| THE ONTARIO LAWYERS’ ASSISTANCE PROGRAM Relax By Leota Embleton, M.S.W., I.C.A.D.C. Program Manager, Ontario Lawyers' Assistance Program Lawyers often find it very difficult to relax—the pressures of life and work leaves little time for relaxation—time to spend with themselves. The Ontario Lawyers' Assistance Program receives many calls from lawyers who are stressed and “burned out.” In fact 34% of our calls in 2003 were from lawyers who were dealing with work related stress and anxiety. There are things that lawyers can do to about this. Certainly not doing something about it leads to more serious situations—illness, mental health issues and family problems. The following article describes a relaxation experience for lawyers. Stanley Kershman is a very busy lawyer. He practices law, is author of several books, and a public speaker and seminar leader on financial matters. He also volunteers for OLAP and has a commitment to help others. He found a way to relax at the retreat for lawyers held in May 2004. Imagine a place. . .
Think burnout's not a problem? Think again. According to John Starzynski, the Volunteer Executive Director of the Ontario Lawyers' 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! ********************************************************************* The Advocates’ Brief , Nov/Dec 2004
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