How do you identify yourself? If you’re like most people, when someone asks you to talk about yourself, you start with your career and then you might talk about your family and your hobbies.
It’s this focus on career that we want to look at in this article. Yes, career is super important – but it can’t be everything. Your career as a court reporter in San Francisco or other major city must be balanced with the rest of your life.
However, this can be very hard to manage, particularly in the fast-changing and full-out pace that is endemic to the legal industry. You know lawyers and even other court reporters who seem to never stop working long days and nights, working on the weekends, and so-called vacations that include answering work email.
We don’t want this to happen to you. And if it is happening to you, it’s time to learn how to stop this cycle. Court reporting is an important and vital career. You enjoy it and are very good at it – but there must be more to you and your life than court reporting, otherwise your health will be at risk.
The Importance of Work-Life Balance
Think of how you feel after a long week of work. You’re tired, frustrated, and you might even be struggling to stay motivated in your court reporting career. The good news is that you don’t need to feel like this anymore.
When you feel the work piling up or are facing a schedule that is non-stop, think of these three key reasons for why you need to put a priority on your work-life balance:
- Risk of burnouts. You know that colleague who one day simply couldn’t take it anymore. She simply stopped coming to work. The pace and demands of the job got to be too much and the career she loved became her biggest torment. This is burnout. You don’t want to experience this, and you don’t want your family to see you going through this. Talk to your manager and discuss your work schedule and make it clear that you cannot keep this up. It’s very likely that others in your court reporting firm are experiencing the same things as you.
- Too much work can make you boring. Do you want to be that person who never goes to movies, who skips dinners with friends, and who doesn’t even have time for family birthday parties? Do you want to be that person who can’t talk about anything except work? No – you don’t. So, it’s up to you to put the focus on a work-life balance. Make sure you’re getting out, seeing your friends, spending time with your family, and cultivating your interests away from the courtroom.
- Your health is too important. Stress is the silent killer. This stress builds up slowly and seems to be okay at first, but then before you know it, you’re simply not yourself. You’ve stopped exercising, you’re not eating well, you have headaches, you feel unwell, and you aren’t excited about being a court reporter in San Francisco or your chosen city. Take control of your work-life balance and make your health the priority – do this for yourself, your family, and your friends.
Here’s the thing about work-life balance, no one is going to do this for you. You have to take control and fix the cycle you’re on. This is not going to be easy, but the pay-offs: your health, your family, your friends, and the longevity of your career are too important to ignore.
Health and Wellness Tips for Court Reporters
Think about incorporating these health and wellness tips into your day-to-day life. These aren’t overnight fixes, but with time, you’ll feel better, have more energy, and be better able to thrive at work and at home.
- Exercise daily – even a walk around the block is useful.
- Eat three meals a day – yes, you do have time for breakfast and you definitely have time for lunch.
- Take breaks – adjust your work schedule so you have opportunities to get up to stretch your legs and clear your mind.
- Sleep – if you’re tired sleep more and learn to establish good sleeping patterns.
- Breathe in – deep breathing can do wonders to settle your mind and help you relax.
- Smile more – yes the simple act of smiling can make you feel better and can help others around you feel better as well.
Achieving a work-life balance is a long-term focus. It takes work and patience. There will be days and weeks when you feel like you’ve slipped back into old habits and routines. Don’t worry about this, just think about how you want to feel and then work towards putting the balance back into your court reporting life and the rest of your life.