Wellbeing and Ethical Principles
Our Statement of Ethical Principles and Practice promotes the importance of wellbeing. Resolution member Martina D'Avino explains why it's so important.
Over the years raising mental health awareness has become an important objective for Resolution as an organisation. Wellbeing is not a standalone concept, its benefits spill into other areas of one’s personal and professional life.
People who are happier perform better and are more inclined to be collaborative and co-operative. As family practitioners, the nature of our work subjects us to various stressors coming from our clients, other peers and the often litigious nature of what we do. Targets and systems within our practices add to those tensions and are very difficult processes to manage.
As practitioners we need to be aware of our mental health and learn how to prioritise our wellbeing by finding ways to take a step back and switch our attention to ourselves. As junior lawyers we often feel an expectation to stretch ourselves thin to help senior colleagues with their cases as well as managing our own case load which in the long run may result in feeling burned out.
Managing clients’ expectations is often challenging and can take a toll. Learning how to set boundaries with peers and clients is conducive to better wellbeing and increased productivity. Prioritising our wellbeing is a learned skill, which we all ought to practice and cultivate.
Making the time to nurture personal hobbies and spending time with family and friends even after the busiest weeks is important to reconnect with ourselves and recharge our batteries for the weeks ahead.