Huse quoted in "3 Ways to Keep from Burning Out"

Law360 quoted Huse in the recent article "3 Ways To Keep From Burning Out", where she discusses the importance of distressing to avoid the burn out that comes for attorneys. To view the entire article, click here.

3 Ways To Keep From Burning Out By Lisa Ryan Law360, New York (September 16, 2015, 7:35 PM ET) -- Attorneys work long hours to get through their intense workloads, putting themselves at risk of being overworked and breaking down.

Here, Law360 provides three expert tips for avoiding burnout.

Set Boundaries

Like most things in life, each person has a different threshold for how much work he or she can handle. It’s important to be honest with yourself and your boss about what you can or cannot take on and what other projects you’ve got going, because chances are your boss has no idea you’re burning the candle at both ends.

“A lot of associates feel like they have to take on the work and it’s hard to say no, but as long as you communicate to the partner that’s giving the work what other expectations you have on you from a prioritization standpoint, that will make your life much easier,” said Jill Huse, a partner at Society 54 LLC.

Let your boss know if you don’t have time to tackle something that one of your colleagues could easily work on, especially if your current project is of pressing importance. Most likely, your boss will appreciate the fact that you’re willing to put yourself out there and state your limit rather than potentially botching something that’s important to them.

Know When to Take a Break With countless projects running simultaneously, attorneys typically refuse to press pause on their busy days. They eat lunch at their desks, grab coffee from the office and find themselves at work from morning to night.

It’s vital for attorneys to pull themselves away from their swivel chairs every once in a while. Working insane hours without stopping will only harm your health — both physically and mentally.

Some attorneys have already recognized the importance of letting loose for a few minutes here and there, and have implemented some stress-release activities in their offices, from miniature basketball nets to cornhole sets, according to Huse, who said that she and her co-workers at her previous firm even used to play hall golf.

“Think of the business world and advertising firms who in order to stay creative have pool tables and Wiis set up,” Huse said. “They’re different ways to keep your mind focused on other things so you can be really creative and productive when you’re doing the work.”

Vent, Vent, Vent

An attorney’s hectic work life can certainly lead to a lot of frustration at times, but it’s important not to bottle everything up until the point that you explode at the office.

Rather than keeping your work-related anger or despair inside, find someone outside of your firm who you can confide it. Ideally it’d be a person who could at least understand or sympathize with the level of stress you’re under, but isn’t so connected with the colleagues or clients potentially causing you to want to explode.

“If you’re truly venting and you're upset about something, you don’t want to be telling your colleagues personal things that apply to your job. Things can be misconstrued; you can tell somebody something that you don’t want them to know because it’s the heat of the moment and you’re getting something off your chest,” Huse said.

Instead, look for a friend or significant other who you can grab a cocktail or a coffee with, and who would gladly commiserate with you without putting you in a compromising position.