If someone were to ask me to describe my perfect evening, I can think of no source of greater joy than sitting at home in my pyjamas doing nothing. There are times at the Bar when you feel a tiredness that is so bone-sapping that it permeates every fibre of your being. Yet somehow you […]
I need help
Barristers inherently face very specific challenges on a daily basis. If you need some help click on support to find contact details and advice on seeking support.
The professional lives of clerks and chambers’ staff include many potential stressors. If you don’t know how to broach an issue, want advice on your options.
These resources have been designed specifically for those who have completed their BPTC and for pupils up to tenancy.
Resources
Guidance on how to introduce wellbeing policies and initiatives and on tackling a wellbeing issue in chambers.
Examples of successful wellbeing initiatives adopted by chambers, Specialist Bar Associations and the Inns of Court.
Support
Who to talk to, how to get help in coping with the pressures and demands of life at the Bar.
Who to talk to and how to get help, resources are for clerks and staff themselves.
Support for students and pupils
Who to talk to and how to get help for those who have completed their BPTC and for pupils up to tenancy.
The confidential 24/7 helpline with access to counselling for barristers, pupils, clerks and chambers’ staff.
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News
Boost your physical resilience
[Article by Health Assured] Stress isn’t a new problem. However, today it is office politics, traffic jams, overwork and late nights that cause levels to rise. Whereas cave dwellers burnt off stress through the physical activity involved in fight or flight; today we often can’t physically fight or run away from the things that cause […]
Is the working environment of the Bar conducive to damaging our wellbeing?
Is the working environment of the Bar conducive to damaging our wellbeing? Negative words and phrases can frequently be overheard in our courts and not just from the defendant about to be sent to prison for eight years. Barristers are also guilty of contributing their fair share of negativity to our working environments. The array […]
Charlotte May KC’s wellbeing journey
My wellbeing journey started back in 2014, when I was invited to join the Bar Wellbeing Committee as the IP Bar Association representative. I confess that, at the outset, I did not know much about wellbeing or why it was relevant to practice at the Bar. Shortly after I joined the Committee, and in an […]
Stress Management
[Article by Health Assured] According to a survey carried out by Forth, 85% of UK adults experience stress on a regular basis. April marks the return of Stress Awareness Month – the wellbeing campaign aimed at raising awareness of stress and promoting stress free living. What is stress? Stress is our body’s response to a […]
Don’t bother counting sheep: how to send a barrister to sleep
Many of us are used to getting less than the optimal amount of sleep, arising from late-night working or early starts to far-flung courts. It’s part of the job, isn’t it? Some people can work until 2am with relish. Some choose to start again at 5am. No one likes it. It doesn’t happen all the […]
Self injury awareness
[Article by Health Assured] Self-Injury Awareness Day is a global event held on 1st March every year – the aim is to reach out to those who self-injury, and educate others. Awareness will lead to understanding and empathy for those who self-injure, as well as reducing the number of those feeling alone and suffering in silence. […]
Amanda Hardy KC on Chancery Bar Association’s year of wellbeing
We have had a busy and productive year promoting members’ wellbeing, which is an increasingly important part of the Association’s work. We continue to work closely with the Bar Council’s excellent Wellbeing at the Bar Working Group. In addition, we have held regular events, including a recent seminar on 17th October 2018, chaired by Nigel […]