President's Column - September 2021
View the September 2021 Insider here
Kia ora koutou
In this issue we welcome the Spring season and as part of Mental Health Awareness Week next week, encourage you to check on loved ones, friends and colleagues and take time for yourself.
Mental Health Awareness Week (27th September – 3rd October)
Take time to Kōrero!
Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW) is here! We all have mental health, and our latest ride on the COVID Alert Level rollercoaster reinforces the need to make self-care a priority and connecting regularly at a human level with friends, loved ones and workmates. A small act can make a big difference to someone who might be feeling isolated or stressed. This lockdown has been disruptive and overwhelming for the whole country, and especially for our Auckland-based lawyers. Above all, I want to encourage you to be kind to yourself, let go of any pressure for perfection and reflect on the good things that you encounter each day. Keep your head up – you’ve got this! At work, why not run this awesome team activity during your team meeting during MHAW – it includes an easy-to-use PowerPoint pack that you can run during your Teams/Zoom call. Individual lawyers in your team can also use this simple Mental Health Awareness Week Guide/Workbook to do something small each day that’ll help boost your knowledge and fill your tank.
For more information and resources on ways to look after ourselves and whānau, visit the Mental Health Foundation’s website or show your support for the work the Foundation is doing by donating here.
NZLS Auckland Branch Virtual Panel Session - Take Time to Kōrero: Mental health & wellbeing in the legal profession
On Friday, 1 October, I’ll join panelists, Mark Lewis (People and Capability Manager, Lane Neave) and Dr David Stoner (Consultant Psychiatrist) for a virtual discussion, moderated by Fiona McMillan (Partner, Lane Neave) on Mental Health in the legal profession. I’d love to see you on the call, so click here to RSVP and you can find details in this issue of Insider.
COVID-19 Vaccinations
A gentle reminder from ILANZ to book your COVID-19 vaccination if you haven’t already. It’s completely natural to have questions about the vaccine, and we encourage you to seek answers to your questions from trusted sources like the Ministry of Health or your doctor. For more information on how to book your vaccination, click here.
ILANZ Committee Member, Hiramai Rogers
We get to know our new addition to the ILANZ committee, Hiramai Rogers, GC at UltraFast Fibre who explains how he plans to reflect on himself next week and reach out and support his family and friends. We are really excited to have Hiramai join the ILANZ team and look forward to working with him over the coming months.
Noho ora mai rā
Grant Pritchard