The most taxing season for CPAs is among us, and it’s no laughing matter. Tax season is a highly stressful time for CPAs, who face tremendous pressure to handle large workloads with strict deadlines while attempting to outcompete their counterparts. This stress can lead to burnout and even anxiety and depression, the two most common and severe mental health issues in the profession. So, how can CPAs maintain their mental well-being and simultaneously achieve peak performance?
Work Fewer Hours
While this may seem counterintuitive or obvious, depending on your point of view, studies show that working fewer hours leads to greater productivity. And this isn’t just a personal opinion, as multiple studies have come to the same conclusion¹. When one works hard on a complex task that requires lots of brainpower, they eventually start making simple mistakes they wouldn’t have otherwise made. Harmful byproducts, such as glutamate, build up in the prefrontal cortex, interfering with our neurons’ synapses’ ability to send signals.² Fortunately, this glut of glutamate and other toxins can be removed by simply sleeping (more on that below).
Practice Self-Care
Despite the long and stressful hours, taking an hour out of the day to exercise, sleep an extra hour, or prepare healthy food can ultimately boost productivity. Prioritizing self-care and healthy habits can improve work performance and reduce the negative effects of stress and anxiety. So, instead of sacrificing your well-being for work, consider investing in yourself to achieve better results.
Exercise
Besides increasing energy levels to new heights, exercise also increases the production of endorphins and serotonin, leading to an improved mood, higher cognitive function, and higher happiness levels. In fact, you don’t even need to exercise for a whole hour to see significant improvements – running for a mere 15 minutes a day can reduce the chances of major depression by 26%³, while only five minutes of aerobic activity can ease anxiety levels.⁴ Exercise can also reduce your overall stress levels and reduce anxiety.
Healthy Diet
CPAs often feel pressed for time during tax season, leading them to order food instead of preparing healthy meals before work. However, this quick fix may cost CPAs valuable time in the long run.
There is a strong link between our gut bacteria and the production of healthy neurotransmitters. Eating highly-processed junk food hampers the body’s ability to produce neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, leading to fatigue, poor decision-making abilities⁵, and – you guessed it – depression and anxiety, along with a slew of other performance-affecting issues.⁶
Conversely, as you might already suspect, a varied diet rich in vitamins and nutrients provides your brain with the energy it needs to function efficiently and effectively.⁷ So be sure to load up your diet with plenty of leafy greens, beans, legumes, vegetables, fruits, nuts, grains, berries, and lean meats for a supercharged diet to get you through the tax season.
Get enough sleep
The importance of getting enough sleep can’t be overstated. Study after study shows the importance of sleep in determining one’s mental health, cognitive abilities, and perception of the world around them.
While one night of poor sleep may lead to a grumpy morning, consistent sleep deprivation can lead to poor memory, anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, stroke, dementia, Alzheimer’s – you name it.⁸ ⁹ ¹⁰ During deep sleep, however, toxins responsible for these mental health issues are whisked away by blood and cerebrospinal fluid that washes over the brain in rhythmic cycles.¹¹
You are much more likely to make a mistake while feeling sleepy, and each error will cost you precious time. Avoid this feedback loop altogether by getting at least 8 hours of sleep during crunch time to save you more time in the long run.
Seek Professional Help
If at the end of the day, you’re starting to feel that you can’t handle it all, there’s nothing wrong with seeking help. A mental health professional can help you manage your stress, develop coping strategies, and serve as an open ear to voice your concerns and explore difficult emotions at a time when otherwise supportive colleagues are similarly overwhelmed.
Also, don’t hesitate to reach out to a colleague if something seems off – perhaps they’re quieter than usual, missing deadlines, or looking disheveled. If CPAs look out for each other, everyone will feel better and be more productive – without unnecessary stress.
In Conclusion
As the tax season progresses, the pressure can become overwhelming for CPAs. While working longer hours and sacrificing other activities may seem like the solution, an evidence-based approach suggests otherwise. To maintain productivity and well-being, it’s essential to adopt healthy practices. Start small and gradually build up sustainable habits for a healthier tax season.
