Small Changes, Big Impact!

Over the past few years, I experienced first-hand how quickly professional pressures and personal challenges can collide.

Balancing a demanding career, family responsibilities, and the emotional toll of constant change forced me to consider my own mental wellbeing in a way I hadn’t before. I won’t go back over the horrors specifically, but certainly it was a period that taught me the importance of slowing down, setting boundaries, and recognising that resilience isn’t about ‘just carrying on’.

Mental health remains one of the most complex issues in the legal sector because of the culture the industry has historically encouraged. Long hours, client demands, and perfectionism can create an environment where asking for help feels like weakness. Thankfully, that narrative is beginning to change. Over the past few years, I’ve seen more firms embrace open conversations about wellbeing.

At The Cashroom, this personal perspective has shaped how I view workplace wellbeing. We support hundreds of law firms with their financial management and see first-hand how stress and workload pressures can affect people across the profession.

Wellbeing has become a core part of our own culture. From flexible working and open communication to regular check-ins and mental health awareness initiatives, The Cashroom fosters an environment where people feel supported and not just as employees, but as individuals.

Having been a partner in a law firm myself, and worked within the sector for over 30 years, I’ve seen a growing understanding that good mental health is not a luxury but a necessity. It’s well accepted now, that investment in your firm’s wellbeing actually improves the performance of the business, rather than being simply an expense.

For me, focusing on mental wellbeing meant creating clearer boundaries and learning to value rest in the same way I value productivity. It helped that I have a wonderful set of colleagues who rallied round just when I needed it most!

I’ve learned that regular exercise, time away from screens, and honest conversations with colleagues about workload aren’t signs of stepping back, but of stepping forward. I even took up whittling, just so I was doing something that required complete concentration if I didn’t want to cut my fingers!

I’ve seen first-hand how small changes can make a big difference. Flexible working arrangements, wellbeing check-ins, and mental health training for managers all help to normalise care in the workplace. When senior figures share their own experiences, it gives permission for others to do the same.

Not everyone will want to take up running, or wood carving, but I believe everyone should look to find time for themselves to just be. And their employer enabling and encouraging this approach in their employees will reap benefits for both.