What do you do if your work as a corporate accountant is overwhelming your personal life?

Balancing a demanding career in corporate accounting with your personal life can be a challenge. You may find yourself juggling tight deadlines, complex financial reports, and long hours, which can start to encroach on your personal time. If you're feeling overwhelmed, it's important to recognize the signs early and take action to restore balance. Seeking support from your employer, prioritizing tasks, and setting boundaries are crucial steps towards finding equilibrium between your professional responsibilities and personal well-being.

1 Seek Support

When the lines between work and life start to blur, reaching out for support within your workplace can be a game-changer. Speak with your manager or human resources (HR) department about the pressures you're facing. They may offer flexible working arrangements, such as telecommuting or adjusted hours, which can alleviate some of the stress. Additionally, many companies have employee assistance programs (EAPs) that provide confidential counseling services to help you manage work-related stress.

Add your perspective

Kamran Aziz

ᴀᴄᴀ • ʙꜰᴘ • ᴀᴄᴘᴀ • ᴍɪᴘᴀ • ᴀꜰᴀ • ᴍᴄᴏᴍ
Report contribution
If your corporate accounting workload is overwhelming your personal life, establish clear boundaries, prioritize tasks, and communicate with your manager about workload concerns. Use time management techniques, take breaks, and prioritize self-care. Assess the sustainability of your workload and consider adjustments for a healthier work-life balance. Your well-being is crucial for long-term success.

Like

Load more contributions

2 Prioritize Tasks

As a corporate accountant, you're no stranger to deadlines and the importance of prioritization. However, when work starts to dominate your life, it's time to reassess your to-do list. Identify the most critical tasks that require your immediate attention and which ones can be deferred or delegated. Embrace time-management techniques like the Eisenhower Matrix, which helps you categorize tasks by urgency and importance, ensuring you focus on what truly matters without burning out.

Add your perspective

Zain Ul Abdin, ACCA

Manager Accounts & Finance @ Remteam l ACCA Member
Report contribution
In my experience, Planning and priortizing is the key. 1. Take time out to plan your day, Spend 5–10 minutes planning at the start of the day. 2. List down all the tasks and prioritize them based on urgency and importance. Book your calendar accordingly, if possible. 3. Set specific times in your day for checking your emails; if anything can be completed within 2–3 minutes, do it right away. 4. Delegate or automate (if possible) the tasks that are less technical/important but take more time. 5. Take small breaks to relax and energize.

Like

Load more contributions

3 Set Boundaries

Establishing clear boundaries between work and personal life is essential. Decide on a time when you will officially "clock out" from work each day and commit to it. Communicate these boundaries to your colleagues and resist the urge to check work emails or take calls outside of work hours. This helps to create a mental separation between your professional and personal life, allowing you to fully disengage from work-related thoughts during your downtime.

Add your perspective

Load more contributions

4 Embrace Delegation

Delegating tasks effectively can significantly reduce your workload and stress levels. Recognize that you don't have to handle everything on your own. By entrusting responsibilities to capable team members, you not only empower them but also free up your time. If you're in a managerial position, ensure that your team is well-trained and confident in taking on additional responsibilities, which can lead to a more balanced workload for everyone.

Add your perspective

5 Optimize Efficiency

Improving your work efficiency can lead to more free time for your personal life. Explore ways to streamline your accounting processes, such as automating repetitive tasks or using software solutions that enhance productivity. By doing so, you can complete your work more quickly and with less effort, leaving more time for relaxation and activities that bring you joy outside of the office.

Add your perspective

6 Recharge Regularly

Remember to take time off to recharge. Use your vacation days, take short breaks throughout the day, and engage in activities that help you relax and disconnect from work. Whether it's a hobby, exercise, or spending time with loved ones, these activities are crucial for maintaining your mental health and preventing burnout. Regularly recharging not only benefits your personal life but also contributes to sustained productivity and job satisfaction.

Add your perspective

Darja Roos

20 years in Finance | FPA/Controlling/Audit/Compliance | CFO | Scaling up Global Finance | ACCA, CPA.
Report contribution
It's crucial to recharge before your battery is completely drained. Find a healthy way to recharge daily—whether it's taking a walk, engaging in a hobby, or listening to an inspiring podcast. And please, don't use "I don't have time for this" as an excuse—it's unwise. If you don't regularly make time to recharge, your body and mind will force you to do so through illness and burnout. It's better to prevent these consequences than to contend with the fallout from neglecting necessary rest.

Like

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

Add your perspective

Load more contributions

What do you do if your work as a corporate accountant is overwhelming your personal life?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Seek Support

2 Prioritize Tasks

3 Set Boundaries

4 Embrace Delegation

5 Optimize Efficiency

6 Recharge Regularly

7 Here’s what else to consider

Corporate Accounting

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

More articles on Corporate Accounting

More relevant reading