Busy season is just around the corner, and we know that long hours, tight deadlines, and cold winter evenings can often become the ultimate recipe for burnout. As much as we love the anticipation of the festive period, these dark and cold months can also bring a not-so-welcome visitor – Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD for short), which you may also know as “The Winter Blues”; characterized by low mood, irritability, and stress among others.
We’re no strangers to SAD and burnout across the pond here in England – but every cloud has a silver lining and luckily that means we can share our own tried-and-tested tips to truly keep the winter blues at bay and, most importantly, help you to decompress during the upcoming busy season.
1. Make time for yourself
Set a timer every hour to leave your desk for a few minutes. This will give you a chance to rest your eyes and prevent strain, and also to stretch your legs if you go for a walk around the office and make a quick drink.
Put clear boundaries in place. When you get home, switch off your work notifications. Emails can wait until the morning, and the same goes for after-hours calls. By putting boundaries in place, your lack of reply will, ironically, send a message that your personal time is also a priority.
2. Eat well
Once the clock hits a certain time, our CPA team often begins to have visions of tempting takeaways, and we hear it’s the same for almost anyone who works long and strenuous hours.
Takeaways really hit the spot once in a while, but over time a fast food habit can make us feel sluggish (and not to mention dent our wallets). Sugary snacks are similar – they can be ideal for a quick boost in the moments when our pace begins to slow, but with any sugar rush peak also comes the inevitable crash, and this can set us in an endless cycle of low energy and mood which we try to patch with quick fixes.
If you’ve found yourself in this scenario, here’s what we suggest to break the habit;
- Meal prep the week in advance
Make a big batch of something you enjoy, and keep it refrigerated in containers. Whether for lunch or when you get home, all it’ll take to heat back up is a stir in the pan, a few minutes in the oven, or for ultra-convenience, a couple spins in the microwave.
We’ve found this helps to take the guesswork out of what we want to eat throughout the day and prevents us from impulse snacking – not to mention also saving us a lot of time scrolling through DoorDash and our UK equivalent, Deliveroo.
- Think of food as fuel
Meals containing vegetables, legumes, and whole grains really shine during busy season, as they give us a slow release of energy throughout the day to prevent entering a slump. We try to add them to our grocery lists during winter, but meal kit subscriptions can also be a real savior here. These little easy-to-follow recipes can save us precious prep time, whilst also ensuring we’re eating a balance of all that good stuff (as well as the treats we love). If a subscription service doesn’t sound like your thing, plenty of their websites also have recipes available for free, and these are a great source of inspiration.
- Savor the flavor
We’ve found that switching off our phones and focusing on our meals can enhance our enjoyment and make that window of personal space actually feel like it lasts much longer – whether during a satisfying breakfast, going somewhere peaceful during the lunch break, or taking a moment to rest and recoup during dinner.
3. Acknowledge and process how you’re feeling
When busy season takes the lead, we can sometimes feel the pressure to push on, even if we’re at the point of burnout. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, these exercises can help you take a moment to process your thoughts in private or at home, allow you to strategize, and also get any frustration off your chest.
- Try writing down everything that’s on your mind
This is for both the positive and negative. You could do this in a notebook, or on your phone if that’s more convenient.
- Think of habits or behaviors that can encourage the positive aspects further…
These might include spending more of your free time with friends and family, or making a list of to-dos for your tasks each morning.
- And also, ideas for how to alleviate those negative feelings.
For example, getting a certain deadline completed, or asking your line manager for advice on which tasks should take the highest priority. Think of the things in life that you’re grateful for. This quick and simple exercise is invaluable when it comes to getting our perspective back in a period of rush and stress such as busy season.
If you feel you may be struggling with Seasonal Affective Disorder, online resources can be a big help. Recognizing the signs is a great first step, and although everyone is different, there are plenty of solutions out there that may work for you personally.
4. Exercise
Exercise is one of the best ways to alleviate a low mood – in scientific terms, when we get active we receive a natural release of endorphins, and these give us an instant energized boost. This is a great help for those of us who struggle with Seasonal Affective Disorder as it feels like our brain is literally rewarding itself.
- Hit the gym
Having the gym as an alternative to the office or home can help to give us a place to distance our thoughts and stressors from the day. You’ll have plenty of new equipment to try out, and this will give you the opportunity to really find a routine that you enjoy, whether that’s strength training, daydreaming while you run on a machine, or maybe swimming lengths in a pool.
- Or, working out at home is just as beneficial!
YouTube has a wealth of exercise routines that require no equipment at all. On the flip side, if you already own some, there are plenty of videos tailored to using specific items such as hand weights. From short 5-10 minute everyday routines to more intensive challenges spanning weeks with clear end goals in mind – there’s bound to be a workout that grabs your interest and sounds like fun.
- Exercise doesn’t have to be cardio.
Yoga and meditation can be beneficial for your body and mind, giving you a chance to reflect and feel peaceful. Whether you already have a process down to a T, or you’re new and feel like giving it a try, there are plenty of guided meditation videos on YouTube and audio playlists on platforms such as Audible and Spotify.
5. Promote regular, quality sleep
When the busy season means clocking off late at night, trying to sleep straight afterward can be tricky. It’s typical negative psychology; we’ve all been in a situation where the harder we try to sleep, the more awake we seem to be. If you’re finding it difficult to switch off, we recommend;
- Avoiding your phone an hour or two before bed
If you’ve ever been half asleep and found yourself woken back up by a notification you can’t resist checking, it’s because the blue light from phone and laptop screens tricks the brain into thinking it’s daytime, and this equals patchy or broken sleep. Instead, try setting your alarms for the morning and then putting your phone on ‘do not disturb’ until the morning.
- The Headspace app – Rebecca’s personal favorite
If you find it easier to drift off with gentle noise in your background rather than silence, this app focuses on meditation and promoting quality sleep. Any of their “Sleepcasts” comes highly recommended by us.
- Pick up a good book.
Many reading lights are equipped with a warm bulb – the opposite of that pesky blue light we mentioned above, meaning that they won’t disrupt your brain’s natural clock. Try reading an autobiography of someone you find interesting or enjoyable, such as an inspirational thinker or comedian. Depending on your personal taste, we recommend not delving into anything too stimulating (like horrors, or deep philosophical work that requires a lot of attention).
Work with Distinct
We hope that you’ll find some of the ideas above helpful. We have every confidence you’ll be able to power through the incoming busy season, and until then, we wish you the best of luck.
If after this busy season you feel you’re ready for a change – whether searching for your next Public Accounting role or looking to move into Private or Industry, get in touch to find out how we can support your needs.
