Are you your own worst critic? That was a question posed by leadership psychologist Margie Ireland when she delivered the annual Queensland Law Society Minds Count Lecture on Thursday.
The figures Margie then presented would suggest that many who had gathered at the Law Society House lecture were struggling.
She said 35 per cent of lawyers and students were experiencing severe psychological distress, and 40 per cent of lawyers required medical or clinical psychological support.
Factors including insurance liability, and a loss of status or career potential, were contributing to practitioners suffering in silence, she said.
“When we believe we’ve got the skills, resources and support to do our job, we’re on the way up,” she said.
“We go into distress when we no longer believe we have the skills, resources and support.
“We also need to go through distress, because that’s when we learn … it becomes a problem when we stay in it for days, weeks, months, and that’s when we end up in burnout and more serious conditions.”
Margie said imposter syndrome and narcissistic leadership were also common contributors in the profession.
The author of The Happy Healthy Leader – how to achieve your potential during a crisis, pointed to psychological flexibility as the key to coping with stress.
“A happy, healthy mindset requires commitment,” she said as she introduced down-to-earth strategies.
The first was adopting healthy coping strategies during stress, not drugs and alcohol.
“Where are you getting in your own way?” Margie asked.
The second was creating a healthier relationship with your hardest critic, and working to “flip the critic”.
“We are so hard on ourselves. We really have to get better at being our own best mate and cheerleader,” she said.
The third was cognitive defusion, via the use of comical voices to take the power from negative self-talk.
The lecture will soon be available online in the QLS Shop for members to view for free.
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