| THE ONTARIO LAWYERS’ ASSISTANCE PROGRAM Manresa Retreat by: Stanley J. Kershman, L.L.B. Imagine a place. . . Think burnout's not a problem? Think again. According to John Starzynski, the Volunteer Executive Director of the Ontario Bar Assistance Program, burnout can affect relationships, financial matters, mistakes at work and-in extreme cases-can lead to lawyers acting less than competently on behalf of their clients. And you know what this means: errors and omissions claims, and possible disciplinary action by the Law Society. Imagine sitting in a room with 12 other lawyers who feel the same way you do. You can share your experiences about work, home and life in general. Sounds good, you think, for someone else-but not for a lawyer. Well, every lawyer needs to recharge his or her batteries on a regular basis. I was intrigued when I first heard of this retreat concept, but then shrugged my shoulders and said, "This is not for me. It's too touchy-feely and I'm not good at that." But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to try it. So in May 2004, I went to the Jesuit retreat called Manresa in Pickering, Ontario. The topics were varied, and included deep breathing exercises and meditation. The accommodations at the retreat were very basic and comfortable. It was so quiet that you could hear your heart beat. There was plenty of time to walk around, think, enjoy the lovely outdoors, read or even sleep. Our lives have become so full of "doing" things that we have little time to smell the roses or listen to the birds sing. So, before you get to the point where you are sick, can't get out of bed or just plain can't hack it anymore, take a deep breath, hold it in and then breathe out slowly. Then think about attending the next retreat Spiritual Renewal and Preventing Burnout: A Retreat for Lawyers and EAP Professionals held at the Manresa Spiritual Retreat or a similar opportunity. This retreat was organized for The Legal Profession Assistance Conference--a Conference of the Canadian Bar Association. Remember, lawyers are people too! Stanley J. Kershman Volunteer, Ontario Bar Assistance Program
Stanley can be reached at: (613) 238-1924 CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A PRINTABLE VERSION OF THIS ARTICLE (MS WORD)
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