Getting Back in the Saddle – Post Level 4 Lockdown By Genevieve Haszard, Barrister*
NZBA Member Genevieve Haszard draws comparisons between her concussion injury and getting back to work post lockdown. Five weeks prior to the Level 4 lockdown I suffered a concussion. The effect was not immediately apparent but within a couple of days, I had a dawning realisation I was not ok and I could not operate at the level I had the week before. I experienced a range of emotions. Denial, frustration, upset, fear, resignation and eventually, but reluctantly, acceptance. I had to accept I could not work the hours I had prior to the concussion. I could not manage work, children, life all at the same time. I could not ride or even handle my horse, which is an integral part of my work/life balance strategy. I had to rest, and my recovery was going to take time. As my physio recently told me, these realities are all well and good but try telling that to an “A” type personality. I suspect there is a high proportion of “A” type personalities within the legal profession. It is part of why we are so good at what we do.
Do we want to return to how it was before or is there benefit in working from home? Will this help us balance family obligations? Every one of us will have our own circumstance that requires reflection. And this is where I see a direct parallel between my recent concussion and our gradual return to everyday life. A few weeks ago, I discussed with my physio getting back on my horse. I had an intuitive sense that my recovery would improve if I could get back riding. My physio agreed but was clear that any return to riding required a plan and graduated steps to get me back on the horse. The key parts to the plan were little steps at a time. Making sure I developed my reflexes again before I got on. As a result of the careful planning and sticking to the plan, I did get back on my horse and it was a success. While I was aware of my limitations, I felt confident. I could not ride as long as I usually could, prior to my concussion. Fatigue set in pretty quickly. I had to accept that. However, I am building those little steps at a time and curiously, finding I am riding better than I had prior to my concussion. I approached post alert life in the same way. I
I marvelled at how quickly the legal profession, barristers in particular, adapted to work within the level four paradigm. The leadership from our Bar Association executive was fantastic. Our ability to adapt and evolve quickly is evidenced by the fact that within three weeks of lockdown we could appear in court from our homes by AVL, we could see our clients in prison from our homes by AVL and allow for swearing of affidavits remotely. These were quite extraordinary developments. So now we are preparing for the future. What will that look like for our profession? Covid 19 has taught us to plan for the unexpected and to look at our working lives as being only a part of everyday activities - rather than life being what happens around work. How will that change our approach?
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