Stress Awareness Blog: Hitting things head on

In support of Stress Awareness Month, each day this week we will share a personal experience from one of our team members who communicate how they dealt with, or learnt from, a stressful experience.

Our fourth contribution is from Litigation Executive, Liam Bestwick:

Working for a number of companies both in and out of law has taught me a few valuable lessons.

I learned quite early on that avoiding tasks or responsibilities always catches up with you in the end.

If you have an issue, it is always best to deal with it sooner rather than later.

I remember in my first position as a Paralegal, I would focus on the more interesting legal tasks and avoid administrative tasks such as filing and leave it until the end of the week.

I took the view that this task was not as important and could always be done at a later date.

I then remember one Friday, looking at the mass of paperwork that had built up and spending an entire morning sorting through it.

This had a knock on effect on my productivity for the day and was easily avoidable.

Whether your issue is administration or a task that you just don’t want to do, it is much easier to deal with these straight away when they are more easily managed.

I have also found that issues with colleagues are always best dealt with head on.

We all work in extremely close proximity and spend a large portion of our day together.

It is natural for there to occasionally be friction, or issues arising between you.

The most appropriate way to deal with this is to be open, honest and professional.

Speak to the person head on, explain your concerns and if you are unable to resolve it, speak to management.

It is crucial to remain professional throughout this period and this will help to create a much more pleasant working environment.