It’s been a long year of uncertainty, hasn’t it? Two delayed tax seasons, tons of new tax legislation, businesses closing and people suffering. This all takes a toll on our mental health. But what do we do when we still have to show up to work, show up for our colleagues and our families, and still take care of ourselves?
I recently spoke with Amber Setter, an executive coach with a background in accounting, to get some tips and advice. After all, we can’t achieve our best when we’re feeling anxious, burned out or overwhelmed.
Mental health affects all of us
Mental health issues affect a lot of people we know. At any given time, Setter explained, about 25 percent of the population is suffering from a mental health issue. But what are mental health issues?
“It could be anxiety like, ‘I’m having trouble focusing today. I’m overwhelmed. I’m burned out.’ It’s acute,” Setter said. “Whereas depression is like, ‘I can’t get out of bed.’”
We’ve all had challenging times. And we don’t often know that we’re depressed or suffering from a mental health issue when we’re going through it. So, it’s important to recognize the signs in others (and yourself). That’s how to keep these acute issues or depression symptoms from becoming long-term issues.
In accounting, the industry is known to be demanding at times — there are deadlines that can’t be moved and, especially during tax season, there’s just no capacity. And then COVID-19 happened.
“It would be abnormal to not have experienced some form of stress or overwhelm or burnout in the past year, especially for tax practitioners [with] the complexity of reporting and the never-ending deadlines,” Setter said.
We were financial first responders, and it’s a tough job.
The role of remote working and mental health
For some of us, the past year of working remotely has been a blessing. Maybe you’re an introvert and you don’t really care about going back into the office or out into the world. But if you like being out and about and seeing people, this year has likely had a negative effect on you.
It’s like two sides of a coin, Setter explained. There’s the gift and the curse. On the one hand, we were able to collectively let go pretty quickly of the old hang-up of not being able to go remote. (Actually, we accomplished that in about two weeks.) But now we no longer have those face-to-face work interactions.
“That’s the beauty of it,” Setter said. “The challenges are how do we work together when we’re not being with one another every day?”
As we move back into a scenario where we will see others in the office, we may need to change our perspective from telling everyone to come back to asking them.
“I work with individuals across the country in different sized organizations. I get to see themes, and I get to see things that are unique,” said Setter. “But what I'm noticing is that firms are allowing people to come back where they're not even inviting people to come back. And what I would recommend is for leaders to maybe be a little stronger with the invitation because it feels like it's not for everybody. And so, when you say, 'Oh, you can come back to the office,’ it’s different than saying, 'It seems like you did a lot better when you were in the office. Just want to check in, what would really help you?' You want to be respectful that maybe people do have unique circumstances.”
The big thing is being able to support each other when times are challenging. Identify how you want to be as a team, no matter where you are, and how you can be there for each other no matter what someone is going through.
“The feelings are kind of out there, but the feelings plus the intellect is the magic,” she said.
How to identify mental health issues in ourselves and others
If you want to be aware of what’s going on with yourself and those around you, start with the understanding that mental health issues are much more nuanced than a mental breakdown. It’s anxiety; an inability to focus; eating more (or less) or sleeping more (or less). It’s trouble performing basic functions or overwhelming feelings of anxiety and helplessness.
As organizations, we need to recognize that sometimes we are the only support system our employees have. Mental health is a business imperative, so let people know it’s OK to come forward.
From an organizational perspective, it’s worth it to have a conversation about what the employee needs to feel supported and safe, and what the organization needs to thrive. It might be getting the person therapy — not just the three free sessions provided by the benefit plan, but meaningful intervention — or hiring a coach or adjusting their workload.
“Working with a therapist really helps somebody come to work and unleashes their performance,” Setter said.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, so keep these thoughts in mind for you and your employees. Now is a great time to start to do your part to make conversations like these normal and part of a regular workday. Let’s support each other and help ensure each of us is the best version of ourselves. Recognizing mental health issues is a huge part of showing up for your employees, your clients and, most of all, yourself.
