In an article published in the Daily Report, Columbia Encompass Discovery Counsel and Advanced Solutions Administrator Rick McGee discusses burnout and languishing in legal professionals with a specific focus on e-discovery and technology-focused practices. McGee explores solutions to remedy an increasingly common reality in a post-pandemic world.

McGee examines how burnout more predominantly affects technology-focused practices because of its fluid and budget-driven standards. Moreover, the term languishing, coined by sociologist Corey Keyes, describes the middle ground between thriving and burnout. Sometimes even subconscious, feeling aimless, stagnant, or unmotivated can be symptoms of languishing. 

“So, what can you do about burnout and languishing? How can we correct, or even avoid, a condition that sometimes we don’t even recognize in ourselves?” He wrote, “while self-care is always important, it will ultimately be a joint effort between professionals and managers to take a more involved role on the subject to garner results.” 

Steps to avoid or correct this condition are also suggested in McGee’s writing. Ways to combat burnout and languishing include: don’t be afraid to talk about it, take time for yourself, and jump-start your progress. Those in managerial roles can also focus on parallel efforts that include: normalizing discussions about mental health, protecting their time out, and pushing for personal development. 

Read more here. 

McGee’s practice at Nelson Mullins is broad, having experience in all areas of e-discovery ranging from the coordination of document review activities to complex search term negotiation and offensive discovery efforts.

Nelson Mullins Encompass is a division of Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough LLP.  Established in 2007, Encompass provides clients facing significant litigation, government investigations, and transactions with end-to-end e-discovery technology, document review, and integrated counsel and advocacy.  For more information on Encompass, go to encompass.nelsonmullins.com.