Staying balanced as an accountant can be challenging. The intense, heavy workload and pressure to meet deadlines can result in substantial stress.

Ongoing exposure to stress can negatively impact your health, productivity, and performance. Stress also can affect your work relationships, attendance, and employee morale.

As an accountant, you should focus on staying balanced at work. These methods can help.

Implement these tips to stay balanced in your accounting career.

Manage Your Stress Level

Accounting is one of the most stressful industries to work in:

• The changes to reporting standards, tax regulations and best practices will require you to understand the implications for your organization or clients
• Missing important information can lead to significant compliance or operational issues.
• These issues adversely impact the credibility and performance.

As the demand for accounting services increases, your workload may become overwhelming. This overwhelm can be especially apparent if you lack the resources and support to handle the increased workload.

Avoid Burnout

Regular exposure to stress can negatively impact your physical and mental health. Common sources of stress include:

• Unclear job duties, responsibilities, and expectations
• Overwhelming demands due to your workload, work pattern, or work environment
• No control over how your work gets completed
• Tight deadlines
• Increased month-end, year-end, and tax-time activities and requirements
• Lack of colleague and manager support
• Poor relationships with colleagues, coworkers, and managers
• Uncertainty about the impact of organizational change

Work Smarter, Not Harder

The increase in remote and hybrid work models requires the implementation of technology to collaborate. Some of this technology includes the automation of repetitive tasks:

• Automation helps increase productivity so you can deliver greater results.
• Having more time to focus on value add activities lets you provide more insight to your stakeholders.
• You can perform at higher levels and meet the increasing demands on your time.

Maintain Balance  

Implement these tips to stay balanced at work:

• Clarify your job duties, responsibilities, and expectations.
• Talk with your manager about job-related concerns.
• Ask questions to increase your understanding of a task, project, or issue.
• Monitor your workload.
• Be realistic about your capabilities and deadlines.
• Take regular breaks, including an hour for lunch.
• Practice mindfulness, meditation, breathing exercises, or yoga daily.
• Participate in training and mentorship.
• Say “no” when needed.

Stay Balanced During Summer

Choose activities from our Summer Bucket List to get outside to enjoy the sunshine! You might:

• Go berry-picking
• Enjoy the Manitoba festivals
• Visit local parks
• Indulge in cool treats
• Participate in local events
• Go geocaching
• Enjoy an outdoor musical
• Attend a professional sports game
• Engage in a waterway tour

Is It Time to Find a New Accounting Job?

When the time comes to find a new accounting job in Manitoba, include Mercer Bradley in your search. Use this link to our job board!