The legal profession is well-known for its intensity. As a trainee solicitor, I quickly learned how easy it is to put the needs of clients, supervisors, and deadlines ahead of my own. In the early weeks of my training contract, I fell into a familiar trap: convincing myself that success required relentless dedication, perfection in everything I touched, and sacrificing rest and self-care for the sake of “proving myself.” It didn’t take long before I noticed how this mindset began to wear down my energy and outlook.
For a long time, I thought of exercise as another area in which I had to be perfect. I held myself to rigid gym routines and detailed meal plans, and whenever I missed a session or strayed from the plan, I felt as though I had failed. My “all-or-nothing” mindset meant that one missed day would spiral into a week of inactivity, and then the guilt would set in. I wasn’t just chasing physical fitness; I was measuring my own worth against an impossible standard of consistency and discipline.
The turning point came when I stopped focusing on perfection and started focusing on showing up.
I began to realise that mental health is not about maintaining an immaculate schedule or achieving flawless discipline. It’s about creating moments of release and building habits that support resilience. Exercise became less about sculpting outcomes and more about carving out time where my mind and body could reset.
For instance, take the 7 am gym classes I often book before work. On many mornings, when the alarm rings, every fiber of my being tells me to stay in bed. The temptation to prioritise another hour of sleep is strong. But when I push myself to show up (even if I only give 60 per cent during that class) the benefits are undeniable. Those classes ground me before the day’s demands begin. I leave with a clearer head, more confidence, and an energy that carries into the office. Even on the most stressful days, I feel a sense of accomplishment because I started the morning by doing something for myself.
This shift in perspective has profoundly impacted my mental health. Exercise is no longer another checkbox where I measure success or failure. It is an act of self-compassion, a reminder that progress is not about perfection but about persistence. Just as importantly, it has taught me to celebrate small wins along the way.
Each time I show up, no matter what the intensity, I create a sense of achievement that helps me maintain a positive mentality. Instead of having tunnel vision on the result and feeling disappointed until I reach it, I’ve learned to value the incremental steps that keep me moving forward.
In a profession where perfectionism can often feel like the standard, I’ve learned that resilience comes from flexibility, not rigidity. Exercise has given me a space to practice that lesson daily. It is a space where I can be imperfect, yet still stronger for it.
