forward to, focus on, and when I am doing those adventures, I really try to be present in that moment and enjoy them. Even a local adventure really takes my mind off all the stress. And there are so many fun things to do in such close proximity. In the past few months, I have gone to the movies with my nephews, hiked, had pool days, rented a boat on Deep Creek Lake (I am lucky that’s where I’m from), tubed down the Potomac River, ridden the Ferris Wheel at National Harbor with friends, and gone to the Alexandria fireworks. During these times, I try to turn the phone off, not check work email and just enjoy.
Maintaining Good Interpersonal Relationships
For me, I am a VERY social creature. Doing things with others makes me focus on them and making them happy, which makes me happy in turn. I love making people laugh, and I love to laugh. During the summer, I really love to take advantage of the extended daylight and spend lots of time with people - checking out a restaurant or bar I haven’t been to, having a glass of wine on my screened-in porch, gardening with friends, and cooking for people. I am blessed to be really close with my family and have so many friends that, to me, are like family. And doing things with them always takes me away from my work stress, even if it’s just a phone call.
Lists
I will forget all the things I need to do in my personal life for my professional life. So making lists - online grocery orders, reminders, notes - keeps me in check to ensure I get done everything I need to do to keep my personal life moving forward. Nothing is more stressful to me than getting home and realizing how many things in my personal life I forgot and still need to do, or forgetting to do something during regular business hours and not being able to do it when I have the time to do it. Plus, crossing something off your to-do list really feels good sometimes, doesn’t it?
My case load over the past two years has been double my usual, and I have been working on a lot more abuse and domestic violence cases, so I have to really work hard to try to maintain my work-life balance. I am not perfect in this. One of the best things I do, though, is not beat myself up about what I didn’t do yesterday, accept that I am human, focus on the here and now, and try to make time for the things I need to get done today, including to maintain my physical and mental health.
