More Cases. Better Clients. Real Results.
Start a Conversation with GAVLSummer’s almost here in full swing, and there’s a good chance that if your case load is currently on the stable side, you’ve got the itch to go away and enjoy a little vacation. The only issue is– how do you possibly unwind when you have your cases, clients, and fellow attorneys and legal team to worry about? The first step? Don’t fret. We’ve got some tips that will help you unwind and relax and ensure everything doesn’t fall apart completely if you decide to turn your phone off for a couple of days.
Want to know more? Let’s get started!
Step 1: Take that Vacation!
If you’re a head attorney or owner at your practice and reading this blog, there’s a good chance you may not be used to taking vacations or even stepping away from your phone for more than a couple of seconds. You may feel like everyone at your office needs you all the time. You may be partially right, but remember, it’s up to you to set the precedent. When you work hard, you deserve a break. Everyone deserves a break. Time to relax and unwind is crucial to maintaining good mental health, good physical health, and good emotional health. Don’t allow anyone to tell you differently. While it may seem like all the spinning plates are held up by you and you alone, remind yourself that they are not. You have people you can rely on to do what’s necessary to keep your case load smooth and your firm running. It’s time to trust in them.
Step 2: Make a Plan for Your Absence
This is the crucial follow-up to step 1. Don’t make the mistake of jetting away on vacation without having a solid plan in place for your team members and cases while you are away. Doing so may cause ramifications and additionally cause you unneeded worry which will just take away from your ability to unplug and unwind altogether. You may tell yourself that you can handle phone calls, texts, and even other job-related tasks like submitting paperwork or assisting clients via your tablet or laptop computer, but this route also takes away from your ability to unwind and unplug. Be practical, but also remain diligent in your need to unplug.
What tasks are imperative during your absence? Can other team members handle them in your place? Set those members up to take on those tasks and set them up for success. Set up multiple channels to get those tasks completed and be honest about your need to actually relax during your vacation. Your team may understand your need to unplug more than you assume they do. If there are tasks that you must complete while away, be prepared with the technology you need to make it happen and schedule time during your trip to take care of what needs to be done. Just set that time aside ahead of time. This has two benefits. It ensures you get these important tasks done while also ensuring that you don’t cut into your relaxation time.
Step 3: Have an Emergency Plan in Place
I know, I know. No one likes to think about emergencies while they’re vacationing, but the fact of the matter is that work emergencies do happen. Last minute case changes do happen. It’s better to be prepared for them in case they do happen rather than not be prepared and have to deal with the stress of having to struggle your through them at the last second. Don’t let bad surprises happen. Let a trusted colleague know how to contact you if an emergency should happen and tell them under what conditions they should get a hold of you. Don’t tell everyone you work with these bits of information, however. The more people you tell this info to, the more chances they have of contacting you for non-emergency matters. Your trusted contact (or contacts, should you choose to have multiple) know better already, or should.
Step 4: Limit Work and Work Talk
As mentioned above, try and plan out any time you absolutely need to work and/or handle work calls while on vacation. Think of these plans just like you would plan out a boat tour or a brunch with friends. Set a day, time, and place aside for focusing on office or case matters, and hold yourself to that schedule. After you take this time to take care of business, reward yourself by walking away from work and forgetting about it for a while. Reward yourself by doing something relaxing and enjoyable afterwards. It may seem like common sense to reward yourself while on vacation, but it’s especially important to reward yourself when you do have to dial back to the real world for any given amount of time.
One other thing you can do to reward yourself is to not discuss cases and work matters with loved ones and friends if you’re vacationing with others. While discussing stressful work situations with others can be an outlet and reduce your overall stress levels, it’s important to not engross yourself in the stress itself and let it overtake the entire purpose of your vacation. If you do discuss work matters, discuss, then step away. Discuss, then unwind. Follow through with rewarding yourself. Doing so will have an overall positive effect on your stress levels and help you work through any important decision making you may have to do.
Step 5: Limit Your Tech
We all love our smartphones, laptop computers, and tablets, but remember that always being connected to everyone and their problems sometimes comes with a price. Try leaving certain times of the day or even entire days free to enjoy activities without constantly checking your texts and messages. One option is to make a rule like “no calls after 8 PM” and stick to that rule whenever possible. Another good rule might be “ignore social media”. You may tell yourself that these measures are unnecessary, but you’ll never know that for 100% certainty unless you give them a try. Go one evening without your phone nearby and see how you feel afterwards. If you’ve set up a emergency plan, you can rest assured that your office won’t suffer from a catastrophic disaster (well, ideally anyways…) while you enjoy a night of fine dining and drinks or an afternoon on the beach with your favorite book.
Getting Back on Track Afterwards
The final step to having a great vacation is that unfortunate return to reality and the return to business. If you’re often under a lot of stress while handling cases or day-to-day work matters, now may be a good time to consider your options for getting help where and when you most need it. Would hiring a couple of paralegals help? What about an office manager or a new attorney at the firm? Smarter intake solutions can be a huge time (and stress) saving answer. Exploring new marketing options like hiring a digital marketing agency can also save you a great deal of time and stress in the long run.
An agency like GAVL can help you exactly where you need it. Need help with handling social media so you never have to worry about making posts yourself? We have you covered. Need help with gathering reviews or ensuring paid ads are targeting the right markets? We’ve got you there as well. Don’t have time to worry about SEO or content marketing? Let us handle those for you. At GAVL, we understand that every lawyer and every law firm works differently from the next, so we’ll never pressure you into a one-size-fits-all package. Our process is simple. Tell us where you need help and we’ll have that covered. To learn more, reach out today. And plan that next vacation!
