Tips for reducing stress at work

Do you sometimes feel stressed, not due to your own situation but that of the person you are helping as part of your job?

Vicarious emotion is when we take on the stress of someone else as if it were our own, and it can be a common issue in many industries, such as healthcare and law, when professionals are acting on behalf of people who have gone through trauma.

Lanyon Bowdler Solicitors, which has offices in Hereford city centre, works with a health and wellbeing coach to provide staff with the tools they need to help them with their mental health.

Jo Plimmer, of WATT (Wood And The Trees) Coaching, says there are a variety of methods which can help people deal with stress in the workplace.

She says: “I previously worked as a physio in the NHS, and despite doing lots of things that I loved, I just became exhausted by spinning so many plates and ended up really struggling. I didn’t realise I was burned out until quite a lot further down the line when I started researching.

“As I talked to more people, I realised that so many others were in the same situation, which led me to where I am now - working with people and businesses like Lanyon Bowdler to understand and manage their health and wellbeing, particularly when it comes to chronic stress and avoiding burn-out.”

Emma Harrison, learning and development manager at Lanyon Bowdler, says: “As a firm we are committed to looking after the mental health of our staff. Client interactions can involve everything from a catastrophic injury to a multi-million pound business negotiation, which can be stressful and have a huge impact on our team.

“Jo’s work mirrors our values - caring, approachable, professional, expert and supportive - and her work really helps us care for our staff. Jo’s expertise helps our staff de-stress as much as possible, creating a supportive environment to enable them to enjoy their job and minimise the risk of burn-out.”

Here are some of Jo’s tips to help reduce stress during your working day…

1. “A common issue, not just with lawyers but with many professionals who deal with stressful situations involving their clients, is vicarious emotion - basically feeling stressed on behalf of your client because you empathise with them.

2. “So if you have been talking to someone who has gone through a stressful experience, just taking a moment to recognise that you are feeling emotional and stressed is an important first step.

3. “Then, even doing something as simple as concentrating on feeling your feet on the floor, your hands on your desk, your clothes on your skin, just allows you to tune back into yourself and what you are feeling.

4. “Try doing a body scan - go through your body and think about where those emotions are sitting. Then picture them draining out of your body, perhaps through your feet or releasing them through your breath. Imagery like this can be really effective.”

 

Jo and Emma have recorded a podcast discussing these kinds of tips in more detail. Just search for The Legal Lounge on your favourite podcast app, or go to the Lanyon Bowdler website at www.lblaw.co.uk/knowledge

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