Surviving Busy Season... Pandemic Edition
The Andrews & Cole Team
Surviving Busy Season... Pandemic Edition
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! The holidays have wrapped up and we’ve jumped right into busy season. Busy season hours are the #1 reason people want to look for a new job. While it may be impossible for you to start a search now, here are some tips to get you through with your sanity and health intact.
1. Accept the Long Hours:
There is a reason they say that denial is the first stage of grief; it is the most destructive thing you can do to yourself mentally. If you simply pretend that you will not be working long hours and on weekends, you will just be setting yourself up for disappointment. The earlier you accept the mountains of work ahead of you, the better you will be able to prepare yourself.
Pandemic pro tip: Working from home means that you don’t have to add a long commute on top of the long hours spent working.
2. Do Not Stop Exercising:
Do not use busy season as an excuse to skip exercise. Yes, you will be tired. Yes, you will be working for most of the day, but you are going to be spending hours hunched over a desk, which is not healthy. Studies show that even 30 minutes working out every couple of days, whether it be lifting, running, walking, or yoga can serve as a tremendous stress reliever. At a minimum, it can probably offset all the fast food you are going to be ordering to your house.
Pandemic pro tip: There are amazing free classes available online. Try something new.
3. Schedule a zoom “social hour” with your team members
You may not be too motivated by the prospect of spending extra virtual facetime with the people you are working with for 10-plus hours a day, but scheduling a virtual happy hour is a great way to build camaraderie with your colleagues. You spend most of your 8-6 hours talking solely about work; talking with your teammates allows you to discuss other, more fun topics and remind each other that you do, in fact, have lives outside of spreadsheets.
Pandemic pro tip: Utilize these social sessions to show off the cool hobbies you learned in lockdown or google “ice breakers” to come up with fun, get-to-know-you topics.
4. Make a Good Playlist
The days during a 60-70 hour workweek can get long very quickly. Making a good playlist can make the hours pass more quickly. Try to add music that will help you concentrate; though, it might be best if you save the heavy metal for after work.
Pandemic pro tip: Live concerts may have been scarce over the past 2 years, but artists have been busy in their studios. Discovering new songs and artists can help distract you from your monotonous day-to-day schedule.
5. Make Plans for After Busy Season
Remember that busy season, like the pandemic, will eventually be over. While you may not be able to book a big vacation because of travel restrictions or airline cancellations, you should still plan personal projects or leisure time to give yourself something to look forward to during the depths of late January and early February.
Pandemic pro tip: Busy season plus a pandemic means that you should double your future plans. Take that big trip you’ve always wanted to go on. Just make sure it’s safe to do so before booking your plane tickets!
6. Take Regular Breaks
Remember that you are an adult; you are allowed to get up and walk to decompress and take your mind off your work for a few minutes. It is both unhealthy and unproductive to be sitting at your desk for multiple hours straight. Try to schedule time throughout the day at even intervals to ensure that you do not burn out when you are burning the midnight oil.
Pandemic pro tip: Since you’re likely working from home, these breaks can now be used to finish up household chores or take care of children or pets.
7. Turn off your phone’s notifications
You are getting emails, calls, and IM’s from coworkers all day. Do yourself a favor and cut out any distractions that you can control. You can check on Facebook and your texts when you take your breaks. The more time you spend checking your phone, the longer it is going to take to get your work done.
Pandemic pro tip: While cutting out distractions may be the most difficult task public accountants face during a Covid-era busy season, it’s not impossible.
Interested in a career counseling session? A resume review? Trust Andrews & Cole to tell it to you straight, honor our values of honesty and integrity and to treat you with the highest level of professionalism. Here’s what one CPA who we placed out of public recently said:
“I cannot thank you and the Andrews & Cole team enough for all the help and guidance throughout this process. You all have made my job search extremely easy and smooth. I felt prepared for every step of the interview process and am quite pleased with the outcome.” – Internal Auditor, Big 4 Firm
1. Accept the Long Hours:
There is a reason they say that denial is the first stage of grief; it is the most destructive thing you can do to yourself mentally. If you simply pretend that you will not be working long hours and on weekends, you will just be setting yourself up for disappointment. The earlier you accept the mountains of work ahead of you, the better you will be able to prepare yourself.
Pandemic pro tip: Working from home means that you don’t have to add a long commute on top of the long hours spent working.
2. Do Not Stop Exercising:
Do not use busy season as an excuse to skip exercise. Yes, you will be tired. Yes, you will be working for most of the day, but you are going to be spending hours hunched over a desk, which is not healthy. Studies show that even 30 minutes working out every couple of days, whether it be lifting, running, walking, or yoga can serve as a tremendous stress reliever. At a minimum, it can probably offset all the fast food you are going to be ordering to your house.
Pandemic pro tip: There are amazing free classes available online. Try something new.
3. Schedule a zoom “social hour” with your team members
You may not be too motivated by the prospect of spending extra virtual facetime with the people you are working with for 10-plus hours a day, but scheduling a virtual happy hour is a great way to build camaraderie with your colleagues. You spend most of your 8-6 hours talking solely about work; talking with your teammates allows you to discuss other, more fun topics and remind each other that you do, in fact, have lives outside of spreadsheets.
Pandemic pro tip: Utilize these social sessions to show off the cool hobbies you learned in lockdown or google “ice breakers” to come up with fun, get-to-know-you topics.
4. Make a Good Playlist
The days during a 60-70 hour workweek can get long very quickly. Making a good playlist can make the hours pass more quickly. Try to add music that will help you concentrate; though, it might be best if you save the heavy metal for after work.
Pandemic pro tip: Live concerts may have been scarce over the past 2 years, but artists have been busy in their studios. Discovering new songs and artists can help distract you from your monotonous day-to-day schedule.
5. Make Plans for After Busy Season
Remember that busy season, like the pandemic, will eventually be over. While you may not be able to book a big vacation because of travel restrictions or airline cancellations, you should still plan personal projects or leisure time to give yourself something to look forward to during the depths of late January and early February.
Pandemic pro tip: Busy season plus a pandemic means that you should double your future plans. Take that big trip you’ve always wanted to go on. Just make sure it’s safe to do so before booking your plane tickets!
6. Take Regular Breaks
Remember that you are an adult; you are allowed to get up and walk to decompress and take your mind off your work for a few minutes. It is both unhealthy and unproductive to be sitting at your desk for multiple hours straight. Try to schedule time throughout the day at even intervals to ensure that you do not burn out when you are burning the midnight oil.
Pandemic pro tip: Since you’re likely working from home, these breaks can now be used to finish up household chores or take care of children or pets.
7. Turn off your phone’s notifications
You are getting emails, calls, and IM’s from coworkers all day. Do yourself a favor and cut out any distractions that you can control. You can check on Facebook and your texts when you take your breaks. The more time you spend checking your phone, the longer it is going to take to get your work done.
Pandemic pro tip: While cutting out distractions may be the most difficult task public accountants face during a Covid-era busy season, it’s not impossible.
Interested in a career counseling session? A resume review? Trust Andrews & Cole to tell it to you straight, honor our values of honesty and integrity and to treat you with the highest level of professionalism. Here’s what one CPA who we placed out of public recently said:
“I cannot thank you and the Andrews & Cole team enough for all the help and guidance throughout this process. You all have made my job search extremely easy and smooth. I felt prepared for every step of the interview process and am quite pleased with the outcome.” – Internal Auditor, Big 4 Firm
Nicole DelToro has been helping organizations (big and small) hire and retain top talent for over 25 years, while helping individuals realize their personal and professional goals by ensuring they’re working in the environment that’s ideal for their current situation. Contact her at: [email protected].
Andrews & Cole is a certified woman-owned boutique executive search and consulting firm with a focus on accounting and finance professionals. Clients range from start ups to Fortune 100 in nearly every industry.
Andrews & Cole is a certified woman-owned boutique executive search and consulting firm with a focus on accounting and finance professionals. Clients range from start ups to Fortune 100 in nearly every industry.
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