Remembering to take time out for yourself and practicing self-care can be tough, especially when you’re starting your career and focused on making the right impressions. Our trainees, Maja, Monica and Caitlin, share some tips to try and maintain that all-important work-life balance.

You did it! You are now starting your first day at the firm and are joining a new team. Whether you are full of apprehension or just enthusiastic to get stuck in (or a mixture of both!), it is very easy as a trainee to take on huge amounts, so here are some tips to try and maintain that all-important work-life balance. It is so essential to take the time out for yourself, to create a sustainable work ethic and ensure you are making the most out of firm life. Below are some things to think about during your time as a trainee:

  • Decide what your most important outside-of-work hobbies are for the weekdays. Some common examples are exercise / sports, seeing your family / friends, playing an instrument, reading etc. but it could be anything. Weekdays will be busy and while it can be hard to predict or guarantee an exact finish time on-the-dot, you should set boundaries and let people know if you have a music lesson or a gym session. As long as the work is done by the deadline, people tend to be quite flexible about how you manage your outside life. A career in law is not a 9 to 5 job, but you are allowed to make time for things which are important.
  • Work hard but work to live, not live to work. This is not a practical tip, but is a handy motto to keep in mind. You can be ambitious and hard-working without sacrificing other things which matter to you. This is tricky to get right but it is possible.
  • Switch off. Unless there is a transaction going on or an extremely urgent matter, set up a time after which you stop checking work emails. It’s easy to become 24/7 connected but resist that urge!
  • Manage your time and work efficiently. If you procrastinate at work, you reduce your free time. Think about deadlines, clarify them, and think about your ability to complete the work you are given. If something could be done tomorrow, then it is fine to leave it for tomorrow – so long as you are confident you will deliver the work in a timely and satisfactory fashion.
  • Take breaks. It is very easy to continue ticking things off the list and before you know it, it’s 5 o’clock. Chances are, you could have done them quicker if you had had that half hour walk around the block or catch-up with a friend or colleague over coffee or lunch.

Of course, these things are all finely balanced and your working hours/style of working will depend on the team you are in and the type of person you are. However, try and set yourself some core principles based on the above and try to stick to them where possible. Be open about what is important to you – everyone works in different ways, and you need to find yours. This becomes all the more important as you progress through your career and have to manage different demands on your time.

The advantage of working at a firm like Norton Rose Fulbright is that there is no shortage of ways to get involved in fun activities. Trainees are encouraged to enjoy life outside of the firm, as well as to get involved in firm’s initiatives: participating in pro bono projects (e.g., advising at law centres), contributing to the firm’s diversity and inclusion networks, joining sports’ teams, a choir, taking (subsidised) music lessons or helping to organise various charity events. On a team level, most teams do regular drinks and other events – a recent favourite was the Santa in the City run where members of one team ran/walked around London dressed as Santa! Get involved, get stuck in and create that balance for yourself with the opportunities that are there for you.

Maja Mazur, Monica Chen, Caitlin Jenkins
Trainees