---

When it comes to burnout, many lawyers treat it as a psychological illness and those who suffer from it hide this reality

Failure to recognise this illness, which is increasingly present in companies, can lead to a worsening of the illness. Here we summarise the most common mistakes lawyers make when suffering from burnout:

- Not recognising your condition

When a lawyer suffers from burnout, the first thing he or she does is not to acknowledge it, and not to let his or her colleagues know about it. The fear of being labelled as a burned-out worker is not something that any professional likes to do. 

By not recognising the state they are in, they only make their situation worse, accumulating more stress and trying to hide their burnout.

- Not asking for help

Burnout syndrome is difficult to solve on your own. It is useful to ask for help from a coach, to talk to your bosses or department heads, or to a Human Resources professional in the office. If you don't ask for help, it will be difficult to get out of burnout.

Fluid communication helps managers to be aware, at all times, of the mental and emotional situation of their employees.

- Failure to analyse what actions you need to take to reduce your stress.

When a lawyer does not analyse the impact of the hours he spends working, the results he obtains, the influence his boss has on his work... when a lawyer does not analyse these elements, he may have a distorted image of his role in the firm and, therefore, of the negative effects that his work may have on him.

To solve professional burnout syndrome, a good advice is to identify and analyse the factors that are undermining you morally and mentally.

- Don't rest your mind

This is one of the most difficult tasks. In the globalised world in which we live, beset by technology and connectivity, it can be difficult to completely disconnect our minds. 

The important thing is to find out what generates tension and stress and then take hours of rest without accessing it. Take email, for example.

- Don't make plans

All firms and companies have plans to improve their productivity and economic well-being. Why don't you make a plan yourself to reduce burnout?

A common mistake that many lawyers make is to leave the responsibility for professional burnout to a coach, but the lawyer also has to do his or her part and develop a strategic plan that will help him or her to disconnect every day from stress and to feel better mentally.