Why Energy Management Training Matters in the Legal Profession
Energy Management Training is no longer a ‘nice to have’ – it’s a necessity for lawyers facing relentless workloads and increasing pressure. Unlike traditional time management training, energy management focuses on when and how you work best, how to maximise your valuable energy and not just how long you work each day. For legal professionals, this can be the difference between sustainable performance and burnout.
The Cost of Ignoring Energy Cycles
As lawyers we are trained to ignore or even override our bodies’ signals: to push through, meet deadlines, and deliver under pressure. But long-term, this constant ‘switched on’ mode leads to chronic stress, decreased productivity, and eventually burnout. Legal stress management starts by recognising personal energy patterns and adopting techniques to increase energy effectiveness.
Mindfulness and Legal Productivity
Mindfulness for legal professionals is more than meditation. It’s about creating moments of pause, awareness, and choice throughout your working day. This might mean setting boundaries around email checking, building in 2-minute resets between meetings, or learning to spot the signs of nervous system overload. Small shifts create space for big changes in focus and clarity.
Lawyer Well-being Programmes that work for Lawyers
Successful lawyer well-being programmes now include energy management training as a core offering. Firms that support their people in managing energy, not just hours, report higher levels of retention, performance, and morale. These aren’t wellness perks; they’re strategic business decisions that reduce mistakes, lawyer burnout, and protect long-term profitability.
Take Action: Practical Tools to Boost Productivity and Health
Here are three quick-start tips legal professionals can use today:
1. Identify your high-energy hours and reserve them for more complex, brain intensive work.
2. Batch tasks of similar energy together (eg. reviewing timesheets, drafting, research and admin) to reduce time loss due to cognitive switching.
3. Schedule short recovery breaks and actually take them to maximise energy.
When combined with time management training, these strategies help you perform at your best, without sacrificing your wellbeing.