Wellbeing Blog

It is normal to feel a whole range of emotions when an impactful event has affected you or your community, and everyone has different needs for support. There are things you can do to care for yourself, and support your friends, family, and community. Intense feelings usually subside overtime. If symptoms persist, cause excessive distress, or increase overtime, and you need to reach out to a professional- we are here to help. 

Click the link below for a wonderful resource put together by the UBC Wellness Centre and UBC Counselling Services.

Andrea Falco is Allard's Student Wellbeing Counsellor. She supports students’ wellbeing and helps them succeed while in law school by providing short-term counselling, and connect them to other wellbeing resources available to them. In addition, she develops and facilitates wellbeing programming that promotes mental health and education in a proactive manner.

This summer Sarah Hlady MacDonald (3L) and Mustafa Said (2L) joined Andrea Falco to research and create new resources for the Allard Student Wellbeing Program.

Wellbeing to me is about finding balance between my competing identities as a law student and a human. Without taking care of the human side, I'm not setting myself up to meet my goals and have a fulfilling law school experience. Planning ahead has been key to establishing that balance. - Sarah Hlady MacDonald

Wellbeing to me means prioritizing my mental and physical health, even amid the hustle of school life. It involves carving out time for self-care, whether through meditation, exercise, or engaging in hobbies that bring joy. Nurturing my well-being enables me to cope better with academic demands and leads to a more fulfilling and balanced life! - Mustafa Said

The summer wellbeing projects to look out for are:

The first ever Allard Wellbeing Toolkit outlining the Allard Wellbeing Program, introduction to the mental health continuum, resources for common mental health concerns in law students, and activity sheets to help continue your learning.

Allard Wellbeing bookmark series offering resources and wellbeing education in a compact way 

7 Dimension of Wellbeing – Monthly bingo cards. Pick them up at a Wellbeing Wednesday table or on the wellbeing boards around Allard and complete 2 lines within the month for your opportunity to win a prize.  

2023-2024 Wellbeing event planning. Click here and filter by student wellbeing to learn more about the events happening this year. We look forward to having you join us.

Social media celebratory days. Follow @allardstudentservices to see them.

Community Space: The Law Student Society and the Student Wellbeing Team collaborated to create a space where students can take a cozy break, play a game with friends, read a book, get creative or do some yoga/ stretching amongst friends. Go check it out in room 245! 

Feeling extremely grateful for Sarah & Mustafa this summer and we hope you look forward to all the updates this 2023-2024 academic year! 

By Ulziilkham Enkhbaatar (PhD student)

Introduction

Graduate students, particularly at the PhD level, feel pressure to publish articles and submit manuscripts while still in the program. Such pressure causes significant stress in addition to other pertinent program commitments. Are there academic and peer support groups or networks to facilitate such undertaking at your university? Depending on your university’s practice, these could be in the form of faculty and student-led workshops, seminars, and conferences. Ultimately, however, it is the graduate students’ responsibility to develop such formal or informal support groups or networks to help you advance your research towards publication and build valuable connections for future funding or career opportunities. In the following, I will suggest three ways to build such support networks: supervisor-led, peer-led, and institutional support groups.

One. Supervisor-led support groups

Supervisors or committee members are your first contact points for cultivating the initial seeds of graduate student support groups. This is especially true in the case of a supervisor who has a handful of PhD or research LLM students working under their leadership and expertise. Such research focus could form the foundation for bringing together graduate students under a joint research project exploring related theories, methodologies, subject areas, or regions. In addition to exchanging ideas on research project developments, supervisors can use such student forums to deliver information concerning administrative matters such as graduate program requirements, university and departmental policies so that they can be dealt with thoroughly.[1]

The supervisor-led student support networks provide graduate students with intellectually stimulating scholarly interactions with other similarly positioned graduate students to help offset feelings of isolation and loneliness that often accompany individual research journeys. Regular work-in-progress meetings under the leadership of your supervisor or committee member can be a source of inspiration, research insight, and stimulating discussion that can assist you in fine-tuning your research project.

Two. Peer-led support groups

If your supervisor does not have a sufficient number of graduate students to form such research support groups, then you, as a graduate student, should act proactively and initiate a peer-led student support group. As part of the program requirements, graduate students often take joint theoretical or methodological training courses or seminars. Thus, your classmates could become members of your peer-led support group. Raise this issue with them and if there is significant interest, you should take the initiative in setting up the proper structures for such support group meetings.[2]

You can start by using your school or university resources and postgraduate facilities for booking meeting rooms, equipment, and access to the internet. After this initial setup, organize regular group meetings to inform about the latest research developments in your particular areas of interest, present and discuss work-in-progress papers to generate helpful feedback, exchange research skills on how to conduct literature reviews, devise surveys, carry out interviews and focus groups. Use this platform to share research ideas, challenges, and breakthroughs with other like-minded graduate students. Peer-led support groups can be a stepping stone for joint research collaboration that can culminate in the publication of much-needed research articles and manuscripts.[4][3]

Three. Institutional support groups

Most likely, your discipline-specific departments already have weekly or monthly roundtable meetings or research seminar series, where the faculty members and graduate students can present their work-in-progress papers. Such institutional support groups provide an engaging scholarly environment that is conducive to learning proficient presentation and research skills of experienced faculty members. Their in-depth research and expertise further offer new insights to graduate students on theoretical or methodological developments in the field.[5]

Moreover, graduate students who present at such official events are forced to organize their arguments clearly and comprehensibly to others. Such experience can be useful for any future conference presentations and oral dissertation defence, allowing you to refine your communication, argumentation, and critical thinking skills. Thus, use your departmental roundtable meetings or research seminars to present your work-in-progress paper to help you sharpen your research focus, generate valuable insights and polish your research paper for publication.[6]

Finally, be proactive in building your research community through supervisor-led, peer-led, and institutionally facilitated support groups so that your fruitful collaboration with others can result in publications and a budding career opportunity in academia and beyond.

You can keep updated on Peter A.Allard School of Law faculty workshops, seminar series and other events by subscribing to the departmental e-newsletter.

Also, sign up for the GradUpdate e-newsletter to receive regular updates on various workshops tailored to the needs of graduate students.

Furthermore, feel free to book an appointment with the Student Wellbeing Counselor or check out our additional resources on our Student Wellbeing page.

By Sabrina Ouyang (2L)

Through a workshop with career counsellor Tammy Donovan and Allard’s Public Interest Coordinator Tracy Wachmann, we chatted about navigating law school and questioning our own decisions. Among the discourse on career paths and 1L experiences, one topic that arose organically was that of authenticity. Authenticity manifests in many ways, in yourself and your interactions with others.

Cultivating Your Authentic Self

We often hear about the law school archetype or see it portrayed in the media, characterized as a mould that every law student should fit into. Even when told in law school that there’s no singular way of being and succeeding, it’s easy to become engrossed in the hustle culture and equate our self-worth with grades and employment. The aspirations of the masses commandeers, compelling us to forget our original goals and passions.

It’s important to stay true to yourself and recognize your strengths. Another’s dream doesn’t need to become your own. Ask yourself: what do you enjoy doing and can you find a way to use those skills? Figure out something that works for you and believe that, at the end of the day, you know what’s best for you.

Cultivating Authentic Relationships

From day one, law students are told that their reputation is crucial and will carry them forward in their legal careers. With this in mind, genuine conversations are sometimes lost and interactions made to feel disingenuous. In networking, bringing our best foot forward has become equated with adopting an alter ego, one who exudes confidence and carries engaging conversation. In doing so, we inevitably hide a part of ourselves away, all because we need to pass a “vibe check” with a firm representative or get a reference from a senior lawyer.

Cultivating authentic relationships in these transactional environments requires honest intent and a willingness to be vulnerable. Remember there is a real person on the other side of that interaction and practice empathy, towards both them and yourself. At the same time, set boundaries and engage in a way that you feel comfortable doing so.

Navigating Law School

Choosing one door doesn’t mean the other doors close. We often feel like we have to make the right choice at every turn, especially as we launch our legal careers. But what we forget is that law school equips us with generalizable skills that we can utilize in a variety of careers. It is only the start of our journey and the most valuable asset you can bring into every room is to go in as your authentic self.

Here are some resources shared by Tracy Wachmann:

• LawFit: this test helps you identify your strengths and find a career that works for you.
• ACE: resource library with over 200 handouts to help you.
• CSO: make appointments ​​​​​​with the CSO and chat with knowledgeable advisors.

If you’re having trouble finding authenticity in yourself and your interactions, feel free to book an appointment with our Wellbeing Counsellor, speak with a Lawyer Wellbeing Mentor, or check out our Student Wellbeing page for other resources.

By Ulziilkham Enkhbaatar (PhD student)

As you reflect on the past academic year, assess the successes and setbacks in your progress meetings with your supervisor. Did you achieve all the targets you have identified during your regular meetings with your supervisor? Was there anything you would like to change (e.g., frequency and format of your meetings)? And what do you want to maintain?

Graduate research degrees like MPhil or PhDs can become a long stressful journey if strict deadlines are not kept regularly. These programs demand much time, energy, and dedication from graduate students to maintain focus on their research topics of interest. The biggest challenge is for students to keep their attention from straining out of focus. It is usually easy to lose track of time when it’s perceived to be in abundance. Therefore, good time management skills are essential to prevent falling into the procrastination trap. Moreover, regular, structured, and task-oriented meetings with your supervisor will be a key to averting any unforeseen challenges.

As a second-year PhD student, I would like to suggest a few tips for incoming and continuing graduate students to maintain good, efficient, and well-focused meetings with your supervisor. I will structure my advice on tasks to do before, during and after the meeting.

Before the meeting

Generally, aim to be the leader/facilitator of these meetings and prepare for them well in advance. Stick to any program guidelines for required tasks and deadlines. Then devise your meeting agenda around these priorities. In preparing your agenda, think about various types of support you need to make progress in your program. These could be technical, like help in contacting other academics in your field of research, intellectual, like advising on specific research methodology, administrative, like providing you with reference letters for research funding purposes, and personal, like career advice. But whatever assistance you require, be sure to be proactive and circulate the meeting agenda and any written handouts several days in advance.[2][1]

During the meeting

Your first meeting with your supervisor is of paramount importance in setting the tone and format of your future meetings. Thus, establish a good rapport with your supervisor and discuss the timing and frequency of meetings. The frequency can range from weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or bi-monthly, depending on your specific situation. But make sure that these intervals are sufficient for you to complete your agreed tasks while not being overly too long for you to stray from your tasks at hand. Don’t be afraid to experiment with the timing and frequency of your meetings to find a perfect balance suitable for you and your supervisor.

Again, be proactive and strive to chair these meetings. Keep your focus on meeting agenda and the priorities you outlined before the meeting. Firstly, present to your supervisor the outcome of the previous meeting’s agreed tasks. Secondly, discuss any challenges you have encountered in this process and any assistance you require from your supervisor. After identifying potential remedies, devise an action plan to complete for your next meeting. Finally, make sure to maintain a protocol of your meetings, where you record any decisions and agreed tasks.[3]

After the meeting

Following the meeting, write up your minutes as soon as possible and send them to your supervisor for verification and record keeping. Then follow with all the steps agreed with your supervisor before the next meeting. Take deadlines seriously and stick to your action plan. Remember to be proactive, efficient, and time-sensitive in planning and execution. Ultimately, it is your graduate research journey, so take it seriously and get things done.[4]

The above advice will help you create a formal structure for meetings with your supervisor to ensure that you achieve your program-specific targets and resolve any unforeseen challenges.

You can learn more about establishing and maintaining efficient and effective relations with your supervisor by signing up for the regular workshop ‘Building effective supervisory relationships’ offered by the UBC Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Sign up for the GradUpdate e-newsletter and get regular updates on this and other workshops that might interest you.

Also, feel free to book an appointment with the Student Wellbeing Counselor or check out our additional resources on Building an Effective Graduate Student-Supervisor Relationship or any others on our Student Wellbeing page.  

By Sabrina Ouyang (2L)

How do we know whether we’re on the right path? 

When we come to law school, it’s easy to become perpetually concentrated on the “next” thing, whether it’s the nearing finals, the upcoming job application deadline, or the next interview. Less often do we get a chance to sit down and consider what it is that we want to pursue amongst the wide spectrum of law-centric career paths. 

As a result, many of us may ask ourselves throughout our law school careers: am I on the right track? 

It is difficult to provide a definitive answer to this question and answer with certainty whether you are on the right path, be it in law or not. Trying to simultaneously navigate law school and find an answer may cause doubt and stress, but it’s important to remember that it’s a question that only you can answer for yourself. 

As Stephanie Mui (Assistant Dean of Career Services) says, “self-reflect and know yourself and what it is that you want to do - it’s also okay if you don’t know. There’s no wrong answer and there will always be a career path to fit who you are and what you want to do.” 

Know that at the end of the day, you are not alone in trying to figure things out. Take it one step at a time and remember that there is no wrong way to go about doing law school. Your legal education will equip you with skills that will serve you well no matter what you choose to do in the future. 

On June 14, Allard Student Wellbeing will be hosting a workshop with career counsellor Tammy Donovan and Tracy Wachmann from the Career Services Office (CSO) to discuss this topic. If you find yourself asking whether you’re on the right track, please consider joining them on June 14 at 6:00 pm PST (Zoom Link) for a free, online workshop designed to help students consider their next steps and connect with classmates who have similar questions. 

As always, feel free to book an appointment with the CSO (careers@allard.ubc.ca) or with our Wellbeing Counsellor. You can also check out our Student Wellbeing page for other resources.

By Charis Liu (2L)

Do you ever feel like you don’t belong in law school? Like your friends or peers have it together, while you have no idea what is going on?

I know I have. Trust me, you aren’t alone.

These feelings are known as imposter syndrome. This syndrome is characterized by a denial of competence and inability to internalize success, feelings of phoniness, and fear of being exposed as a fraud (Harvey & Katz, 1985). People with imposter syndrome often agonize over the smallest flaws in their work and attribute successes to luck or external factors. It has been estimated that 70% of people experience these feelings of imposter phenomenon at some point in their lives (Sakulku, 2011). Imposter syndrome is even more common among those in the legal profession.

You may be wondering: so how do we deal with imposter syndrome?

You can begin by recognizing that nearly everyone is feeling the same way as you are.

It is also important to acknowledge your thoughts and put them in perspective. Ask yourself what evidence there is supporting and discounting the negative thoughts. Identify and write down your strengths so you can refer to them in times of self-doubt. This will help you to create a more balanced and realistic thought. ‘I don’t belong in law school’ may become ‘I am here for a reason’, or ‘I wouldn’t be here if I wasn’t meant to be’.

You can also try sharing what you’re feeling with people you trust. Knowing that others have been in your position can make you feel less alone and normalize imposter thoughts.

While most people may experience feelings of imposter syndrome, the important thing is to not let that doubt control your actions and your life. The negative thinking and self-doubt that characterize imposter syndrome can have a negative impact on many areas of your life, including your overall wellbeing and academic performance, so it is important to address it.

If you often find yourself feeling like you are an imposter, it may be helpful to talk to someone. You can book an appointment with the Student Wellbeing Counsellor, speak with a Lawyer Wellbeing Mentor, or check out our Student Wellbeing page for other resources.

By Charis Liu (2L)

November is Thrive month!

Thrive is a time when we come together as a UBC community to learn about, discuss, and explore ways to support our mental health. This is especially important right now, given the unprecedented challenges that have impacted the mental health of our community over the last year. To add on, the legal profession is an extremely high-pressure industry, and this starts in law school. Studies demonstrate the serious impacts of the profession on lawyer mental health. Thus, it ever so important that we are cognizant of our mental health and wellbeing.

Wellbeing is defined as being aware of and making choices which promote a healthy and fulfilling life. It is more than an absence of illness – it involves a proactive pursuit of thriving.

Thriving is a continuous process. It is not about setting goals for some idealized version of yourself. Rather, it is about creating habits that move you in the direction of self-actualization.

How can we thrive? Here are some practical tips that can help you get started.

Remind yourself that there are many dimensions to wellbeing. These may include social, occupational, physical, intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and cultural dimensions. Consider each area and whether you are moving toward thriving or not. By reflecting, you will begin to see moving toward thriving in each of these areas as a more organic process, instead of as a set of goals.

Set boundaries. Without the appropriate amount of time to recharge, we are unable to perform at our best during the workday. Some boundaries may include setting a limit on the hours you will check emails or study. After 8 pm, your time can be reserved for spending time with friends or family and doing things that you love.

Savor and celebrate small things. Remember to acknowledge both the big and small moments. This could be doing well on an assignment, finally understanding what Consideration means, having a killer workout session, or learning how to cook.

You can also attend a UBC Thrive event, which are being held both in-person and virtually. For more information, see the Thrive Events Calendar.

You may also speak with a Lawyer Wellbeing Mentor who is a lawyer thriving in the Law profession even with a wellbeing or mental health concern.

As always, feel free to book an appointment with the Student Wellbeing Counsellor or check out our Student Wellbeing page for other resources.

By Charis Liu (2L)

It’s that time of year again. Exams are extra stressful and challenging for students, especially given the current circumstances surrounding the floods in BC, as well as the global pandemic.

Here are six easy habits to make in the weeks before exams, to help boost your wellness and improve exam performance.

1. Breathe. Taking a deep breath helps to relax your mind and body, reduce tension, and relieve stress. You can try out Anna Kline’s favorite – toe breathing – or the slow breathing technique. Breathe in through the nose and count to 2. Breathe out and count to 4. When you are ready, slowly increase the in and out – in to 3 out to 5, in to 4 out to 6, etc. Repeat this a few times, and trust me, you’ll feel a bit more relaxed already.

2. Stretch. Stretching improves blood circulation, which recharges the body and brain. An easy way to implement this is by stretching first thing in the morning before you drink your cup of coffee or tea.

3. Sleep. Our circadian rhythm affects many parts of our bodily functions. Keep a healthy sleep cycle to maximize cognitive functioning. It may be tempting to stay up all night cramming for your exam, but trust me, this is less effective. Your brain needs time to reconsolidate the information it has learned in your day of studying!

4. Snack. A healthy snack can give your brain the boost it needs and help you get through final season. Don’t forget to prep some fruits, nuts, or other yummy snacks for your study breaks!

5. Smile. You may not know this, but smiling can directly improve your mood, boost your immune system, and lower stress!

6. Be confident. Using positive statements can alter neuron patterns in a way that benefits you. Studies have even linked confidence to higher test performance. Remember that despite the stress you may be experiencing, you got into law school for a reason and your talents will help you succeed. Success starts with believing in yourself!

Click here for some additional exam tips on leveraging stress to increase performance.

Good luck on your exams! You got this!

As always, feel free to book an appointment with the Student Wellbeing Counsellor or check out our Student Wellbeing page for other resources.

By Charis Liu (2L)

What better way to kickoff the new year than by making a commitment to wellbeing? Research shows that those in the legal profession struggle with mental health issues more so than the general population. Thus, it is important for those in the profession to make some changes in the way they take care of themselves, to engage with their personal lives and practices in a healthier and more fulfilling manner. Now is the time to incorporate wellbeing into your new year’s resolutions.

According to the ABA National Task Force on Lawyer Wellbeing, lawyer wellbeing comprises of 6 areas: intellectual, physical, social, emotional, occupational, and spiritual wellbeing. You can choose one or two areas of wellbeing to prioritize this year. For me, I intend on focusing on my physical health as the restrictions surrounding the pandemic have made me lethargic and unmotivated to find new ways to exercise.

After identifying the area(s) of wellbeing you wish to work on, set a specific goal and target date for completion. Your goal could be something as simple as taking more walks or meditating each morning. My goal will be to have some sort of physical movement each day of the week.

Next, identify how you will reach your goal and how you will know when you have reached it. To reach my goal, I will ask my partner for accountability and to join me on some walks or exercise, as well as purchase new workout clothes for extra motivation. I will know I have reached my goal when movement becomes a habit, rather than a chore.

You may wish to write down your resolutions so that you can hold yourself more accountable.

Hopefully by engaging in this process, you can improve at least one area of wellbeing in your life and begin to thrive!

See this worksheet and watch this video for further information on developing a wellbeing plan. For assistance, feel free to book an appointment with the Student Wellbeing Counsellor or check out our Student Wellbeing page for other resources.

By Charis Liu (2L)

When we think about the month of February, often one of the first things that comes to mind is Valentines Day – a time to celebrate love and friendship. You may not know this, but social connection actually plays a significant role in our mental health.

Social connection has been identified by the World Health Organization and the UN as important protective factors for good mental health, having positive influence and effect on; self-esteem, coping effectiveness, depression, distress, sense of well-being, mental health outcomes, stress reactions, and anxiety. Not only does social connection influence our own mental health – it can also help us recover as a community. Socially connected communities simply respond better to crises and disaster (https://mentalhealthweek.ca/social-connection-is-the-cure/). While it may be easy to isolate yourself during stressful times at school, it is clearly important to remember to stay connected with others and yourself.

How can we strengthen our social connections and connection to ourselves?

We can start by checking in on our loved ones. We often ask one another how we are, and it is common not to provide a truthful answer. Many of us say we’re ‘fine’, even when we don’t mean it. However, ‘fine’ keeps us at arm’s length from real social connections with others. Every time we just go through the motions, we miss a chance to connect meaningfully with others. Thus, we should practice being more honest when a friend asks us if we are okay.

Another easy thing we can do to strengthen our social connections is to let people know how important they are to you. This will make both them and you feel good. Everyone needs emotional support, but it’s even more important during the COVID-19 pandemic. Take the time now to send a person a positive message which celebrates your connection, and in doing so help to increase their and your mental health.

Don’t forget to check in on your own mental health. Feeling mentally well or mentally distressed looks different for everyone, so it’s important to know yourself. This way you can be more aware of when things start to go awry. A simple way to check in is to look at your usual behavior (either by reflecting, asking others’ close to you, or being aware in the moment) within the four categories of PACE: PHYSICAL (body), ACTIONS (behavior), COGNITIONS (thoughts), and EMOTIONS:

• P - physical: heart racing, muscle tension, fatigue, nausea, headaches.
• A - actions: procrastination, increase in alcohol/coffee/comfort foods, avoidance, aggressive behaviours, obsessive behaviours, withdrawal, isolation.
• C - cognitions: trouble concentrating or remembering, negative or self-critical thinking, hallucinations, disorganized thinking.
• E - emotions: anxiety, depression, irritable, angry, happy, rapid mood changes.

You can identify your normal based on your PACE during periods of peace/contentment versus distress. After identifying your normal PACE, its good to continually check in on how you’re doing. Ask yourself “what is my PACE today?”.

Finally, it is important to practice self-compassion. “Instead of mercilessly judging and criticizing yourself for various inadequacies or shortcomings, self-compassion means you are kind and understanding when confronted with personal failings – after all, who ever said you were supposed to be perfect?” (Dr Kristen Neff, Psychologist https://self-compassion.org/).

We are often so much better at being compassionate to a friend than we are to ourselves. At times where we encounter new challenges and fears, our self-talk can become so very self-critical. You would never say to a friend, “why can’t you cope, you are so dumb not being able to work that out?”. So why is it that we often say this or something like it to ourselves?

Research shows that self-criticism contributes to mental health issues. Neuro imaging tests suggest that we can have up to 70,000 thoughts a day. Can you imagine the damage you do to yourself if even a fraction of these thoughts are self-critical? You need your energy right now to meet and overcome new challenges in law school. Let’s not waste thoughts on self-criticism. Instead, try to cultivate self-compassion which extends empathy and acceptance yourself. Begin with identifying what you say to your friends at a time of need and repeating those empathic statements to yourself. You can also create your own self compassion statements and say them to yourself morning and night to set your intention, e.g: may I be kind to myself and may I accept myself as I am.

Practicing these tips will help strengthen your connection with yourself and others, and subsequently increase your wellbeing.

As always, feel free to book an appointment with the Student Wellbeing Counsellor or check out our Student Wellbeing page for other resources.

By Charis Liu (2L)

As my second year of law school is coming to an end, I have made many reflections over my experience at Allard. I realized one thing: I tend to hyper-fixate on the ‘next step’ and do not take the time to celebrate my successes.

In 1L, my goal was to get the best grades possible and get involved with as many extracurriculars as I could.

In 2L, my goal was to maintain my grades and land a summer position.

In 3L, my goal will be to secure an articling position.

The year after that, my goal is to pass the bar exam.

The list goes on.

I noticed that this was a trend with many of my fellow peers as well. Our group chats would be filled with messages about networking events, OCI’s, and articling. Rarely did we celebrate our successes.

It seems common for law students to constantly think about what the next step is. However, this type of thought process can pose an issue when we consider our mental wellbeing. Think about how much our stress levels will skyrocket over time.

So how can we manage our stress when there always seems to be another hurdle we need to overcome?

Learn to celebrate your successes, no matter how small.

This could mean sharing your victories with family and friends who celebrate you. It could also mean keeping a journal to write down all your successes. Keeping a journal can help remind you of all the progress you have already made and make the future less daunting. My journal looks a little like this:

• I finished 1L and passed all my courses!
• I attended my very first court appearance for LSLAP, and even managed to secure a stay of proceedings for my client.
• I was active every day of this week.

Learn how to say no.

There will always be more work to do. There will always be more networking events to attend, clients to help represent, and research to complete. At the end of the day, we need to learn to make ourselves happy to avoid burnout. Learning how to say no can be a useful tool as we progress throughout this profession.

As always, feel free to book an appointment with the Student Wellbeing Counsellor or check out our Student Wellbeing page for other resources.