Law Librarians of Leisure

When I was first laid off, I had the idea of writing this post. Then I thought, “surely people would think all of these were dumb and unhelpful.” I’m not saying I’ve necessarily changed my mind on that thought, but I figured I might as well go ahead and publish this anyway. Then I started getting more helpful hints from other Law Librarians of Leisure and realized we were all thinking the same thing. If you have suggestions to add, please comment!

1. Do something you would never get to do if you were working. For me, this is swimming laps. It’s so hard to find the time to do it when I have a full-time job, that I’m positively relishing the fact that I usually get to go do it three mornings a week. Three!
2. Create a structure to your day. Brenna Louzin, another Law Librarian of Leisure, meets 3-4 friends to walk around a lake 4-5 days a week. She says this gives her “structure, contact, needed exercise, fresh air, and a way to have someone listen to me.” Tracie, another Law Librarian of Leisure, seconds this. She makes a list each day of what she needs/wants to accomplish.
3. Try to find a way to stay connected or still contribute to the profession. I acknowledge this is a hard task to manage. However, I think it can be done. This blog came about because of the suggestion that I needed to stay connected. I’ve also planned events for the South Caroline chapter of SLA (granted, I’m the program chair so I’m supposed to, but I didn’t give up my position because I wasn’t working). Call a local library organization and see what you can do to help. Brenna also suggests this. She has remained active in her local AALL chapter (Law Librarians of Puget Sound), volunteered on the Professional Development Committee by helping put on a seminar, and chaired the Nominations Committee. All of these activities have allowed her to stay in touch with colleagues and keep in tuned to new technologies and library trends.
4. Get some exercise. I promise it helps. Not only do you have the time to do it, it helps relieve stress. Working out doesn’t have to be expensive. You can head to a local state or national park and hike (mine’s a swamp, don’t be jealous). Tracie walks her dogs regularly, which helps her decompress, along with hitting the gym much more often.
5. Find an organization that needs your help and volunteer. Check your local public library, food bank, etc.
6. If you have the money or can find a way to do it cheap, go on vacation! Know that relative or friend with the beach house? CALL THEM. Or that friend in Munich since it seems ridiculously cheap to fly to Europe right now ($318!!!)…not that I’m tempted…..
7. Clean out your house or apartment of all that stuff you don’t need. Take it to Goodwill or a consignment shop, depending on your level of patience with such things. This is especially helpful if you might have to move.
8. Keep reading professional materials, such as magazines and blogs. Brenna still reads “beSpacific on a regular basis and tries to review law blogs to stay current on the legal industry.”
9. Stay active in social networking. Brenna joined a local Seattle LinkedIn Business Group affiliated with a faith community in her area. She says, “this group brings in speakers and offers support and suggestions for job hunting, interviewing, resume writing, and staying sane.”
10. Try to maintain a sense of humor and a sense of fun. Tracie finds the Wii especially helpful in achieving this.
11. Remain grateful for what you DO have, be it friends and family, good health, a sense of humor, and anything else specific to you. Brenna seconds this, adding “my pets and the garden.”

Now it’s your turn…..