Legal practice is a demanding profession, and female lawyers in Nigeria continue to face unique stressors that affect both their well-being and professional output.
At a recent presentation titled “Move to Thrive: Lifestyle Modifications for Managing Stress, Burnout and Improving Performance in Law,” at the just concluded 2025 AWLA Parley held in Enugu by Associate Professor Chidiebele Petronilla Ojukwu highlighted the urgent need for lawyers to adopt intentional lifestyle changes to cope with the pressures of practice.
Ojukwu, a women’s health physiotherapist at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, explained that stress is an unavoidable part of life but can be managed effectively. She noted that while stress can sometimes take a positive form, known as eustress, unmanaged distress often leads to physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion. For female lawyers, common triggers include unnecessary adjournments, pressure from clients, tight deadlines, and the challenge of balancing work with family responsibilities.
The consequences of stress, according to her, extend beyond health issues to affect professional performance. Fatigue, lack of concentration, irritability, and burnout often leave lawyers struggling to meet the demands of their cases. She emphasized that understanding personal triggers through self-study is the first step toward effective stress management.
Ojukwu outlined practical strategies ranging from workload management and clear client boundaries to adopting mindfulness, healthy nutrition, and regular physical activity. She encouraged female lawyers to integrate simple lifestyle habits such as controlled breathing, adequate sleep, hydration, and daily physical movement into their routines. Leveraging technology for case management and fostering teamwork in chambers were also recommended as practice-level solutions.
The session concluded with a strong reminder: “If you don’t manage stress, stress will manage you.” Ojukwu urged female lawyers to prioritize their mental and physical health, set boundaries, and embrace self-compassion. By making deliberate lifestyle modifications, she maintained, legal practitioners can reduce burnout, improve their productivity, and sustain long-term success in the profession.
