5 Signs You are Suffering from Legal Burnout Post Pandemic
Many Clients Report Feeling Symptoms of Burnout From The Divorce Process
Navigating a divorce is one of the most stressful life events one can go through. This is because there is so much involved in restructuring a family including dividing finances, agreeing on a parenting plan and the emotional impact of the breakdown of a relationship. In addition, family law files can take a significant amount of your time and financial resources. All of these factors, combined with the last effects of the global Covid-19 pandemic, can lead you to feeling the effects of legal burnout. Our team of family law lawyers in Calgary understand the impact a divorce can have and strive to work with clients to reduce conflict and achieve timely resolutions so that you can focus on what is most important to you.
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Decision making overload
Are you exhausted by the end of the day and the thought of making even the most basic decision sends you into despair? You may be experiencing what is known as Decision Fatigue. Decision Fatigue is a result of being forced to make too many decisions in a fixed period of time. If you are experiencing decision fatigue this can result in risky decision making, or the avoidance of making any decisions at all – both of which can be very detrimental in divorce proceedings.
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Newly developed bodily aches and pains
Being under stress for a long period of time can result in the manifestation of physical symptom such as headaches, stomach aches, chest tightness, sleep problems or a variety of other medical concerns. The physical symptoms of burn out may come on gradually or seemingly occur all at once. A doctor can help manage your stress and physical symptoms so don’t hesitate to make an appointment with a professional if you experience any new physical symptoms during a stressful period in your life.
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Relying on vices to get you through the day
You may find yourself turning to alcohol, comfort foods, drugs or other vices during periods of stress as these behaviours attempt to numb reality and offer a short-term escape. However, research shows that turning to alcohol or drugs can worsen anxiety and make symptoms of burn out much worse. If you are struggling with substance abuse there are many resources available.
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Shortened attention span and a short fuse
Things that used to roll off your back may cause you to explode if you are feeling the effects of burn out. This can result in yelling at loved ones, being short with your colleagues and generally taking your stress out on those around you. This can result in feelings of guilt and further increase your stress. You may also find it extremely difficult to focus your attention on one task. For example, you may find yourself reading the same line of an email over and over again trying to comprehend the meaning.
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Lack of self-care
With all your attention focused on your divorce proceedings and other daily tasks – work, kids, paying the bills, it can be easy for your self-care routines to fall by the wayside. Often, it seems like if we take time away from caring for ourselves, we will have more time to focus on the matters that are causing us stress. However, this could not be more untrue. Our bodies need care in the form of nutrients, sleep and exercise to function properly.
If you recognize any of the above signs of burnout in yourself, help is available. A doctor can assist in diagnosing you with burnout and help you address the many psychical and emotional symptoms.
Disclaimer: The content provided in the blog posts of Jones Divorce & Family Law is general information and should not be considered legal advice. Please contact a lawyer for legal advice tailored to your specific situation. All articles are current as of their original publication date.
