How glasses help you switch off advocate mode – a lifehack

The constant need to be available to clients, thinking about cases outside of work hours, and internalizing others’ emotions blur the line between an advocate’s professional and personal life. That is why it is important to practice switching between contexts, use external «anchors» and separate one’s own responsibilities from those of the client.

This was discussed during the webinar «When helping others, it’s important not to lose yourself: preventing burnout among young advocates», organized by the UNBA NextGen in the Odesa region. The event was moderated by the Committee’s regional representative Karina Mokhortova. The speaker was business psychologist Katerina Krit.

According to her, advocate work requires both emotional resilience and sensitivity. Clients come to an advocate with problems, so the advocate must empathize with the client’s situation while maintaining a professional distance. Added to this are conflict situations, client expectations, responsibility, the need to make quick decisions, and the constant need to keep up with changes in legislation. And the advocate’s state of mind affects the quality of decisions, especially when they must be made quickly under critical conditions.

K. Krit identified the «portal» practice as one way to distinguish between roles. A specific action or space can mark the end of one context and the transition to another. For example, leaving the office can signify that the professional role remains there, and on the way home, the person does not continue to address work-related tasks. This kind of transition requires repetition and gradually becomes second nature.

Additional cues can include clothing, glasses, an accessory, or another work-related item. By removing or changing it after finishing work, a person signals to the brain that work mode is over. Such an «anchor» should be chosen individually. «One of my clients has separate glasses for work and for her personal life. We can use any life hack that works specifically for us. We need to experiment and find what can serve as a signal to the brain that «we’re done», - the psychologist explained.

During the discussion, K. Mokhortova noted that an advocate may remain in their professional role at home, on weekends, and even during non-work-related activities, since clients call whenever they need to. However, the speaker suggested stepping into the role of an advocate only when contacted and not remaining on constant standby until a call comes in.

The topic of responsibility allocation was also discussed. An advocate should be responsible for their part of the work, while the client is responsible for providing documents on time, ensuring the completeness of the information provided, and their own actions. «Divide responsibilities between yourself and your client in a professional sense. And be mindful of where you’re taking on responsibility for things that the client could handle on their own», - the speaker recommended. After all, the inability to say «no», the fear of making mistakes, and the inability to tolerate other people’s dissatisfaction all contribute to burnout.

Responding to a question about handling cases involving death, violence, and family conflicts, K. Krit advised distinguishing between empathy and internalizing another person’s emotions. By adopting the perspective of an observer, an advocate can distance themselves from the situation, view it from the outside, and identify more potential solutions without fully internalizing the client’s emotional experience.