Around three quarters of accountants have suffered burnout over the past year. This scary statistic came from a recent survey by Caba, the occupational charity for the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).
It’s no secret that the sector faces a growing challenge of stress and burnout. But this is heightened with high volumes of complex work, demanding clients and tight deadlines often creating a perfect storm.
Burnout means that someone is so overwhelmed, and emotionally and physically exhausted, that it’s almost impossible for them to function in life. And it’s something that’s becoming increasingly common in the accountancy sector.
Signs may include anxiety, poor motivation, irritability and overwhelm. And employees might not realise they’re in burnout until it’s too late. But with burnout linked to lower productivity, motivation and wellbeing issues, it’s essential that leaders protect their people – and their business – at this busy time of year.
Making a few small changes can have a big impact. And the earlier you tackle the issue and provide the right support, the better you’ll protect your employees from burning out.
Learning to fight overwhelm
Leaders can use some simple mind hacks to help employees fight overwhelm. For example, encourage staff to focus on doing one thing at a time instead of their whole ‘to do’ list. If they’re struggling with this, ask them to imagine having a magnifying glass highlighting just one thing on their list. Focus on that, whether it’s sending an email or reading about changes to legislation.
They know there’s more on the list but they can’t do it all at once. Getting them to focus on what’s achievable right now will ease the load. Also, notice what individual members of staff do well and acknowledging that specifically. For example, saying ‘I noticed that you … thank you.’ This stimulates the reward centres of the brain, energising the person and encouraging them to keep going.
Get to know your staff. Ask them how their child is doing at school or how their elderly parent is. We all need to feel seen; showing employees that leaders are interested in their lives boosts motivation and energy.
And if someone is showing signs of overwhelm, make time for them to talk. Get them a cuppa and ask how they’re doing. And then ask again. Train your managers to do this too, and make sure they know where to signpost any colleagues needing extra support.
Three ways to protect teams’ energy
While there are increasing pressures at this time of year, the good news is that burnout is preventable. Here are my three top ways that leaders can help staff – even in a very high pressure environment.
Encourage people to take regular breaks
Performance dips dramatically after 90 minutes – this is something that’s been found repeatedly in research, and no-one is immune.
A 10-minute walk or stretch is like refuelling. Trying this simple shift will make your staff significantly more productive.
The power of words
Colleagues may fear there’s a stigma associated with burnout and therefore struggle to speak up.
But when negative thoughts are swirling around in our brain, they can feel huge and very real. For example, people may think, ‘I can’t do this’ or ‘what if I make a mistake?’. When we speak these things out loud, they lose their power. And this can help us to reframe what’s going on in our head into something more manageable.
If employees don’t want to speak to a colleague, let them write it down instead.
A breath of fresh air
Encourage people to get outside every day, especially if they work remotely as this can blur the lines between work and home. It can include a fake commute where people leave the house and walk for 15 minutes before returning home as if coming to work. We all need to spend time outside in nature to reset and rebalance our nervous systems.
Future-proofing your people
Encouraging staff to make small changes, such as taking regular breaks and voicing concerns and worries, gives them a chance to reset their nervous system. And this is a powerful tool when building resilience and preventing burnout. Giving your employees enough support to look after their wellbeing will help them to not just survive the traditionally busy festive season, but to thrive during it.
This gives them a better chance of achieving their best results, which will make your business stronger and more successful heading into 2026 – and beyond.
