Recharge, refresh, restart

The sleep expert's view 

Switching off

A multitude of factors can affect our sleep and energy levels, and these are all mainly due to the overwhelming ‘go, go, go’ pace of work and society today in general. Our everyday choices can make a huge difference to your mental wellbeing – here are some ideas:

• keep work devices out of the bedroom to avoid the temptation to check your inbox last thing at night or first thing in the morning. Sticking to an ‘electronic sundown’ before bed will also help your sleep quality. This means switching off from all tech, work related or otherwise, for an hour before settling down for the night.
• the most restorative phase of sleep occurs before midnight. So, aim to get to bed before 10pm threeto-four nights a week for deep, nourishing sleep that sets you up for a productive day.
• take a moment every morning to check in with yourself before diving straight into the news, social media or inbox. This avoids immediate exposure to stressors and encourages you to prioritise self-care.
• eat breakfast within 30-45 minutes of waking. Ideally, opt for nuts, wholegrains and lean protein as opposed to sugary, empty carbs to avoid a blood sugar spike and crash. Throughout the day, limit caffeine and drink at least two litres of water

Remember to allow yourself the chance to rest and recover during the day. Take regular, small breaks from work every 90-120 minutes. The breaks give your brain a chance to reboot and helps you sleep deeper at night. 

Dr Nerina Ramlakhan is a neurophysiologist and sleep expert who specialises in burnout prevention, stress and insomnia. Nerina is author of Tired But Wired (Souvenir Press, 2010) drnerinawebinars.com

The academic's view

Clocking-off techniques

I have explored building resilience in a volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) world, and this has never been more important than during the pandemic. A job in finance is by nature high pressured given the responsibilities at hand, but there are things people can do individually to recharge:

CREATE YOUR OWN SPACE AND BOUNDARIES – many employees are now finding it difficult to create a boundary between home and work with the temptation to check emails constantly and to respond out of traditional work hours. What is your cut off point for sitting at your laptop and responding? Decide this for yourself and share this boundary with those you work with.

Sharing your working hours with your teams will not only help you manage your workload but manage their expectations for when they can expect a response from you.

I have seen some companies include a line at the end of their emails to say ‘please don’t be obliged to respond to this email until next week/tomorrow’ if they are sending late in the day or over a weekend. I think this is a great way to prevent burnout among accountants who feel pressure to respond and be available 24/7.

RECHARGE AWAY FROM YOUR WORKING SPACE – accountants can recharge by simply making time each day to step away from their workspace and enjoy a hobby, even if it is going for a walk around the block. You may still be thinking about work tasks, but you are physically taking yourself away from the tools that enable you to work and hopefully will help you to compartmentalise the tasks you need to get done and prioritise them in a more calming environment to help you come back recharged and ready to tackle them productively.

WORK CLOSELY WITH YOUR TEAM AND BUSINESS LEADERS – despite trying all of the above, there will still be times where your work may feel overwhelming, so make sure you work closely with your managers and business leaders to ensure you have all the right tools, team members and structures in place to help you work as efficiently as possible.

Is there a digital platform that could help alleviate some of your admin tasks? Time and resource are crucial in an accountant’s role and simply investing in the latest digital tools could help reduce day to day stress.

Alan Parkinson is professor in the finance, accounting and economics department at the UCL School of Management

The accountant's view 

Prioritise holidays

While the UK is reopening, the role of the accountant in supporting businesses is just about to start. We’ve had the role of a firefighter over the last 12 months, but we need to brace ourselves for what’s next. Sadly, that could mean liquidation, increasing debt and major changes to business plans.

In order to provide the best service possible to those who need us, we need to take a moment to catch our breath and recharge before the storm hits. With restrictions easing, accountants should be encouraged to take ‘recreational days’, albeit with due care.

Perhaps create a holiday rota with an incentive to take ‘me time’ or arrange outdoor team challenges during lunch breaks as an opportunity to escape the complexities of accounting for an hour. Sometimes it is difficult to take extended time off , or even annual leave at all, so perhaps those who’ve been heavily involved with particularly complex areas of the business could look to refocus on other areas for a short period of time? A change from routine is as good as a rest.

Sherad Dewedi is managing partner at Shenward Accountants and Business Advisors

Lessons learned 

Spotting the signs of potential burnout isn’t always obvious. For me, it was realising I was going from day to day on endless Zoom calls and finding that the time I had for the things I enjoy was diminishing by the day. Having a good work/life balance was one of the main reasons I set up Square Mile Accounting, so I try to nip it in the bud with a few simple steps:

1. Sleep has to take priority. Good quality sleep is essential, especially at my age! It makes a world of difference to my day and my ability to focus. As soon as I prioritise sleep, my energy levels soon recover and it has a positive effect on everything.

2. Nutrition can often slip when I’m stressed or short of time. And the food hang-overs of eating unhealthy snacks and processed food leaves me feeling sluggish. Getting back into healthy eating habits and eating nourishing food is a game changer. I’m not a believer in fad diets. They’re just not sustainable. I also recommend giving alcohol a miss for a while, which really helps with improving mood and focus.

3. Getting outside and moving is the best thing I can do for my mental and physical health. I’m just a nicer person when I’ve been outside for my daily exercise. We’ve all been home-bound for so long. A walk, run or bike ride is a great way to escape the monotony. It’s also when I do my best thinking – away from screens and distractions.

4. Setting boundaries. This is an important one, but it’s not always easy to implement. Learning to say no and managing people’s expectations is a skill but one I benefit hugely from when I put it into practice!

David Gormer is founder of Square Mile Accounting

The therapist's view 

Childlike fun

The remedy for exhaustion here isn’t rest, but instead energising engagement. Prioritise activities that will spark a little excitement, frivolity, creativity or fun. Our lives can feel quite empty and hopeless when our natural vitality has been smothered. Flirt with a favourite hobby from childhood: pull out your long-neglected charcoals and sketch a special memory, strum on that guitar, paint, sing, hula-hoop, write, sew…with no intention other than to tap into a dormant joie de vivre that is still there, but too buried under spreadsheets to be noticeable at the moment.

A year into the pandemic, it is also high time to establish a sustainable work routine which means carving out re-energising breaks throughout the day. Even five minutes to pen a postcard to a loved one, read a few lines of inspiring prose or do jumping jacks outside can help.

Kelly Hearn is a psychotherapist and co-founder of Examined Life