As a new attorney, there is a tremendous amount of pressure to sacrifice yourself and your needs for your new job. But I want to remind you of the importance of taking care of you.

Many attorneys find themselves working late nights, over the weekend and during holidays just to keep that to-do pile at bay. They're skipping the sick days, sneaking in emails whenever possible and taking on more projects than they can handle because it seems like that's what's expected.

I know it's easy to say "take care of yourself," but it is so vitally important that you do. If you are not in a healthy space, there's no way you can produce the quality work that you want to or maintain your relationships with peers and loved ones. Not to mention the effects it can have on your body and peace of mind. The deadlines will always be there. But your health and your opportunity to take care of yourself won't.

So, as you begin your new legal career, try to put some healthy practices in place. There's no one-size-fits-all solution, but here are some ideas that could work for you:

• Schedule time for yourself. Put it on the calendar and treat that block of time just like you would an appointment or a deadline. It's not free time; it's your time.
• Get outside of the office and away from the computer every once in a while. A change of environment is a great way to refresh your day. Try an outdoor lunch, an outdoor board meeting or even an outdoor and active networking event.
• Need a mental health break? There are hundreds of phone apps for meditation, calming practices, deep breathing exercises—whatever works best for you. Many of them are free and feature different time lengths (anywhere from five minutes to an hour). No matter how crazy busy your day may be, you can always fit in five minutes for mental health.
• Remember that it is OK to say no. If there is a volunteer position or extracurricular activity that you're considering but just doesn't work for you—it is perfectly OK to say "thank you for thinking of me, but no." Saying no to certain obligations frees up your schedule for events and causes that will benefit you and your career.

To the new attorneys who are reading this article, I want to say "Congratulations!" Graduating from law school and passing the bar are both huge accomplishments, and you should be extremely proud of yourself. I wish you good health and success … and, as you grow to become an outstanding advocate for your clients, don't forget to take time for yourself, too.

Megan Hodgkiss is founder and CEO of Hodgkiss Consulting.