These days, self-care may be a buzzword but that doesn't mean it's any less true. It's easy to fall prey to life's hustle and forgetting yourself in the process. And public accountings infamous "busy season" may not make that any easier. However, when we ask ourselves how can we show up as our best, it usually starts with simply showing up for ourselves first and foremost; That's where success really starts. We talked to Brett Setchfield, one our audit supervisors, who had a few things to say about his journey with self-care:
Brett, what do you do for self-care during busy season?
"I give myself one day each weekend to do nothing but rest, relax, and just loaf around. It can be difficult to balance your time during the week, so things like laundry or groceries can end up getting pushed off until the weekend - knock all that out in one day. Having that second day for a full reset helps tremendously."
What small habits make self-care more attainable?
"Breaking things up into bite-size pieces. The adjustment in starting your career and learning how to better take care of yourself can be overwhelming for anybody, without considering the demands of busy season. So don't try and do everything at once - pick one or two small things, do them for a few weeks until its just part of your routine and doesn't require as much "effort", and then you can build from there. Not only does it make each goal more achievable, it helps you feel like you're building momentum and actually getting somewhere without having to make drastic, more demanding changes. The more of these habits you already have in place ahead of busy season, the more manageable it will be."
What mindset helps you make peace with demands of busy season?
The only way to get to the lighter workload in the summer is to power through it. Its not always the easiest, but you've got a team of people going through the same thing and that bit of camaraderie can help quite a bit. I try and treat it like it's a moment to show up and perform - I was a pitcher for most of my life, so the tough engagements are just like facing a stacked line-up, and the rest of our team is counting on me to go out there and perform.
What advice do you have for those just starting their career in accounting and are looking to balance a full time career with newer responsibilities?
"Be intentional. About everything you do, inside and outside of work. Be intentional about getting a good start when rolling onto engagements and you will be able to stay on top of things. Be intentional about getting enough sleep and you will feel better throughout the day-to-day. Be intentional about getting exercise in consistently, about eating right, about finding time to see your friends and family. You're the only one responsible for making enough time for all of life's demands."
The message? Don't strike out. Be kind to yourself.