Professional Development

Work stress can contribute to mental health problems for people working in any industry, but some job roles can be more stressful than others. Jobs in the legal sector can involve long hours during busy periods, and sometimes the work environment can put you under high pressure when dealing with strict deadlines.

Here are three reasons why it's so important to take care of your mental health as a Legal Secretary or PA.

1. Stress can lead to additional mental health problems 

Working from home is fast becoming a common feature of the working week for many of us, and in the legal sector, hybrid and remote working bring many benefits for both individuals and law firms.

For a Legal Secretary, increased productivity, enhanced focus and a better work-life balance are just a few of the ways in which home working can help you manage your workload better. However, it can sometimes be difficult to separate work duties from home responsibilities, and you may need to create some structure to help yourself avoid blurring the lines between work mode and relaxation.

Here are some of the best ways to manage your time when working from home.

Create a schedule

Since the Covid-19 pandemic, the amount of people working from home has increased from 4.7% to 38%. For many, remote working offers a better work-life balance and greater comfort than working in the office. The trouble is, it can be difficult to access training and development opportunities when working outside of a traditional office environment. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to upskill yourself as a remote legal secretary or PA. Here are three ways to grow your skill set and develop your career.

1. Learn how to use the latest digital communication tools

Whether you are studying, working, or both, a well-focused mind is an essential tool. So, how can you ensure that your brain is working as efficiently as possible? 

Practice mindfulness

"Mindfulness is about focusing attention on the present moment, and practising mindfulness has been shown to rewire the brain so that attention is stronger in everyday life," says Dr Kim Willment, a neuropsychologist from Boston. She recommends taking a moment each day, even if for just a couple of minutes, to sit quietly and refocus your mind. By paying attention to what you are doing and the sensations around you, this small habit helps you to centre yourself and regain clarity.

Train your brain

If you’re an introvert, you’re not going to enjoy large crowds on a regular basis. If you’re an extrovert, turning down every invitation to socialise is going to leave you feeling frustrated and bored.

What if I told you that your preferences for managing time and space are just as ingrained in your personality as whether or not you’re up for going to a dinner party?

The Time & Space Style Inventory (TSSI™) was developed by Cena Block, founder of Sane Spaces. Previously, we delved into how to work with (rather than against) your time style preference. Now, we’re going to talk about how your particular personality type manages space.

At the end of last year, SecsintheCity published a motivational piece entitled “5 Key Attributes of a Great PA”. This article showed what qualities PAs have and gave readers an idea of what skills and characteristics they need to excel in the role. Based on the success of this piece, in collaboration with The Institute of Legal Secretaries and PAs, their sister site, TotallyLegal wanted to expand on this topic further and talk about the key attributes of a Legal PA.

Whether you know it or not, you have a preference in regards to managing your time. It’s no different than liking pineapple on your pizza or preferring period dramas to sitcoms. It’s just part of who you are.

Those who struggle with time management often either don’t understand their time style preferences or actively try to work against it because they think the way they’re doing it is wrong.

In a previous article we considered four “basic” skills that any legal secretary should have – communication, discretion, organisational and I.T. This month we will highlight some further skills and consider how to create a development plan to fill any gaps you may have.

Document management

The New Year is a common time for people to decide to make positive changes in their lives and set new goals. We often start a new year thinking about what we want to achieve and how best to make those achievements a reality.

Setting goals is essential for both our personal growth and our career progression. It doesn’t matter how big or small your goal is, it has the capability of improving your life in some way. Have a think about what you would like to achieve this year. You may want to complete a course and secure your dream job or maybe you would like to improve your relationships with your colleagues at work. Whatever your goals, you need to be clear about them, how they will benefit you and what you need to do to achieve them.

Everyone in the legal profession is confronted with a degree of administration duties. As a legal secretary this is an area you are expected to lead on. You may have years of “admin” experience and already consider yourself an expert, but it can be very beneficial to take an assessment of your current skill level from time to time. You may also just be starting in the legal profession, so we will start with the basics before considering what kinds of advanced skills would help you achieve expert status.