Happiness for Lawyers in 2011. Sometimes It Goes Beyond Productivity Techniques.

A lot of synchronicity for me yesterday on the subject of happiness.

Yesterday, for example, we sent out our January newsletter, with the theme of happiness in law firms. I linked to my previous two articles on the importance of being organized for achieving happiness, and based on the click-through stats, it’s clear that the topic really resonates with people.

Then, later yesterday, on one of the listservs I participate in, someone piped up asking what were the unhappiness rates for practicing attorneys. The responses were pretty interesting.

For instance, renowned “optimist” psychologist Martin Seligman wrote on a blog titled “Lawyers With Depression” (that’s the blog name, not the title of the post, mind you), that 52% of practicing attorneys are dissatisfied with their work. Lawyers With Depression states on their statistic page that:

There are approximately 1 million attorneys in the United States today. In light of the foregoing statistics, it can be conservatively estimated that 250,000 attorneys are suffering from depression.

However, the good news, according to a list from Psychology Today, is that “Attorney” does not place in the top ten careers likely to make us depressed.

Getting organized is a major key to stress management. So is regular exercise. But if you suspect you’re battling something greater, if you’ve done what you’re supposed to do and still the day starts and ends with gloom, take a look at the Lawyers with Depression site to see if it hits home, and consider seeing your doctor.