Introduction
Work-life balance. Doesn't it sound nice?
But it is again midweek, and you find yourself doing more than expected — calls, endless legal documents, casework — despite knowing what work-life balance is and why it is so important. You've forgotten about doing morning yoga, having a mindful dinner, or anything else social media tells you that a well-rounded person should do. Perhaps it's time for a new model? Consider a work-life blend instead.
How can you handle a problem better? What if you blended these competing responsibilities together instead of trying to balance them? Does this work in law? We've got real-life insights from paralegals and an ultimate checklist with uncommon, proven tips to get you started.
- The goal of work-life balance and work-life blend is to achieve fulfillment in both professional and personal lives to stay mentally and physically healthy.
- While work-life balance is about the separation of work and life duties, work-life blend is about fitting the pieces of your life together in a way that makes sense to you.
- Work-life blend isn't about doing everything simultaneously but about maintaining mindfulness (one thing at a time) while integrating personal and professional duties.
- Work-life balance and blend are specific to the person, his or her situation, and the reality the person creates.
What Is Work-Life Blend?
The work-life blend is about finding a way to merge work and life harmoniously and intuitively. Work is viewed not as something that overshadows life but, rather, as an inevitable part of life. Work and life happen simultaneously and are integral parts of our identities.
A work-life blend is an alternative to work-life balance to fit the modern realities of the remote work culture. It doesn't mean that everything is always happening at the same time. It's about finding a way to fit together the critical pieces while preserving one essential thing — mindfulness. Although work and life are merged, a person still needs to master the power of concentrating on one thing at a time.
Like work-life balance, work-life blend is about balancing professional and personal lives in a way that keeps us mentally healthy. A work-life blend model, for example, offers places for yoga or mindful lunches with friends during the working day or places for checking emails on Saturday morning. Compromises are what make us happier in the end.
Work-Life Balance vs. Work-Life Blend: Key Differences
The difference between these two approaches may be described in two words: separation (work-life balance) vs. integration (work-life blend). Here's a more detailed illustrated overview for deeper learning:
- Work duties and life duties are different entities that need to be separated.
- A designated schedule you need to adapt to solve work matters and
personal ones. - You have to work fixed hours.
Time for yourself is viewed as a reward for the job done. - The time should be spent somewhat equally on both professional and personal life.
- Finding a way to integrate work duties and life matters by being more flexible.
- Intuitive-oriented schedule (fitting the pieces of your life in a way that makes sense to you).
- Flexible working hours, as long as the target is achieved.
Time for yourself is a part of productive working hours to have your mind at rest. - The amount of time you spend on your professional and personal life may vary, depending on your changing priorities.
Insights on Work-Life Management from Paralegals
We interviewed lawyers with best work-life balance who shared their opinions about whether the work-life blend works in the legal industry and what exactly helps them to stay mentally healthy.
Set clear boundaries and say "No!"
"My advice to other paralegals is to set boundaries around your personal time and to communicate those boundaries to your family, clients, and boss — this is a powerful tool to have."
Julie Enez, Director of Legal Operations
Also, don't feel sorry for setting boundaries, taking a lunch break free from work duties, or not working extra time for free.
"The law and/or job is not your life, even though attorneys try to make it seem that way. Do not allow an attorney to guilt you into anything. A paralegal needs to learn to tell their attorney, "No!"
Guy Hill, Litigation & Real Estate Paralegal
Forget about multitasking
Never multitask. There is no such thing as multitasking. Our brains switch between different tasks in mere seconds. Multitasking decreases achievement and meaning while increasing stress. Efficiency can drop as much as 40 percent when a person attempts to multitask.
So, the next time you find yourself in a vain effort to assuage the guilt of not being at the other end of the work-life seesaw, doing different activities at the same time, try to come back to be present in whatever you're doing.
Maintain your triangle of life
Guy Hill, a litigation & real estate paralegal, shares his success formula, which is called the Triangle of Life:
"I used to teach martial arts, and I would bring up what I coined the Triangle of Life. Each point of the triangle represents aspects of your life: Physical Health, Mental/Emotional Health, and Spiritual Health. If one aspect of your life goes out of whack, you will have an uneven Triangle. The goal is to keep all three of the areas in even."
Guy Hill, Litigation & Real Estate Paralegal
Work-life blend or work-life balance? It depends
Not every paralegal feels right about the work-life blend. Often, taking work home negatively affects relationships with family and is not really the best idea, especially if you cannot concentrate on one thing at a time.
For instance, Guy Hill refers to home as a "safe haven."
"Don't take work home with you because lawyers and paralegals alike will not leave the cases alone. Trust me. I know. Work at home, and you are neglecting your family and other home-life responsibilities. A home is a safe haven."
Guy Hill, Litigation & Real Estate Paralegal
It all depends on a variety of circumstances:
"I am a firm believer in mental health counseling. Something about talking to an unbiased party about what is going on in your mind provides you with instant relief and a feeling of freedom."
Eda Rosa, Paralegal Consultant & Legal Career Coach
"My advice to other paralegals is to set boundaries around your personal time and to communicate those boundaries to your family, clients, and boss — this is a powerful tool to have."
Julie Enez, Director of Legal Operations
It's all about attitude
You cannot control the behavior of others. However, you can learn to control how you react:
"There is no such thing as "difficult" people (clients, colleagues, management). We all have our struggles. By taking control of how you react to situations, you can determine a better outcome of these challenging interactions."
Eda Rosa, Paralegal Consultant & Legal Career Coach
While being a work life balance lawyer can be challenging at times, it certainly reduces burnout and keeps things interesting.Remember that these are just pieces of advice proven in practice. Your life situation is always unique. Don't make yourself implement all the tips immediately. Take small steps. Implementing even one of the following tips might help you achieve your sustainable paralegal work life balance or blend.
Ultimate Checklist with Practical Steps
Finally, here's a practical checklist with tips that you can save for later or implement immediately to improve your efficiency.
Get two phones — one personal & one for work.
Organize your working space. Color code papers & folders, label your storage, create a designated spot for supplies, and keep only the essentials out.
Check emails at a fixed time to avoid distractions.
Mark things on your to-do list at the end of the day.
Get a sports hobby to release stress.
Do at least three rewarding things for yourself every day. It can be as simple as getting yourself a favorite pumpkin latte.
Leave a note for "Future You" instead of logging back on to do "one more thing."
Make your personal social media accounts a work-free zone.
Take advantage of technology in monotonous tasks.
Resources for Lawyers
Legal professionals are at a high risk of burnout, with participants aged 26 to 35 displaying the highest burnout scores. For this reason, we have valuable resources for all legal professionals prepared by Lawrina, including:
Conclusion
There is no one right strategy for how to achieve work life balance as a lawyer. It's all about experimenting mindfully and determining what actually lowers your stress, benefits your personal well-being, and becomes more efficient in every sphere. Don't get too attached to the terminology or listen too closely to others' success stories. Mix and match to find your golden middle. The best way to achieve success in all aspects of your life is to take care of your mental and physical health daily.