Mere mention of ‘busy season’ raises the blood pressure of every accountant or auditor. Starting in early January and lasting through April or beyond, the long hours, tight deadlines and constant pressure are relentless.

It’s not too difficult to lose your mind during this time and become burnt out. Busy season in public accounting is often why many choose to leave the Big Four world after qualifying. Nobody enjoys it.

To help you survive busy season, we’ve put together some ideas on how to make it through the tough days:

  • Remember it’s not going to last forever: It may seem like it but it won’t. The end of busy season is as certain as death and taxes
  • Accept the long hours: They’re going to happen and there’s no avoiding it. Don’t fight it. If you accept this going in, you’re going to be much better prepared going in
  • Try to fit in some exercise: Whether this means getting up a little bit earlier than you’d like to so as to fit in a session after work or at the weekend, do try to get some physical activity. Even a quick half-hour workout is a great stress reliever
  • Go out to lunch with your team: It helps build camaraderie (“we’re all in this together”), gives you a break from being stuck in the office and lets you talk about something other than work
  • Do nice things at the weekend: Okay, you may have to work the occasional Saturday or more but make appoint of always having something to look forward to each weekend. Spending time with friends always raises spirits
  • Find great music to listen to: Days at the office can be long and you need something to get you through them. Great music makes a long day seem to go faster
  • Plan a vacation for after busy season: This can be another useful distraction from thinking about busy season. It’s a way to reward yourself for all the hard work you’ve put in so make it a decent trip!

Do you have any ideas on how to make busy season more bearable? Let us know what you think….

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