By popular demand, here are the B-sides to our our popular blog, "Legal Holiday Carols." We hope you enjoy them as much as we do. 

It is that time of year again—resolution time!

“What do you mean, resolution time?” you may be thinking. “Christmas trees are still up, the holiday music is still playing, and my pants still fit.”

The holiday season brings families together, and we at MerusCase are lucky enough to be a part of a very special family—the legal family. Whether you be a legal secretary, an attorney, a paralegal, or a legal assistant, we are proud to be seated at the table alongside you.

The turkey has been eaten, the pants unbuttoned, the football watched, the holiday cards purchased. It is time for the most anxiety-inducing (and financially painful) time of the year[1]: holiday shopping. You like giving gifts that are smart and unique, gifts that people won’t want to re-gift at their company’s “White Elephant” exchange. For your buddy who is already camping outside of the local cinema, a Star Wars-themed ugly Christmas sweater. For your friend’s kid, a mermaid tail blanket. For your pal who has just discovered Korean skincare, a sheet mask advent calendar. Then, you get to that person. You know the one. The legal professional. They are so smooth, so smart, so sophisticated. What do you get that person?

Between the pressures of the year ending, social gatherings, monetary concerns, and the diminishing of daylight hours, the holidays are a tough time of year for everyone. But if you add in the stress of working in law, the holidays are an especially difficult time of year for legal professionals. According to a 2016 Hazelden Betty Ford/ABA study, nearly a third of practicing attorneys report mild or higher levels of depression [1]. If you compound that statistic with the additional stressors that come with this time of year, the stakes are that much higher. While work is important, one must ensure their own well-being first and foremost. Here are some ways you can practice self-care this holiday season.