Ways To Relieve Stress (Continued from page 35)


good order.38 your desk and closets.39


Periodically, clean out Not only


will the cleaning do your work and office good, but also the organized office works wonders psychologically as well.


(15)Return phone calls promptly. Cli-


ents, witnesses, court clerks, and fellow lawyers are entitled to prompt responses.40


Get into the habit of


responding to your mail soon after it arrives and setting aside a time of day to return phone calls.41


Even if you


are unable to answer the client’s ques- tion immediately, call back and advise the client that you will pro- vide an answer as soon as you can research the issue.42


(16)We all make mistakes. Learning to deal with them and going forward is key.43


have made an error, admit it, try to fix it at once and don’t blame oth- ers.44


If your secretary makes an


error, it is still your ultimate respon- sibility.45


(17)Make time for family and friends – “You spend most of your waking hours working.


In your remaining


waking hours, make time for family and friends, undistracted by profes- sional concerns. Keep the courtroom out of the bedroom and living room.... And don’t give up your so-


When you find out that you


cial life.”46


Develop friendships with non-lawyers.47


(18)On a similar note, make time for yourself – doing so should relax you, clarify what’s important to you, and enhance your enjoyment of life.48


It


will also reduce the likelihood that you will begrudge the time you de- vote to your work.49


If you fail to


do this, you will lose balance in your life. Failing to establish balance will lead to drudgery, and ultimately mis- takes. You are guaranteeing yourself problems, somewhere, sometime, if you fail to establish a balanced lifestyle.


(19)Routines are great until you get into a rut. Vary your routine – change your time of arrival, departure, or lunch; your route to work; your lunch companion; your office furni- ture or decor.50


Even if you vary your


routine in as simple a manner as wearing more comfortable shoes, it can affect the way you view your job.


(20)Plan a realistic work schedule.51 Don’t schedule things too close to- gether.


Always err on the side of


adding extra time into your sched- ule versus always being late to your next meeting.


(21) Expect the unexpected. Rarely will everything go as planned, and, more likely than not, things will turn in a direction you may not have foreseen. When upsets occur, buy time, think, plan your course of action, and ex- ecute it.52


(22) Listen to your body – be conscious of the warning signals your body sends when you are stressed – head- aches, malaise, neck pain, queasy stomach, twitching eyes.53


Change what you can to reduce your level of 38


Stewart I. Edelstein, Irwin Sollinger, “Twenty-Six Ways to Cope With Stress, The Law Need Not be a Jealous Lover,” supra, at p. 104.


39Id. 40


41Id. 42Id.


43Id., at p. 46. 44Id. 45Id.


Neil J. Dilloff, “Tips for New Associates,” supra, at p. 45.


46


Stewart I. Edelstein, Irwin Sollinger, “Twenty-Six Ways to Cope With Stress, The Law Need Not be a Jealous Lover,” supra, at p. 104.


47Id. 48Id. 49Id. 50Id. 51Id. 52Id.


53Id., at p. 105. V. Conclusion Stress is a part of our lives as litigators.


By being organized and working effi- ciently, you can reduce your level of stress. Remember to enjoy things, find a balance that works for you, and to not let work overwhelm you. Finally, remember that you will not be a new litigator for long. By incorporating appropriate ways to cope with stress now, you are less likely to be- come over-stressed as you grow into an experienced litigator.


54Id., at p. 106.


stress; your body will tell you if the change is really working.54


Realize


that you may not be able to immedi- ately reduce stress in your life. Accept that it may take time, follow and implement steps to reduce the stress, and do not become more stressed because of the time it takes to relax and reduce stress.


(23)Remember that the only trial attor- neys who don’t lose cases are those who don’t try cases. Try your best; do everything in your power to win, but realize that you will lose some. Deal with it. Learn from it. Know that as long as you did your best, not only will the partners recognize your efforts, but also you will be satisfied with the result no matter whether you won or lost.


(24)Find a more experienced lawyer to act as a mentor. A mentor is some- one you can call or e-mail to ask for advice or share ideas and strategies for your cases. Just knowing that you have someone to whom you can ask any stupid question you might have is a major stress reliever.


(25) Another option for reducing stress in your life is to quit and go into a new career. Problem is, most of us have thousands if not tens of thousands of dollars in school loans. The simple fact of the matter is that litigation specifically, and the law in general, is not the ideal profession for everyone who went to law school. Realize sooner rather than later that trial work (or practicing law) may not be for you. Explore your options be- fore you feel too entwined at your current firm.


36


Trial Reporter


Winter 2003


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