Lauren Kelindeman’s wellness initiatives had humble beginnings. Like many lawyers, the pressures of the profession spurred her to explore mental health and the science of wellbeing. She has since run 91 wellbeing sessions – or ‘mental health breaks', attracting attendees from across Australia, New Zealand, the United States, and even less likely locations like Estonia, Malaysia and Iran.
Her efforts have seen her recognised as Women in Law’s Wellness Advocate of the Year (2020), and Australasian Lawyer Rising Star (2021). Insights spoke to Lauren about her work in wellness, its impact, and why it is so important for lawyers.
Gratitude sessions and mental health breaks
Lauren's wellness initiatives were an unlikely upside to COVID lockdown.
"I had done some online courses around mental health and the science of wellbeing, which prompted positive change in my life," said Lauren. As work abruptly shifted home, she and the team at Legalite quickly collaborated on ways to keep the firm connected, happy and productive.
"We are constantly looking at small things we can add into our routines and culture to improve wellbeing," explained Lauren. "For example, every Friday we have a gratitude circle at 4:30pm, where we talk about our highlights from the week. We also read out our “Shout out a win” submissions – a Google form we created where staff nominate co-workers for doing something great. This is a lovely (and easy) way to give reward and recognition."
While these wellbeing initiatives pre-dated lockdown, they swiftly expanded from Australia's March 2020 lockdown.
"Over the past year I ran 91 wellbeing sessions. These started out just for the team, however when Melbourne went into our first lockdown, we decided to make these available to the public on zoom,” explained Lauren.
These 'Love Your Life’ sessions ran five days a week, and consisted of upbeat fifteen-minute activities, framed around mindfulness, creativity, and movement.
"These are key mental health strategies,” Lauren explained. "The goal was to offer people a 'mental health break' and create something people looked forward to during COVID. It also created stability in people’s days - every day at 2pm, they knew they would have a break. The sessions were advertised by the law institutes of VIC, NSW, TAS, NT which helped spread the word."
The sessions drew people from a range of nations, professions and backgrounds, well beyond lawyers.
"After two months, we surveyed the attendees. 100% reported an increase in wellbeing and productivity, while 89% rated their happiness a 9 or 10 right after each session. Most importantly, 78% introduced a new wellbeing activity into their routine as a result of the sessions – showing lasting impact."
For Lauren, this was positive proof of what even fifteen minutes of 'me’ time could do for your health.
"People said they felt positive, calm and socially connected after a session. These were key elements missing in our lives during lockdown, so this was amazing to see," said Lauren.
Inoculating against Zoom fatigue
Following the success of these sessions, Lauren collaborated with the Law Institute of Victoria (LIV) to develop “wellbeing breaks” into their online conferences.
"This involved designing 'funky' slides on how to avoid Zoom fatigue, wellbeing tips and running live drawing and gratitude sessions," explained Lauren. "The LIV received really positive feedback on our wellbeing breaks. I'm pleased to say they are now a part of every conference, reaching over 1,000 lawyers in 2020 alone."
Indeed, the Love Your Life sessions are likely to be a legacy of lockdown, an upshot to a time with few silver linings.
"The Love Your Life initiative is unique and unlike any wellbeing initiative I’ve seen from a law firm," said Lauren. "It is practical, inclusive and fun. I think it is refreshing to see law firms encourage 'play' as we are used to being serious."
Lauren's enthusiasm for her work in wellbeing is evident – and helps fire up her passion for the law.
"I’ve wanted to be a lawyer since I was a teenager, probably because my mum always had Law and Order on the TV!” she joked. "In all seriousness, I always wanted to work closely with people and help them understand their rights. Having a positive impact on people’s businesses and livelihoods is reward in itself. It's an amazing feeling when clients tell us how we have helped them!”
Reach out for help when you need it
It wasn't always plain sailing.
"In March 2019, I was unexpectedly made redundant, which plunged me into uncertainty and stress," said Lauren. "The first thing I did was reach out to my friends for support, which really helped. I booked a weekend away to relax, as I was really stressed. The next week I got stuck into job applications and persevered for weeks, until I found Legalite! It was stressful not knowing how long I would be unemployed for, but I tried not to spend time dwelling on it and focused on what I could control – job searching. I am so grateful that I found Legalite within a few weeks of my job hunt!"
However, if 2020 taught us anything, it's that uncertain times can last longer than anyone might like. For lawyers undergoing prolonged and anxious times, Lauren encourages seeking help – both personal and professional.
"You don’t have to go through it alone! If you are feeling down or anxious for more then a few weeks, go to your GP for help," Lauren said. "They can give you a mental health plan which includes twenty subsidised visits to a psychologist each year. I’ve been seeing a psychologist for anxiety for 2 years and they have been a life saver. Knowing I have an appointment booked in the future allows me to “park” any issues, because I know I will deal with them in the session."
Inspired to learn more about mental health and wellbeing in the workplace? Learn more about the College’s interactive and informative programs on Mental Health First Aid for Legal Practitioners.