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 back riding. My physio agreed but was clear that

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, could, prior to my concussion. Fatigue set in

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. 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. 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 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 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.

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?

planned. I anticipated that rushing back to the office and taking a "business as normal" approach would not work. I had to deal with my children's return to school, address issues around the availability of my PA and think about whether it might be more sensible to stick to some of the systems I had put in place during the lockdown.

I also wondered what the court would do. Would it still limit unecessary face to face appearances or be back to business as usual? Would the contact tracing requirement add a sufficient time burden that we would need to restrict the number of defendants appearing each day even further? If we implemented set times, how would that work in practical terms with the time attendances challenges we often have with some of our clients?

While many of those questions are answered, we know that we will need remain flexible in our approach and ready to adapt on a reasonably regular basis as unfortunately Covid is not over. This all takes additional mental energy and can tax an already overloaded system.

So I encourage you all to review your planning now. Reflect on your own personal circumstances. Be honest about what works and what doesn’t. Think about the steps you need to take to practise well and with confidence, both during Covid and beyond.

What we have all experienced over the last seven weeks is as unexpected and debilitating as my concussion. Be kind to yourself and those around you by accepting what you can do and what you can’t. In doing so, you’ll successfully get back in the saddle and enjoy the ride.

* Genevieve Haszard Is a barrister based in Tauranga. She has over 20 years experience in the legal profession and practices in both the criminal and civil jurisdictions. Genevieve recently chaired the NZBA’s virtual Happy Hour Sustaining Peak Mental Performance - Introducing Mindset 2.0 with Bruce Ross. For more information visit https://genevievehaszard.com/

If you are experiencing stress or anxiety, the Law Society has a free and confidential professional counselling service. This is available to anyone in a legal workplace - lawyers and non-lawyers. The service is available every day of the year and every hour of the day. For more information refer to https://www.lawsociety.org.nz/ practice-resources/practising-well/legal-communitycounselling-service.

MAS Members can also access the MAS EAP Counselling scheme. For more information, refer to p35.

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