The right to disconnect and the dangers of not doing so: Key Resources to Read and Listen To
Highlighting Three Podcasts and Two Books on this important issue
I do not usually write twice in one week, so forgive me. Consider this a bonus post which will make up for me surely falling behind while I am on sabbatical.
Lately I have been listening to and reading some great content that will be useful to law firm leaders, managers and individual lawyers and staff who are trying to improve mental health in their workplaces. I encourage you to send this newsletter to the leaders of your firm and start an internal discussion around these issues. Here is my “Must Read or Listen To List” for June. If people like this format, let me know, and I will share additional resources from time to time.
Mel Robbins Podcast featuring Dr. Alok Kanojia, MD
Mel Robins hosts a great podcast that releases new episodes every Monday and Thursday. Most topics related to health and wellness. In one of this week’s episodes she was joined by Dr. Kanojia who is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist specializing in modern mental health and the impact of technology on the brain. I personally learned a great deal from this podcast including how detrimental to your health and productivity being constantly “online” can be. I have switched up my morning routine based on some of the information I learned in this podcast and noticed almost immediate benefits.
I highly recommend it both for people struggling and for leaders who manage others (it may also be useful for those with kids who are addicted to their screens). You can access it here or on Apple Podcasts.
The Advocates’ Society’s Right to Disconnect Series
I have been a proud member of the Advocates’ Society my entire career. I was very pleased to hear that their Young Advocates’ Standing Committee (YASC) was focusing on disconnecting and is leading the work on this important issue. Part of that effort was putting together a two part podcast on the topic of the right to disconnect.
The first guest in Part I was the Hon. George R. Strathy, former Chief Justice of Ontario. Justice Strathy has published a number of articles and a book chapter about mental health in the legal profession and recommend each of those articles to you. They can be found on the Court of Appeal’s website and easily on Google. I learned a lot from his podcast about the “good old days” when lawyers took breaks, when it was considered rude to call a colleague or client on the weekend unless it was an actual real emergency. He attributes the current mental health challenges with the advent of technology and being constantly connected. He also is entirely correct that while young lawyers are leading the push for better work conditions and emphasis on wellbeing, real change needs to come from the very top and he challenges firm leaders to step to the plate. This is an amazing episode for everyone - especially the leaders in your law firm.
The second guest in Part II was me. In my conversation with a YASC we discussed a wide range of topics. I shared information about how our firm is trying to do things differently, the positive reaction we have had from clients, and also lessons learned from past experiences. The podcast provided a great format to share as much information as possible, and in a different format, and I hope you take the time to listen to it. You can find the TAS podcast online here or on iTunes or Spotify.
The Right Not to Remain Silent: The Truth about Mental Health in the Legal Profession
I have written extensively about this book elsewhere so I will be brief: any law firm leader or people manager who does not read this book is negligent and is not doing their best to take care of their people. The book has already been an enormous success and Lexis Nexis had to pause sales because they ran out of copies. They are back in stock and you should order yours now. This is the most important book on lawyer mental health on the market. It is a quick read with chapters covering a variety of subjects from people with lived experience with mental health challenges and mental illness. I cannot recommend it enough.
Occasionally I revisit my book “It Burned Me All Down.” I wrote it soon after the worst of my crisis. It is interesting to read it now as some of my perspectives have changed. It is a fairly raw account of what led to my personal burnout and mental health problems, how challenging it is to return from it, and what I learned along the way. You can find it on Amazon.