Episode 206: Becoming The Happy Lawyer with Catherine Shearer
Burnout is never innocuous but sometimes it can have much bigger health implications. Catherine Shearer is a personal injury attorney who from the outside had everything together. On the inside, however, it was a different story. Listen in to hear her burnout tale and what it took for her to get out of the deep dark pit.
Catherine was killing it in her career. She was on every committee, took on every extra responsibility, and was rising through the ranks of her practice. But she was burning the candle at both ends and never felt like she could take a breath.
Soon it was apparent that there was something truly wrong. She had no energy and she couldn’t focus. She went to the doctor, and after months of testing, it was determined that she had Hashimoto’s disease.
She took great care to change her lifestyle and finally asked for the help that she needed. Now she’s still practicing but with the support she needs. She also started the Happy Lawyer Podcast to have conversations and share her wisdom and advice with other female lawyers.
The number of female attorneys who leave the profession rather than ask for the help they need is staggering. She’s hoping to combat that by giving them the tools to ask for the support that will help them keep going.
In this episode:
[01:53] Welcome to the show, Catherine!
[02:50] She shares her burnout story.
[04:14] What burnout looked like from the outside.
[05:34] Being diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder was one of the catalysts for change.
[09:12] She believes a eureka moment caused a change.
[10:28] Catherine discusses those who were instrumental in helping her make changes.
[13:28] She talks about the accommodations she has made for herself.
[16:50] Listen as she shares about The Happy Lawyer Podcast.
[20:03] Thank you so much for being on the show!