The work/life/study balance can be challenging, especially during exams and at busy times of the year. Follow our top tips to avoid burning out.
Don’t compare yourself to others
We often see examples of someone else’s success, but we don’t get the back story, and we start to compare ourselves unfavourably with them. We should really only be comparing ourselves with our past selves. The fact that you’re in a position to take an accountancy exam means you’ve already achieved a huge amount in your life, and you've already started developing the skills you need to pass them.
Use the body to support the mind
Physical and mental health are interrelated. When you’re doing a lot of cognitive work, you need sugar and glucose from healthy, nutritious foods in order to integrate new learning. Make sure that you’re hydrated and staying active, too. When we sit at our desks for long periods, we tend to get quite stiff and tense our muscles.
Take breaks
People who are very driven tend to think, ‘I’ll just hammer this for the next three hours, then I’ll collapse into bed.’ But we need to be thinking about integrated self-care. Build periods of rest into the day: go outside or try a breathing exercise. When we’re tired, we make decisions based on our coping strategies. It’s worth setting a timer to remind yourself to take a break and step away.
Learn what self-care looks like
Allow yourself a moment to think about what self-care means to you - and what barriers you might have. Many people worry that taking time for themselves is self-indulgent or means they are being lazy, but it actually means you have compassion for yourself. Self-care is the ability to recognise that you’re struggling, and the commitment to do what’s necessary to alleviate it.
Rein in your imagination
Imagination is at the core of anxiety. You start imagining scenarios like, ‘I’m going to fail this exam, and I’m not going to have a job and then I’m going to lose my house’ and it all happens at breakneck speed. It’s really important that people rein in their imagination and focus on what they can control in the moment. Try to park your worries each day and focus instead on what you can influence.
Set boundaries
It’s important to care about doing a good job, but you should also have boundaries in place. Try to have those conversations early on with your manager so you have a mutual agreement about the scope of your responsibilities. A useful technique is to map out where your responsibility and other people’s responsibilities lie, so you’re able to politely but assertively push back when necessary.
Switch off
Rituals can help structure your day. For example, you might like changing your clothes at the end of the work day, telling your mind and body that it’s time to relax. This can extend to having a designated workstation at home - so your brain associates work with a particular area.
Ask for help when you need it
It’s important to have a support network. Finding your allies will help you get through stressful times, so reach out for support from other people early. That extends to your employer, too. Make an effort to connect with your manager so you can solve any problems that arise collaboratively. However, be mindful of what information you share: you don’t need to tell everybody every bit of the story.
Make time for things that make you happy
Weave joyful activities into your diary so you’ve planned some decompression time. Exams can be treated as a time-bound project. Think to yourself, ‘Exams are coming up, it’s probably going to be a six-week chunk out of my life, but it’s not going to last forever. I’m going to plan when I study, but also plan when I put some downtime in.’ Having this forward focus will help motivate you to reach the finish line because the rewards for your hard work are clear.
Let go of perfectionism
Perfectionism is linked to burnout. A lot of people motivate themselves with a harsh inner critic: ‘Anything less than perfect is not acceptable.’ Try motivating yourself with compassion instead - tell yourself that good enough is good enough. That doesn’t mean you can’t strive for excellence, but it does mean you’re better prepared to tackle things one step at a time.
Take time for regular reflection
Reflection is good for mental health. For example, journaling can help relieve stress - write down your experiences to identify patterns and triggers that lift or deflate your mood. It’s important to reflect on a regular basis and recognise that it’s a dynamic process: what helped you today may not necessarily help you in three months’ time. However, the more you develop your self-awareness and build your coping strategies, the better prepared you’ll be for challenges in the future.
caba provides lifelong support to past and present ICAEW members, ACA students and their families. It provides a range of free online resources as well as practical advice and support, which is impartial and strictly confidential. Find out more about the support available from caba.