Nicole Black is an legal professional, writer, journalist and the authorized know-how evangelist at MyCase.com authorized follow administration software program. She is the nationally-recognized writer of “Cloud Computing for Attorneys” (2012) and co-authors “Social Media for Attorneys: The Subsequent Frontier” (2010), each revealed by the American Bar Affiliation. She additionally co-authors “Legal Regulation in New York,” a Thomson Reuters treatise. She writes common columns for Above the Regulation and ABA Journal, and has authored a whole lot of articles for different publications, and frequently speaks at conferences relating to the intersection of regulation and rising applied sciences. She is an ABA Authorized Insurgent, and is listed on the Fastcase 50 and ABA LTRC Ladies in Authorized Tech. She may be contacted at niki.black@mycase.com.
By Nicole Black
BridgeTower Media Newswires
It’s been greater than two lengthy years because the onset of the pandemic, and though issues appear to be slowly, steadily bettering, we’re not but within the clear.
The stressors of dwelling throughout this unpredictable time can’t be underestimated. Some have skilled COVID-related well being scares each personally and inside their shut circles of household and pals. Others have endured fixed low ranges of stress introduced on by the unsure instances wherein we’ve needed to exist.
For attorneys, managing stress may be difficult, and it’s not one thing many people are excellent at. Lately, I spoke on a panel at that convention with Aleksander Nikolas and Jared Correia that targeted on utilizing IT instruments for agency administration and private wellness. We every shared quite a lot of suggestions associated to workplace productiveness, wellness know-how and environmental modifications that may be made to facilitate higher psychological and bodily well being.
Listed below are a few of our prime suggestions from every class.
First, let’s deal with productiveness. Jared emphasised the worth of creating productiveness techniques and supplied a number of completely different examples. The primary is the OHIO technique for e mail administration, or “Solely Deal with It As soon as,” which suggests you both act on it, file it or delete it. Different systemic options that he really helpful contemplating are “Getting Issues Carried out” (GTD), the Guidelines Manifesto, the Pomodoro technique and Eat the Frog (do least fascinating duties first). Different recommendation he provided associated to know-how selections and included going paperless and utilizing doc administration instruments and making the most of time-tracking and calendaring instruments to make sure productiveness in your agency. Lastly, he strongly urged that attorneys be taught to delegate, keep away from multi-tasking, flip off e mail notifications and put aside a selected time every day to evaluate emails.
Subsequent up was wellness know-how, which was my class. I really helpful that attendees take a look at a number of wellness cellular apps for meditation, together with Calm, Headspace and Stoic. I additionally defined how SmartWatches are a wonderful instrument for monitoring and sustaining wellness since they sometimes embody bodily exercise trackers, meditation, respiration and sleep-tracking apps, built-in options that shield listening to and monitor and retailer different health-related knowledge as nicely. I additionally mentioned the health-related advantages of Good Assistants like Amazon’s Alexa. Utilizing this know-how, you may play enjoyable music, launch meditation apps and take heed to sleep sounds, white noise or constructive affirmations akin to my favourite, the Seneca each day quote.
Final however not least, Aleks mentioned steps attorneys might take to enhance their work setting. One of many subjects he lined was workplace know-how and gear. He supplied a listing of assets that supply shopping for guides to help in understanding the distinction between advertising and marketing language and useful options for know-how merchandise. He really helpful two websites for know-how options and terminology explanations: www.newegg.com/insider/category/buying-guides/ and www.neweggbusiness.com/smartbuyer/.
To observe shopping for info, he urged this web site: www.tomshardware.com/reviews/monitor-buying-guide,5699.html. And for laptop computer purchases, he pointed attorneys to this web site: www.wired.com/story/how-to-buy-the-right-laptop-for-you/.
He defined that for those who’re available in the market for brand spanking new know-how to your regulation workplace, these assets are an ideal place to start out, however that you must at all times begin your analysis by looking for up to date guides because the newest fashions with new options are always being launched. On the shut of the presentation, we emphasised that wellness outcomes from the alternatives you make every day and that there’s no time like the current to start out making higher selections that result in higher well being.
With that, we ended our discuss with this apropos Dr. Suess quote that’s value mulling over: “Step with nice care and nice tact, and keep in mind that life’s an ideal balancing act.”
