Good mental health is more than the absence of a mental-health problem. People are struggling to cope with the demands of life and are stuck on getting through the day.

In the increasingly demanding and changing legal environment, resilience is important in order to thrive. It is now recognised as an important factor in the workplace.

Resilience is defined as the ability to resist or bounce back from adversity. In any workplace, there will be people who thrive on challenges and difficulties, while others will find it harder to cope with unexpected change or problems.

Top tips

Here are some top tips to help build resilience:

• Learn to see challenges, mistakes and failures as valuable learning experiences.
• Give yourself a pat on the back when things go well. Forgive yourself when things go wrong.
• Don’t give in to negative thoughts.
• Use humour to defuse and downplay difficulties.
• Be flexible – nothing stays the same, especially in the workplace.
• Take care of physical and mental health – get enough sleep, exercise and eat well.
• Take time off work, use your holiday entitlements and try to take breaks during the working day.
• Recognise that a bad situation is usually temporary.
• Build a support network – make time for friends and family who offer encouragement and strength. Consult supportive work colleagues.
• Don’t extrapolate one bad situation into another unrelated situation.

Confidential helpline

LawCare supports and promotes good mental health and well-being across the legal community.

Its key support service is its free, confidential and independent helpline, and its trained staff and volunteers listen and support with any issues.

Call 1800 991801 or visit www.lawcare.ie.