This Mental Health Week, the Law Society of Ireland’s Younger Members Committee will promote the importance of mindfulness and mental health in everyday work and home life.

Tomorrow, Thursday 10 October, young legal professionals from across Ireland will attend the Younger Members Conference 2019 - The Mindful Lawyer. The conference will discuss the importance of mindfulness and incorporating daily mindful practices into work and home life to improve general mental health and productivity.

Organised by the Younger Members Committee, in partnership with Law Society Finuas Skillnet, the conference will be addressed by a number of mental health experts, including Antoinette Moriarty, a psychotherapist and Law School Psychological Services Manager at the Law Society of Ireland; Gerry Hussey, a performance psychology consultant and Ursula Cullen, a solicitor and mindset coach, and others.

Importance of mental health

Director General of the Law Society of Ireland, Ken Murphy says it is always important to protect our personal mental health, and equally important to practically equip ourselves with the skills and tools to do so.

“Traditionally, solicitors and legal professionals are known for working in fast-paced and often stressful situations,” said Mr Murphy. “We have a responsibility to look after ourselves both physically and mentally.”

“Studies have shown that practising mindfulness can help reduce stress and anxiety, improve concentration, resilience, focus and more,” he explained.

“It is important for solicitors, and all working professionals, to recognise the signs that they need to take a break and to find that golden ‘work-life balance’. Anything that can help us to manage the daily challenges of law, such as mindfulness tools, skills and daily thoughtful practices, should be embraced.”

“Mindfulness practices are in the interests of both the employer and employee. Happier and healthier staff will lead to a more productive and efficient workforce,” he said.

“As the conversation around wellbeing and mental health is still opening up, events like The Mindful Lawyer, which bring the topic of our mental health to the fore, should be encouraged.”

The Mindful Lawyer conference will also provide a practical toolkit for mindful practices; discuss how to work thoughtfully in a pressurised environment and how to improve productivity through mindfulness and focus.

Law Society and wellbeing

Mental health and work life balance have been important topics for the Law Society over the last number of years.

Earlier this week the Law Society also launched its Professional Wellbeing Hub; a hub which provides practical supports, education and guidance for the profession across three pillars: workplace culture, resilience and well-being, and emotional and psychological health.

For more information on the hub, see: Professional Wellbeing.

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