“It’s not just about what you eat or how much you exercise, it’s about connections with family and friends”.

That’s the message from Vitality Works business manager, Dr Clara Budd in relation to concern about the lifestyle of many lawyers.

Last year the New Zealand Law Society and health and safety provider, Vitality Works, formed a partnership to improve the personal and professional wellbeing of lawyers.

It was in reaction to concern about unhealthy lifestyles and to address and promote alternatives to working 12 hour days, drinking alcohol excessively, a lack of exercise, bad nutrition and poor sleep patterns.

There are about 13,000 practising lawyers in New Zealand.

The main initiative is the holistic Wellbeing 360 online assessment tool which deals with four key areas including physical wellbeing, mental wellbeing, social wellbeing and work wellbeing.

Doctor of Philosophy Clara Budd says there is more to the tool than just looking at the diet and exercise habits of lawyers.

“It’s also about connections you have with family and friends. It’s about your recreational time, your engagement with people at work, financial pressures you could be experiencing. It’s very much geared at people who are ‘time poor’ to sit in perhaps the privacy of their own home or in the office to take 15 minutes, answer questions and straight away get responsible and incitement personalised information back that can assist in managing all aspects of your life,” she says.

NZLS Practising  Wellbeing360 – a free online health assessment available to all lawyers

We are now well into business as usual for 2017.  At some point this year we will invariably be pressured at work and at times stressed. So how are you placed to deal with this stress, to be resilient and look after your health and wellbeing?

The NZLS Practising Well resources can put you in touch with qualified people and practical information.

One of the resources available is a free online health assessment tool, Wellbeing360, provided by Vitality Works. This comprehensive tool provides an immediate personalised and confidential report on your physical, mental, work and social wellbeing. You’ll also receive tips and suggestions that will point you in a healthy direction for the future. It takes just 15 minutes to complete the assessment. Register here and you will receive your personalised invitation to complete the assessment within a few days.