Tips for Surviving Busy Season During a Pandemic

It’s back, the infamous busy season, but with a new and not so fun twist: busy season during a pandemic. If you are an accountant with your sights set on a CPA certification, the busy season may be causing you some anxiety, which is totally understandable. But it’s important to keep your eyes on the finish line and not let this busy season throw you off track.

Here are a few tips for surviving the busy season: pandemic edition.

1. Get Organized.

Step one in most tasks is planning and preparing, and we would be remiss to skip it. It is admittedly not always the most fun step in any process, but it can make things so much easier for the duration of the task. So, as you prepare for the busy season, start by getting organized.

2. Communication is Key.

Establish the best means of communication for your coworkers, superiors, and clients to reach you during the busy season. You don’t want everyone blowing up your phone constantly, but you also don’t want important memos from your boss getting buried in a flurry of emails from customers. Find a good balance and stick to it.

Another important aspect of communication during the busy season is your interaction with friends and family. First, if they don’t already know, make sure they understand what busy season is and the kind of time commitment you’ll be working with. If they don’t know, they may put additional stress on you by asking for the time that you don’t have. Let your people know ahead of time that you will be working a lot more than in the off-season and set their expectations accordingly.

3. Limit Screen Time

You cannot constantly check and respond to emails and texts and phone calls. Otherwise, you will never get to do any actual work. Give yourself a few preset time slots to check emails and return phone calls each day and spend the rest of your time working. Try not to let your phone overwhelm you.

4. Get Fresh Air.

Especially in the pandemic era, you don’t have as many options for entertainment and relaxation as you might have once had. A great way to keep your sanity and your health during the busy season is to spend time outdoors. Exercise is great, but even just spending some leisure time outside can work wonders for you as well. Find some good outdoor space near your home or office (depending on where you’ll be working from) and use it!

5. Make time for sleep.

When our commitments start to add up, sleep can often be the first thing we let slip. Try not to avoid sleep. There are never enough hours in a day, especially during the busy season, but don’t neglect your sleep. It will make you less effective in your work and less amiable in your relationships while also affecting your mental health. So, get your rest!

6. Take time for yourself.

This is another big one. With so much going on, we can start to feel like we don’t have any time for self-care. Be sure to take some time just for yourself. No work, no other commitments, just you. Set a time once a week to let yourself unwind. It could just be one hour a week; it doesn’t have to be much. Just make sure to give yourself a break.

7. Keep the finish line in sight.

This applies to both the finish line of the busy season and your bigger picture goals of becoming a CPA. Don’t let the busy season push those plans aside. Keep your eyes on the bigger picture and prioritize accordingly.