How Can We Support Each Other? (A Question, Not An Answer)

Given the pressures inherent in our work and the challenges so many of us face (deadlines/isolation/high-stakes, high-stress litigation), it's not surprising that we sometimes struggle with mental health issues. 

So how can we support each other and create a more compassionate professional culture where we can all contribute and thrive professionally without undermining our own personal wellbeing?

As always, I'm not an expert in any of these issues and am just offering some of my own thoughts. In my view, the main thing we need to do is roll up our sleeves and have the conversation in a sustained and earnest way. And the only way we can meaningfully do this is by acknowledging from the start that it won't be easy, but will require ongoing effort, creativity, and attention. Fortunately, we are professionally trained in the art of problem-solving our way through complex and difficult issues, so if we turn our minds to this, we have the power to make a real difference. 

So here are some of my own thoughts and reflections. Perhaps we might be able to start brainstorming how to make things better for ourselves and our colleagues by: 

• Acknowledging the difficulty of the problem: life can sometimes be very complicated, cruel and unfair, and our work (and working conditions) can make it impossible for us to ignore the ugly and scary side of things. We can start with the realization that we all need to find ways to prepare for and cope with some of these harsh realities. I'm not a mental health professional, and definitely don't have the answers as to how we can do that. But I think we can begin by creating space in our professional culture for us to share our experiences and ideas, explore potential solutions, and receive advice from those who might be able to help guide us (e.g., professionals, and/or understanding peers or mentors). What works for some of us might not work for all of us, but the more we address the issue, the greater the likelihood that we will be able to each find an approach that works for us and a connection to mutually-supportive colleagues.
• Learning ways to communicate with each other about what we each need and what we each can offer. One way to do this is to simply start sharing our stories and perspectives and listening to others do the same. But it's not that straightforward since some perspectives will be easier to share and hear than others. We therefore have to make an active effort to create an environment in which even those perspectives that have been marginalized, stigmatized, silenced, and excluded can be attended to, understood, and taken into account. To do this, we will not only need to listen to those with different perspectives who are attempting to share their needs and stories with us, but will also have to make a habit of looking around us in an attempt to notice any voices that may be absent (e.g., those who are already in the profession, but may not have the same opportunities to share their experiences, due to stigma, unequal power dynamics, marginalization or some other reason; and those who haven't yet been able to enter the profession in significant numbers due to barriers to inclusion that need to be addressed).
• Finding ways to create flexible working conditions, options, and resources so that those of us with different needs and strengths can make the greatest possible contribution without compromising our own wellbeing. 
• Exploring ways in which we can connect with each other to decrease our sense of alienation and isolation.
• Thinking about the ways we can generally be kinder and less judgmental to each other, and remove needless stressors, rules and barriers that don't actually serve the public or the profession. This could mean, for instance, removing rigid and/or arbitrary rules of etiquette and procedure that serve nothing but tradition, especially if those rules disproportionately create a burden on those who may already be struggling, or give rise to harsh judgments against or unkind treatment towards those who transgress. 
• Thinking about ways we can encourage and support each other in finding a deeper sense of meaning and empowerment in our professional lives, which may help reduce the stressors that exacerbate any mental health challenges we may face.
• Ensuring that regular and appropriate education takes place (with the assistance of mental health professionals AND people with lived experience) to equip members of the profession with an understanding of the various kinds of mental health challenges that they or their colleagues may face, with particular attention to eradicating harmful stigmas and misconceptions. 
• Making information readily available (again informed by mental health professionals AND people with lived experience) which teaches employers and lawyers how they may helpfully support an employee or colleague who is struggling.

That's all I have so far at the moment: by no means a long or complete list. Surely there is more we can do. Or maybe it is better to let those initial steps unfold so that we can hear a multiplicity of perspectives regarding more concrete action that needs to be taken? 

For now I will just suggest that in a more concrete sense, maybe we can start with:

• More profession-and-workplace-sponsored events, discussions, education, and resources specifically devoted to mental health issues.
• More opportunities and spaces for those who wish to share their perspectives to do so, and some mechanism to ensure that those perspectives can then inform how these issues are discussed and what resources are made available. 
• More efforts to ensure that when these issues are discussed, it's done in a way that is careful not to raise awareness and decrease stigma for one set of experiences/challenges at the expense of others. (e.g., don't decrease the stigma for one kind of challenge by drawing on and intensifying the stigma for others [a concern I subsequently wrote about here]; and don't discuss mental health issues in a way that is uninformed by issues of intersectionality). 
• More events in individual workplaces and in the profession more broadly that help connect us to each other with special attention to ensuring that those who might usually be isolated and excluded will be able to safely and comfortably participate (e.g., social events, networking events).
• More events and resources that generally promote our mental and physical health, so that we will be better equipped to handle the challenges we individually face.

Those are my own thoughts on the issue. I look forward to learning more about the perspectives of others either via comments here or via my own efforts to seek out and learn what others are sharing. Please feel free to comment below or message me with your own thoughts if you think there is something I got wrong or something that could be added. And I would welcome it if anyone wants to do a guest entry sharing their own views....

As always, please note that I am a lawyer, not a mental health professional of any kind. I have no expertise in trauma or mental health. Also, please note that any opinions and views expressed in this blog are solely my own and are not intended to represent the views or opinions of my employer in any way. For more information about the purpose of this blog, please see here and for a bit more information about my personal perspective on this issue, please see "my story" here

I am very grateful to have received a "Clawbie" Award for this blog (which reflects the importance of this topic): https://www.clawbies.ca/2019-clawbies-canadian-law-blog-awards/

For some of my external writing on this topic, see:  

• https://www.canadianlawyermag.com/news/opinion/a-more-inclusive-discussion-on-the-impact-of-trauma-on-lawyers-mental-health-is-needed/276166 
• https://www.cbabc.org/BarTalk/Articles/2020/February/Features/Speaking-Up-About-Trauma-and-Mental-Health    
• https://www.canadianlawyermag.com/news/opinion/changing-the-conversation/326240