Question of the Week
What’s the Best Way You’ve Found to Combat Holiday Blues and Cope with Stress?
Posted Dec 20, 2007, 10:34 am CST
By Molly McDonough
While the holidays are supposed to be filled with joy and cheer, we also hear tales of stress, lows and outright depression.
Indeed, one of our most-viewed posts recently, "Lawyer Depression Comes Out of the Closet," came from a Wall Street Journal article about how lawyers suffer greater rates of depression than the rest of the general population, but fear that if they go public, their reputations will be tarnished.
The article quotes Dan Lukasik, a lawyer who battled depression then launched lawyerswithdepression.com to help others in his and similar situations. The Journal writes about Lukasik and his site in the January magazine story, "Struggling Against Sadness."
This made us wonder...
What's the best way you've found to combat the holiday blues and cope with stress? Also, does your firm offer lawyer assistance programs that you would feel comfortable taking advantage of?
Answer in the comments section below.
Read last week's question and answers about office party liabilities.
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Comments
Posted by Jan DeRemer - 1 year, 2 weeks, 4 days, 23 hours, 22 minutes ago
If your Christmas season does not include the happy bustle we are led to believe everyone else has, then take that time and put it to use doing something for a non-profit serving those who have even less than we do.
Posted by Finally Happy - 1 year, 2 weeks, 4 days, 22 hours, 20 minutes ago
I quit practicing law a couple of months ago and am having the best Christmas I’ve had since I was a kid.
Posted by Loraine - 1 year, 2 weeks, 4 days, 19 hours, 36 minutes ago
Yoga. Best stress reliever I’ve ever found. My husband - second best. My cats - close third.
Posted by Emily - 1 year, 2 weeks, 4 days, 18 hours, 4 minutes ago
Amen, Jan. The last three months I have been very wrapped up in working and being a nursing mother—two very full time jobs. My firm’s Secret Santa program made me focus my attention on someone else for a while, and deciding which charities to give to (of the hundreds that send solicitations this time of year) was great too.
If you have real medical depression, obviously, seek professional help. But if you’re just getting lost in the commercialism and selfishness of the season, do something for someone else!
Posted by Humbug - 1 year, 2 weeks, 4 days, 15 hours, 24 minutes ago
Seriously, I am not into Christmas. In years past, I relished the chance to catch up on work. Christmas is one day when I can count on the office being quiet, at least. I have always had an abundance of billable projects to work on, and as a legal professional who was paid by the hour, I could guarantee a rockin’ paycheck if I worked a long day on Christmas day.
Now that I’m married with a family and in-laws, we’re all taking a lengthy vacation that I can’t quite afford, and that’s what is giving me stress and depression now.
I don’t get a lot out of this holiday hoopla. Call me a humbug but I would rather be working. That’s how I combat stress and depression, I work more.