When people ask me how I come up with topics for the podcast, I tell them that they typically come from things that I’m working on with my coaching clients. This is one of those episodes.
I was recently coaching an accountant mom with a calendar that was bursting at the seams. Maybe you can relate: she was trying to deal with the constant whirlwind of responsibilities on top of working in a high-stress environment.
The firm she worked for was understaffed, the partners were more demanding than ever, and the clients seemed to be more uncooperative than usual. She was feeling frustrated and at her wit’s end.
So how do you navigate the storm of high-stress work environments as a working mom? Is there a way to not only survive but actually thrive when you’re dealing with chaos?
The reality is that high-stress work environments are becoming increasingly common, especially for accountants. But for accountant moms, the pressure is magnified as the balancing act between our careers and our family obligations seems to become more complicated.
It’s no secret that being a working mom is a challenge, and when you add a high-stress work environment to the mix, it can feel like you’re navigating a thunderstorm with no umbrella. I’m not just talking about the occasional stressful day; I’m talking about a persistent, high-pressure atmosphere that can take a toll on your mental and physical health.
Another one of my clients was building her own practice and was a mother of two. Her weekdays were a rollercoaster of deadlines, meetings, and school runs.
She often found herself torn between meeting work expectations and being present for her children. The constant hustle left her feeling drained, impacting both her work performance and family life.
The truth is that the impact of high-stress environments goes beyond frazzled nerves. It has a domino effect on various aspects of life.
And another one of my coaching clients was dealing with chronic stress, which not only affected her sleep but also spilled over into her interactions with colleagues and family. The constant tension undermined her ability to make clear decisions at work and at home.
Because of these challenges, it’s clear that we need more than just resilience; we need practical strategies to not only survive but thrive in high-stress environments.
This week I’m going to discuss the circumstances that trigger stress at work and at home and strategies to thrive in high-stress environments.
Circumstances that trigger stress at work and at home
While there are plenty of people in the world with incredibly stressful jobs, like doctors and police officers, I do not think we can underestimate how stressful it can be to be a working mom in our modern times. Balancing the demands of a challenging career while striving to maintain a sense of sanity is no joke.
Think about it – we’re basically pulling double duty as accountants and moms. The household chores alone could qualify as a full-time gig!
That’s why I think the first thing that can trigger stress is our household and childcare responsibilities. From cooking meals to helping with homework and making sure everyone’s doing alright, it feels like a never-ending marathon, doesn’t it?
I’ve talked about this before, but the next thing that I believe triggers stress is societal expectations and pressures. Being a working mom often means feeling like we’re being put under an invisible microscope.
The pressure to be great accountants, parents, and active community members can be overwhelming. It’s like adding an extra weight to an already overloaded backpack. It’s no wonder so many of us feel like we’re teetering on the edge sometimes.
The third thing that triggers a lot of stress for us as accountant moms is the unique challenges of accounting work. The pressure-filled, meticulous nature of accounting work just creates a naturally high-stress environment.
Between tight deadlines for financial reporting, tax season, and other challenges, it’s no wonder we struggle to do what we do. The high-stakes nature of accounting work increases our already high levels of stress.
Think about it – just being an accountant is stressful enough. But then you add being a parent on top of it, and it’s no wonder we feel like we’re getting hit from both sides.
The fourth thing that might be creating a high-stress environment is a health issue for yourself or a family member. I was just coaching an accountant mom whose mother was diagnosed with dementia.
She said she felt like she was hit by a Mack truck when she got the news, but it was tax season, so how was she going to balance it all? She said she was already dealing with a high-stress environment before this latest news about her mom.
The issue is that stress isn’t just a mental thing; it can seriously mess with our bodies too. For example, have you ever found yourself tossing and turning all night because your brain won’t shut off? Or feeling like you’re running on empty, even after a full night’s sleep?
Or maybe you’ve experienced headaches or constant tiredness – it’s like our bodies are screaming at us to slow down. And for women, the stakes of chronic stress can be even higher.
Studies show that women dealing with high-stress levels are more at risk for serious health problems, like heart disease.
So what can you do if you’re an accountant mom trying to thrive in a high-stress environment? The first step is acknowledging your challenges. Recognizing the need for some strategies is an important step in creating a sense of balance and fulfillment when you’re dealing with high-stress environments.
Strategies to thrive in high-stress environments
Now let’s explore specific strategies to help you thrive in high-stress environments. I’m going to be sharing some practical tips and some stories of coaching clients who have used these strategies.
The first strategy is effective time management and prioritizing. You need to learn a more effective way to schedule and plan your time.
As you’ve probably heard me say many times on this podcast, you must use a calendar instead of a to-do list to manage your time. Why? Because your brain gets easily overwhelmed by to-do lists, and the last thing you want is an overwhelmed brain trying to manage your time.
You need to make as many decisions as possible in advance and create a visual representation of your time. You can write a to-do list but you need to learn how to effectively calendar everything, not work off the to-do list.
Make sure you’re allocating specific time blocks for work and family responsibilities. As I tell my coaching clients, time management is math, not drama; if the math doesn’t work, then you either need to do less things or do things in less time.
You also need to prioritize effectively. For prioritizing, begin each day by identifying the top priorities that align with your overall goals and break down larger tasks into smaller, more manageable goals.
Make sure you’re being realistic about what you can accomplish within a given timeframe and be kind to your future self when you’re creating your calendar.
Also, make sure you’re delegating whenever possible by identifying tasks that can be delegated at work and home. Communicate openly with colleagues and family members about sharing responsibilities, and trust others to do what needs to be done, even if it’s not how you would do it.
I have found that the more stressful my work life or my personal life is, the more important it is for me to manage my time effectively. When I make sure the math works, life just gets easier to manage.
The second strategy is focusing on your self-care and well-being. If you’re dealing with a high-stress environment, you need self-care more than ever.
It has to be non-negotiable that you schedule regular self-care activities into your routine. Choose activities that bring you joy and relaxation, whether it’s reading, exercising, or enjoying a hobby.
You need to guard this time as you would any other commitment. If you wouldn’t skip your child’s band concert, you shouldn’t give yourself permission to skip your self-care activities.
With this second strategy, it’s also important to prioritize mental health breaks. Begin by incorporating short breaks throughout the day to clear your mind.
Whether you do it on your own or use a phone app like Calm, practice mindfulness exercises or deep-breathing techniques during breaks, use this time as an opportunity to reset and refocus.
You also need to establish boundaries between your work and personal life, especially in high-stress environments. This may take some practice, but it’s well worth the effort.
Begin by designating specific work hours and stick to them as much as possible, communicating your your availability to colleagues and family members. You need to create physical or symbolic boundaries to signal transitions between work and personal time.
One of my clients sets aside 30 minutes each morning for a quiet cup of tea and meditation before the day begins. Another takes five-minute breaks at the top of the hour to practice mindfulness, helping her maintain focus throughout the day.
The third strategy for dealing with high-stress environments is building a support network, whether it’s professionally or personally. I did an entire episode – #277 “How Accountant Moms Can Benefit from Mentorship” – but just know that you’re not meant to do everything you do without support.
You can build a support network by attending networking events or joining professional groups to expand your circle. You could also build relationships with colleagues who share similar challenges.
There’s also the option of seeking out mentorship or coaching opportunities within and outside your workplace. You’ll want to identify potential mentors or coaches who have successfully navigated high-stress work environments.
If you find a mentor or coach to work with, make sure you are regularly discussing challenges and receiving guidance. Also, be open to learning from their experiences and insights.
For your personal life, make sure you are sharing responsibilities with family and friends, if possible. As I’ve said many times on this podcast, it might take a village to raise a child, but it also takes a village to support the mother raising that child.
The fourth strategy is to explore options for flexible work hours or remote work with your employer.
Be willing to negotiate arrangements that accommodate your personal and professional needs.
After my emergency eye surgery in early December of 2023, I worked from home up until early March. I had worked 3 days from home each week before the surgery, but the funny thing is that during those 3 ½ months that I worked from home 5 days a week, I got way ahead of schedule with my tax season work because I was not physically in the high-stress environment of the office.
The thing is, you have to be proactive in communicating what you need but also be willing to show how it benefits your employer. I will definitely point out how much more productive I was working from home so that they are even more on board.
When dealing with being an accountant and a mom, you also have to be adaptable to changing circumstances. You need to cultivate a mindset of adaptability, embracing changing circumstances as a natural part of life and work.
When my kids were younger, they always seemed to get sick during tax season. Instead of making a high-stress situation even worse by wishing things were different, I learned to plan for them getting sick so that I was as prepared as possible when it happened.
The truth is that the more adaptable you are, the less stress you’ll feel.
And speaking of the feeling of stress, my fifth and final strategy will be a game-changer – it’s understanding that circumstances do not cause feelings. In other words, it’s not the workload, the difficult boss, or the busy home life that’s causing you to feel stressed; it’s only your brain’s thoughts about those circumstances.
When you think, “This is too much,” or “I can’t stand how micromanaging she is,” or “I don’t know how I’m going to get these kids to their after-school activities,” you are 100% responsible for the feeling of stress. In other words, circumstances never cause feelings; only our thoughts about circumstances are what cause our feelings.
So if you’re feeling stressed, take your power back and understand that if you’re the one creating your feelings (and you are), you’re also the one that can choose to feel something more helpful or useful. For example, instead of feeling stressed, I encourage my clients to feel determined, motivated, focused, or curious.
Feelings like these are incredibly helpful when wanting to thrive in high-stress environments. In fact, it’s feelings like these that have made it possible for me to have stress-free tax seasons for years.
So, hopefully, you now have a better awareness of some strategies you could begin to implement when you’re dealing with a high-stress environment. Just remember that you’re not alone.
Summary
The reality is that high-stress work environments are becoming increasingly common, especially for accountants.
For accountant moms, the pressure is magnified as the balancing act between our careers and our family obligations seems to become more complicated.