Burnout isn’t just about working long hours.

It’s what happens when your energy output exceeds your energy input—day after day, week after week, month after month.

Certain aspects of the legal industry can contribute to burnout:

• High billable hour quotas
• Pressure to always be available
• Low control over your time, clients, or workload
• A culture that often normalizes overwork

And burnout doesn’t distinguish between work-related energy output and non-work-related energy output.

The more you’re giving of yourself–whether that’s to your job, to volunteer work, to your family, to your friends–the more you need to receive to replenish your energy.

You are worth so much more than burnout. And a sustainable career that allows you to live a whole, healthy, happy life is possible.

That’s why I created my free guide: “7 Keys to Succeed Without Burnout.” It shares simple, practical strategies to help lawyers reconnect to their purpose, set boundaries, manage stress, and make intentional career decisions.

Today, I’m sharing a few tips from the guide to get you started.

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3 Keys to Start Shifting Today

1. Energy Audit: Reclaim Your Time and Vitality

Burnout happens when your energy is drained without enough replenishment. One way to prevent this is to audit where your energy is going and intentionally make changes.

Ask yourself:

• Which tasks at work energize me? Which ones drain me?
• Which people in my life give me energy and which leave me feeling depleted?
• What activities outside of work make me feel most alive? Which drain me or add little?

Start small: Add one energizing activity to your week and say no to one draining one. You can make the same changes with work tasks and relationships. This can be tricky, but it is possible, even for those of us with “people pleasing” tendencies.

Over time, these small shifts can increase your energy and make you less prone to burnout.

2. Boundaries: Learn to Say No Without Explaining

Boundaries are how you protect your time and energy for what matters most.

Practice saying no without over-explaining or apologizing.

If a partner or client asks you to take on a project and you’re at capacity or about to leave for vacation, try this: I appreciate you thinking of me, but I’m at capacity at the moment.

And (if applicable): I’d be happy to connect with you with a colleague who can help.

Or: I’m maxed out at the moment, but I’d be happy to help next week (or whatever time frame allows you to honor your existing work commitments, your most important relationships, and your health and wellbeing).

3. Values Alignment: Let Your Inner Compass Guide You

When your work is misaligned with your values, you feel drained even if you’re “doing all the right things.”

Get curious: What matters most to me right now?

How do I want to show up in my work and life?

What qualities do I want to embody?

When your work reflects your values, you feel more energized.

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Bonus Tip: Complete the Stress Cycle

Your body doesn’t automatically “shut off” stress when the source of the stress disappears.

To prevent burnout, you need to physically complete the stress cycle—try brisk movement, dancing, shaking out your limbs–anything that physically discharges the stress hormones circulating in your system. After that, take some deep, slow breaths.

It’s simple but powerful, especially if you’re holding tension all day without realizing it, as many of us do.

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Ready for More?

These are just a few highlights. Inside my free guide, 7 Keys to Succeed Without Burnout, I walk you through all 7 keys—including:

• Self-care that actually works for lawyers
• Mindset strategies tailored for lawyers
• Time management strategies that preserve your focus

This guide isn’t just about preventing burnout—it’s about helping you create a career that feels purposeful, energizing, and aligned.

Download your free copy here.

In your corner,

Jessie