How I don’t hate my job.
Before I became a lawyer, I heard about how you will work long hours and have so much work that you barely have time for yourself.
I was determined to become a lawyer who would still have a life, even if they are little things I will do before, during, and after the workday.
So, I’ll share some of the things that are on my dopamine menu as a lawyer. A dopamine menu is a list of activities to boost your mood (mainly your happiness). It’s kind of like a “restaurant menu” where you basically just pick and choose what you want to do based on what you feel like.
I add new things to my dopamine menu over time as I discover them. Here is what’s currently on mine.
- Having a different activity to do during my lunch break – Makes my work day more exciting, and also gives me something to look forward to in the middle of the work day.
- Coffee – Like duh, no comments lol.
- Having lunch in a variety of places – Whether I buy lunch or bring lunch from home, I try my best to eat it at a different place. For example, in Melbourne, it’s always nice to have lunch in front of the Yarra River.
- Trying a new pastry spot – There are so many of these in Melbourne!
- Trying new food places – Especially the ones I find out about on TikTok.
- Exploring the city – Working in the CBD, you have some opportunities to play tourist for an hour.
- Treating myself – Although I use this lightly to save $$ lol
- Window shopping – Luckily, I’m not an impulsive shopper, so I do in fact stick with window shopping
- Something fun after work – Even if it’s something as simple as eating my comfort food and watching my comfort show.
- Hobbies – I also have a menu for this as well. There’s no pressure to do them regularly; I pick and choose the ones I feel like doing based on my energy levels and what I need.
Some of my past blog posts, I think you should read, that can help with having a life after work:
8 Types of Hobbies to Have in Your Life
Beginner’s Guide to Hacking Your Happy Hormones
100+ solo dates that easy, fun, and enjoyable
Wrap Up
If there is anything to take away from this blog post, it’s not to forget to have a life outside of your job.
Have a list of go-to activities or a menu of things to do for when you have free time. A hot tip is that if you are not sure you’ll have the energy levels, categorise the menu based on energy levels.
Either way, don’t forget to make time for yourself. Work can take up most of your life, but make sure it doesn’t take up your whole life.
-Lauren 🙂
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hi, this is Lauren! I’m a lawyer from Melbourne, Australia.
I failed 8 classes when I was in law school, got 3 High Distinctions in my last semester, and now I’m a lawyer. I know how overwhelming law school can feel.
That’s why I have created this little space for aspiring lawyers on my blog!
About laurenbarri.com: I create content on all things personal development, productivity, self-care, and habits! There is also a law to lawyer hub specifically for those who want to be lawyers and thrive in law school.
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