The tax deadline may be in the past but we all know there’s still work to do. The good news is that the influx of people who need things last minute is on a downturn and the end of the season is in sight! At this point of the year, we generally encourage tax pros and business owners to keep up the momentum. Don’t just throw your hands in the air and declare it the end. Before you take a break, while tax season is still fresh in your mind, you should do the following:
- Evaluate tax season
- Send Client Surveys
- Clean the office and check off some of these other post tax season to dos
Once you’ve worked through those tasks to close out the season, we encourage you to do more than just going out for a beer or a nice meal. Make changes to your routine to ensure that you completely decompress from the season so that you can come back refreshed and ready to generate revenue during the off season. Here are 3 easy ways to destress after tax season.
Take some time off
For many of us, going on vacation seems like a pretty foreign concept. After all, with how stringent our demanding schedules can be, it seems like the most obvious option would be to forego any break or time-off and grind through. A vacation is a healthy change of pace that will make you more productive in the long-run. After all, that overworked brain of yours truly needs a break.
Getting out of town on a trip is ideal but you could also take a staycation at home. Catch up on some much-needed couch therapy or get out there and reacquaint yourself with the city you haven’t seen since January. You could also spend some time catching up with friends and family – who probably haven’t seen you in a while.
The overarching goal is to get yourself in a place where you’re completely relaxed and ready to re-approach work with a fresh mind.
Embrace a healthier routine
After you’ve taken some time away, start looking for ways you can adapt to a healthier routine – one that lends more to dealing with stress in your day-to-day. A healthy routine doesn’t necessarily mean going on a strict diet or starting a new exercise routine. It means being mindful about bad habits you may have picked up while trying to get through tax season.
While most of us know that diet and exercise can be a great deterrent of stress, the hardest part is implementing these practices on a daily basis. As noted by the ADAA, only 14 percent of people exercise regularly to cope with stress. Coping with stress through exercise doesn’t have to mean hitting the gym or going for a run. Just going for a walk on your lunch break or riding your bike to work can help tremendously. Additionally, be mindful of your intake of high-fat foods and sugar. According to PCRM, high fat foods and sugar add to your stress load.
The best way to approach improving diet and exercise is to take it one day at a time. As silly as that sounds, it’s how habits are formed. Here’s a great guide to start having more stress free days.
Make Adjustments to your work routine
Finally, make some adjustments to your work routine to avoid burnout. This can include adjusting your hours and changing up your processes to optimize your output. For example, if you’re someone who has a lot of energy in the morning but tends to slow down in the afternoon, scheduling all your appointments and calls for the evening enables you to have an entire chunk of time to be productive. Fine-tuning your routine and evaluating your productivity levels will only help when things get busy again.
Keep on keeping on tax pros! We hope you can use these tips to relax, reset, and get back to work.