This year, we successfully hosted the Minds Count lecture, where we explored the physical impacts of burnout and stress, along with strategies to address these challenges.
Burnout was discussed at the Minds Count Lecture.
We also held our first breakfast format of the Mental Health Forum where we were fortunate enough to hear from our amazing speakers about their experiences with mental health, and valuable insights about wellbeing within the legal profession.
As we look ahead to the coming year, we are committed to continuing these important conversations about mental wellbeing. To encourage these conversations, our members would love to share some thoughts and feelings over the last year and their goals for wellbeing next year:
This year, we successfully hosted the Minds Count lecture, where we explored the physical impacts of burnout and stress, along with strategies to address these challenges. We also held our first ever breakfast format of the Mental Health Forum where we were fortunate enough to hear from our amazing speakers about their experiences with mental health, and valuable insights about wellbeing within the legal profession.
As we look ahead to the coming year, we are committed to continuing these important conversations about mental wellbeing. To encourage these conversations, our members would love to share some thoughts and feelings over the last year and their goals for wellbeing next year:
- The WWG has been active this year, writing various articles about wellbeing and related topics. The legal requirement of identifying and addressing psychosocial hazards in our workplaces provides a platform for renewed motivation to help the legal profession take meaningful action. I hope the WWG can continue to support individuals and firms talk about mental health issues openly and constructively, with the aim of making it more sustainable for everyone. For me personally, wellbeing is about recognising what I can control and what I can’t control and then taking positive action in relation to those things I can control. I love reading about wellbeing, talking about wellbeing and where possible, improving my wellbeing and the wellbeing of those around me. I encourage those who are interested in wellbeing and improving our profession, to positively contribute when they can, in a way that is meaningful. – Belinda Winter | Partner, Cooper Grace Ward
- To me, wellbeing is an ongoing journey. Small steps over time can make a meaningful difference. This year, I have tried to incorporate more regular exercise into my daily routine, including cycling part-way to work. I also enjoy yoga, though finding time for sessions can be challenging. Incorporating cycling into my day has been a great way to kick-start my mornings, and as a bonus, it has improved the quality of my sleep. When I am not chasing after two toddlers, I enjoy catching up with friends or watching the latest psychological thriller at the cinema. My goal for next year is to continue building healthy habits into my daily routine – Amy Soong | Ashworth Lawyers
- The Wellbeing Working Group has been a great initiative at QLS in raising awareness of mental health issues and the importance of personal wellbeing in our demanding profession. It is welcome to see mental health issues slowly being de-stigmatized in our workplaces, and an increasing willingness for the people we work with to be comfortable talking about stress and burnout concerns, and to reach out to LawCare when needed. I look forward to next year expanding the group’s reach to later year law students and early career lawyers to equip them in advance with tools to deal with stress and work pressures, to help them be resilient into their future careers. – Peter Apel | Apels Solicitors and Notary
- Merry Christmas! As we all hopefully take a little break over the Christmas period, I think probably one of the most important things one can bring to the table is the ability to be more present. In the last 12 months I noticed that when I when I was not at work, and with an extra phone these days as well, I was becoming more and more attached to the technology and perhaps not as present in more important things that really deserved my attention. When one finds one’s self doom scrolling Facebook or Instagram, when one is actually watching sport on television – well there is probably a problem when you are distracting yourself from what is supposed to be the distraction. Putting that time and energy into more important things like family and friends really is much more important than the phone, which is increasingly becoming a weapon of mass distraction. I (yes this is ironic) downloaded an app called ScreenZen, which allows you to set limits on the time that you spend on social media (or apps in general), and I have found it has been particularly good for me… and it isn’t like social media is inspiring or designed to improve your happiness anyway, so it’s good for a bunch of reasons. Plus, my children think it is hilarious that I have put steps in place to limit my own screen time. So, make a present of being present this year. Have a Merry Christmas and I hope your 2025 is particularly awesome. – Mark Fenlon | Senior Prosecutor, Northern Region (QLD), Statutory Compliance, Prosecutions
- One of the WWG goals for this year has been to increase awareness and education about wellbeing. We have initiated wellbeing content in the weekly QLS Update together with regular articles in Proctor. We have also been collaborating with Converge, the provider of LawCare to identify trends and seek guidance on ways we can optimally support our profession. Working in the legal profession is challenging no matter what your role or level of experience. The pace at which we work feels like it is rapidly accelerating. I find that maintaining a healthy routine of daily habits helps to mitigate stress accumulating over time. When feeling overwhelmed, a good place to start is with the basics of sleep, movement, nutrition and rest. A catch up with a colleague over coffee can also be very therapeutic. In 2025 we plan to continue our efforts to equip law firm leaders and legal professionals with tools, strategies and knowledge to work safely and productively whilst maintaining holistic health and wellbeing. – Karen Short | General Manager, Hillhouse Legal Partners
- As a new member of the WWG, I am fortunate to be a part of a group of practitioners who practice in a variety of areas of law throughout the state, all of whom are committed to improving wellbeing within the legal profession. While we have different backgrounds and experience, collectively we acknowledge the importance of mental and physical wellbeing, both personally and professionally. It is encouraging, for me, to be part of a group that is dedicated to raising awareness and taking meaningful steps to address issues that until recently were not openly discussed in the profession – i.e. psychosocial hazards. Over the holiday period, I look forward to taking a break from work and spending time with my family. I intend on reflecting on the past year, assessing what worked well and what didn’t, and considering what I can do next year to improve my wellbeing, personally and professionally, and how I can do the same for my colleagues. – Eric Halden | Accredited Specialist Criminal Law (Qld), Senior Associate Gilshenan & Luton Legal Practice
- As we head into the hectic season, where clients have demands before they go on leave, and family requirements seem to ramp up, it’s good to remember that oft neglected virtue – patience. I’ve always been fairly impatient, and there are times when it rears its head – especially if I’m in a hurry, and everyone else appears to have taken double doses of tranquillisers. So take a deep breath, reassess how quickly this task really needs to be done, and practice a little patience. With others, and especially with yourself. My uncle use to say “When you reach the end of your tether, tie a knot and hang on!” Have a peaceful festive season, and perhaps put a little pack of patience under the tree for 2025. – Noela L’Estrange | Lawyer and passionate advocate for equity and wellbeing in the legal profession
- Being part of the WWG this year has led to some great conversations with people around many different aspects of wellbeing for practising lawyers. As we barrel down the straight towards the Christmas finish line, I am reminded of these conversations and the importance of prioritising our wellbeing during this time. At a time when self-care might be the last thing on our minds, digging into our wellbeing toolbox is as important as ever. The desire to be there for end-of-year events and being present and available for our families as we celebrate their achievements can conflict with our end of year workloads. The juggle is real. A kind word or friendly gesture from a colleague can make a real difference at this time of year. Being kind and considerate to our colleagues while working together to resolve matters respectfully alleviates the pressure on us all. I’m looking forward to the opportunity to share some of the insights from this year’s WWG conversations in 2025. Wishing you all the chance to relax, unwind and unplug over the festive season with your people. Merry Christmas and enjoy the break! – Rebecca Hansen | Director and Principal Solicitor, Hansen Lawyers
- The members of the Qld Law Society Wellbeing Working Group (WWG) contribute very specialised knowledge and expertise, working collaboratively throughout the year, to lead the development and implementation of strategic programs and initiatives to continuously improve health, safety and wellbeing within the legal profession. Since 2017, I have been an honoured representative of the QLS Wellbeing Working Group, and during this time it has been an absolute pleasure to unite together with each of the WWG members who have dedicated their time and resources working to increase mental health awareness and to drive health and wellbeing initiatives within the industry. I have always been a strong advocate of “Prevention being better than Cure,” as a fundamental principle for reducing the risk of harm to individuals and communities. I believe that it is imperative to continue to work together, taking proactive and preventative measures to address matters relating to health and safety. The Wellbeing Working Group strives to do this by introducing initiatives to provide constructive solutions and reduce potential health and safety concerns within the legal profession. For those individuals who have been adversely affected by harmful events beyond their control, we are working to support you, and we aim to prevent and/or lessen the impact of health and safety injuries and illnesses in the future. I wish everyone a Happy and Safe Christmas and New Year! – Tania Murdock | WWG Deputy Chair, Psychological Health & Wellbeing Consultant, Dispute Management Australia
On behalf of the Wellbeing Group, we extend our warmest wishes for a happy, healthy, and safe festive season. We look forward to seeing everyone again in the New Year
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