Working in the corporate world can be stressful and the stressors include everything from work, family life, relationships, major life events and the global pandemic we are currently enduring.
Rapid global social change has impacted us all but each of us has been affected in different ways. In 2020, there are many stories of companies and individuals shifting their focus and direction in response to the global pandemic. They have responded by creating new services, new products and transitioning into new markets.
Some individuals have been forced to change careers, whilst others have chosen to switch industries. For me, I fall into the second category. Changing careers feels somewhat uncomfortable. But I have decided that now, more than ever, is the time to pivot my legal career and help lawyers find greater happiness. Whilst writing this article, I stumbled across a quote that really resonated with me:
“Life is a journey, with problems to solve, lessons to learn, but most of all, experiences to enjoy”
– Oliver Wendell Holmes
Life is a journey
During Summer 2003, half way through my Arts/Law degree, I had to somehow deal with the devastating news that my brother, aged 23 years, had died in a tragic accident. I was struggling to comprehend how one day he was there and the next he was gone. My brother was the life of the party, the one who broke all the rules, did not enjoy studying and never took life too seriously. I was the opposite – the sensible one, the high achiever, the perfectionist and conscientious law student. During school and University I put pressure on myself to be perfect, but I realised it often left me feeling stressed, run down and burned out. After losing my only brother, my perspective on life completely changed:
Life is too short. Stress less. Live life to the fullest. Go on adventures. Explore the world.
I finished my degree with Honours but deep in my heart realised that law may not be my life long career. My true passion was health and wellness and helping other people to be the best version of themselves. After two years working as a government lawyer, I decided to have a break from the law. Was the law really for me? I needed to live life a little. I had an exciting opportunity to travel the world and play competitive beach tennis. I competed in tournaments in stunning Mauritius and represented Australia at the Beach Tennis World Championships on the east coast of Italy. Although I was living a glamorous, carefree lifestyle, playing beach tennis and travelling Europe was not going to pay the bills. I soon moved to London and began working at a law firm in Wimbledon. After two years of travel and working in London, it was time to return to my homeland. I was extremely fortunate to be offered a role as a litigation lawyer at a leading law firm in Melbourne.
Lawyer Wellbeing
Having worked for many years in the corporate world in personal injury litigation, I have gained a deep understanding of the significant impacts of psychological and physical injuries in the workplace. Through my work in the public and private sectors, I have had the privilege of working with some incredibly intelligent, innovative, creative and inspiring leaders and colleagues. However, I have also seen many professionals in the industry struggle with stress, burn out and a lack of energy.
The Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner ‘Lawyer Wellbeing Report’ confirmed that rates of psychological distress are relatively high across the legal profession. Rates of depression are particularly high amongst law students, solicitors and barristers. Participants in the study described a culture that commonly makes it difficult for individuals to achieve wellbeing.
Across our industry, I have witnessed lawyers suffering from psychological distress and anxiety due to a culture of overwork and stress. For many lawyers there is constant pressure and deadlines to meet, long working hours and an ongoing struggle to balance work and family life. When work gets busy, we forget to prioritise self-care (e.g. getting quality sleep, making good nutrition choices, doing regular exercise and practising mindfulness). Despite a much greater awareness of the importance of health and wellness in organisations, many busy professionals continue to make poor lifestyle decisions every day.
Be Well Be You
In January 2020, I founded Be Well Be You, a health and wellness company. The company was created with the clear intention:
“To inspire busy professionals to make lifestyle changes that will help them have increased energy, happiness and motivation”.
In short, my mission is for legal professionals to be well (both physically and mentally) and bring their authentic self to the workplace every day. Although it can be challenging, there are many benefits that come with being your true and authentic self at work. One of the most important reasons is that being your true self allows you to enjoy what you are doing every day and find genuine satisfaction in your legal career. Being your authentic self also helps to build trust, feel good about what you do and say, it helps you to be stronger and to contribute more to your organisation.
I am pretty excited to combine my deep understanding of the impact of workplace wellness, my training as a nutrition health coach, and my passion and versatility to coach legal professionals to achieve their nutrition and lifestyle goals.
We all have a choice to live our best life every day, no matter the circumstances. If I can help people in the legal profession find greater happiness in life, it will truly warm my heart.
Belinda Fuse – Nutrition Health Coach, Senior Lawyer and Mum to two young children.