Before the Programme | “My previous place of work was quite toxic in terms of the work culture, and it impacted me to the point where it affected my mental and physical health. I’m now in a new workplace where the culture is completely different and I’m really supported. Even though nothing bad is going on, it's just my anxiety.”

Why I Joined | “Not everyone's going to be happy all of the time, but we want to be happy most of the time. If we have the support to build the toolkit to have a long legal career from the get-go, then we’re less likely to burn out or give up law altogether. Without knowledge of those tools, it might be quite difficult to feel content with your career.”

What I Learned | “It's been life changing in terms of the content has definitely influenced the way that I think. It hasn't told me that I needed to change the way that I think, but the time that you get to reflect on the toolkit, the sessions and your own situation, really does shift your mindset. I understand that if there is a situation where something isn't working out the best way possible, there are things that you can explore to better that situation and tools and support out there for you. In terms of my career, it's really helped me figure out what I want and how to get it from those around me. Even if that's related to a task, and I need something from a partner, the programme has allowed me to upward manage. It's definitely changed the approach I take when I'm reaching out to partners, for example. If I need something from them, I'm much clearer about what I need, so they're able to action that very quickly without having to put an extensive amount of thought into it, because they're really busy.”

The Impact | “I really enjoyed the programme. My cohort was a community of individuals who have a passion for bettering the legal sector, through collaboration and identification of ways to better their wellbeing. You’re not alone. The programme helped me establish a strong toolkit to manage those situations in which my anxiety overtakes. It was about unlearning the toxic mindset, habits and emotions that I picked up, managing the anxiety that comes with that and knowing that not all workplaces are like that.

I was really apprehensive about when the time comes to leave my current firm. I don't want to let people down and say that I'm leaving. And the programme really helped me navigate that and understand that I wouldn't be letting them down and actually they would be supportive of my progression.”