Former All Black and Mental Health advocate Sir John Kirwan (JK) and health psychology specialist and former litigator Dr Fiona Crichton offered a blend of lived experience, neuroscience, and practical tools for protecting wellbeing at a free Law Society webinar in May.
Here’s a summary of that discussion, as well as JK’s six pillars of wellbeing.
FC: The law has always demanded commitment and sacrifice, yet generational expectations are changing our workplaces, with Gen Z expecting good mental health. “Many senior lawyers have trained in an ‘old school’ model: long hours, relentless effort, and the quiet understanding that this was the price of partnership. The model is shifting, and with it comes uncertainty.” At the same time, the legal profession’s deep respect for precedent and established ways of working can make constant reinvention especially draining. “Our brains crave certainty, yet modern legal practice offers less and less of it.”
JK: While change itself isn’t new, the volume of change is, and how you feel about change directly affects how you experience it. “People respond to change in markedly different ways. Some are energised by it, some cautiously optimistic, others deeply uncomfortable. A final group are actively resistant, often as a form of self-protection. You need to be aware of what you are feeling about change, as it will affect you.”
FC: Relentless change is exhausting, as human brains are not wired for continuous disruption. “Traditionally, periods of change were followed by periods of settling. Today, just as we adapt, the ground shifts again. Add global crises – wars, extreme weather, economic shocks – and many lawyers wake each morning already activated, their brains interpreting the world as unsafe. Emotionally, that can land as anger, anxiety, or numbness.”
JK: Staying stuck in an emotion rarely leads to solutions. “Awareness is the first step. Ask yourself: What am I feeling about this? Understand the emotion, then quickly work through it. Find a solution so you can have a good day.”
FC: Burnout often shows up as physical exhaustion, reduced sense of achievement (“I’m not doing a good job”), and depersonalisation, such as feeling detached, cynical, or irritated by people who once mattered. “Perfectionism accelerates this process. So does constant busyness without reflection. When we remove thinking time from our days, burnout fills the gap.”
JK: Know the early signs of your burnout. I use the analogy of being chased by a shark. Being chased by a shark make me a hard worker...but in the end, the shark begins to eat me. For me, the signs of burnout begin with feeling unappreciated, disrupted sleep, and increasing irritability.
FC: From a physiological perspective, being bored earlier protects your sleep later. Without pauses during the day, the brain saves this processing for bedtime which is why everything feels heavier at 3am. Simple practices that help include, going for a walk without a phone, sitting with a cup of tea and allowing your mind to wander. These micro-pauses help calm the amygdala (the brain’s threat detector) which is easily activated in a profession built around stressed clients and high stakes.
JK: Boredom is counterintuitive yet powerful. It creates space for creativity, problem-solving, and self-referential thinking: processing what matters, where you fit, and what comes next.
FC: The importance of rhythms with consistent sleep, routines, and genuine breaks. Lawyers cannot serve clients, colleagues, or the justice system if they are depleted. Take your lunch break. You deserve it.
JK: Preventative mental health is a daily activity, and not just the preserve of weekends. When I talk about looking after myself by being bored, I’m talking every day. Put a daily plan in. Your minutes are precious, but don’t forget that it doesn’t take long to look after yourself. Go for a cup of tea and don’t take your phone. Also consider habit-stacking: small, repeatable actions that anchor the day. A morning shower followed by coffee. A daily check-in: what emotion might show up today – and how will I move through it?
FC: Lawyers may feel judged, misunderstood, or worn down by expectations, and stereotypes about the profession. Get good at saying what you are good at. If you are not going to be valued by your workplace, value yourself and be good at knowing what you are good at.”
Celebrating small wins and connect to your values. Remember how you reassured a client, clarified a process, helped someone feel less alone. Small celebratory moments are profoundly protective. Think about how in the day we are serving people. Why did you choose this work? Helping people? Making sense of complexity? Serving fairness? When daily actions align with these values, even in small ways, wellbeing improves.
JK: Start making a daily “to done” list. This flips imposter syndrome on its head by capturing what you have achieved, not just what remains to be done.
FC: Go tech-free for moments in the day as a way to centre yourself when you feel overwhelmed. Have the coffee and notice the coffee. Get up and move, even for a few minutes. Share a Wordle result with somebody else. Do one small thing that centres you.
JK: The six pillars of wellbeing – Chill, Do, Connect, Move Celebrate, Enjoy – are all strategies that do not require more time but a different way of using the time you already have. You don’t have to overhaul your life but choose one or two small shifts and make them daily.
Allow yourself to be bored. Boredom creates space for creativity, problem-solving, and self-referential thinking.
Do one thing. Employ some simple practices such as going for a walk without your phone. Sit with a cup of tea and just notice your surroundings, allow your mind to wander. These micro-pauses help calm the amygdala – the brain’s threat detector. Standing that response down requires intention. Don’t wait to solve your wellbeing in the weekend, do it daily.
Connect to your purpose and values: remember why you chose this work, celebrate small wins. Know what you are good at. Foster meaningful relationships with loved ones, your community or with nature.
Prioritise physical activity in a way that feels good to you.
Celebrate the small wins and acknowledge your progress.
Make time for fun and laughter. Give yourself something to look forward to each day.