Personal Development

With exam season kicking off this month, it can be an extremely overwhelming and pressured time for students. Dee France, Thrive’s Wellbeing Lead, shares her advice on handling exam stress and anxiety  It is a perfectly normal experience to feel worried and stressed when faced with impending exams or any type of performance situation.  A healthy and ordinary amount of stress can even be good for you, giving you the motivation to push through and keep you focused. However, when worry, self-doubt, fear of failure and the pressure to perform well become too intense, they can interfere negatively with exam preparation and performance.  As feelings of stress push past optimal levels, it can have a devastating effect on our concentration, and our ability to learn, remember and demonstrate what we know.  Causes of exam anxiety  To effectively manage anxiety, it is important to understand why you are feeling this way. There are many variables that may contribute to and relate to these feelings:  Past experience with exams;  Poor preparation, inexperience undergoing exams and unfamiliarity with exam and study techniques;  Poor self-care, such as bad sleep habits, unhealthy eating, lack of exercise and limited relaxation time; Intrusive and unhelpful thinking patterns such as saying to yourself, “I can’t do this” or “I’m going to fail”;  Strong sense of failure; or  Extreme pressure to achieve placed on you by yourself or others. Tips for handling exam anxiety  How you spend your time leading up to your exams can have a huge knock-on effect on your anxiety and stress levels.  Routine  Essential to managing anxiety and stress when faced with exams is creating a study routine early in the year as opposed to haphazardly cramming a year’s worth of learning into a few days.  Design a study schedule and map out how you will spend your days.  Schedule your study time in short, succinct time blocks with a 10-minute break for every hour.  It is important to have a hard stop each evening to allow some time to unwind, and block out a day each week that is revision free. By carving out a comprehensive and realistic schedule, you will focus better, feel in control and be less likely to procrastinate.  Being prepared will help you feel more relaxed and confident and goes a long way to easing stress levels and keeping your nerves in check. Mind and body  When we are busy, other parts of our life can be easily neglected, and we can forget to take care of ourselves.  When it comes to managing anxiety and stress, nourishing your mind and body should not be underestimated.  It is important not to push yourself too hard or overlook your needs.  Regular exercise, eating well and sleeping properly are some of the most effective stress relievers at our disposal and are essential for being at our best physically, mentally and emotionally.  Incorporating fundamental self-care practices into your study routine can ease the pressure of trying to balance your time with other vital activities. Relax  To relieve symptoms of anxiety and stress, practise deep breathing or other relaxation techniques such as progressive muscle relaxation or yoga to help calm the body, alter the body’s response to anxiety and release tension.  In general, relaxation techniques are about refocusing your attention and increasing awareness in the body. It is a good idea to engage in these activities when you are relaxed and practise regularly to reap the benefits.  Ask for help  If you are overwhelmed by upcoming exams, you might find it helpful to share how you are feeling.  At Thrive, we witness a spike in students contacting our services at this time of year regarding exam stress and anxiety, which is one of the most common concerns students are dealing with.  Thrive is the Institute’s dedicated well-being hub, which is freely accessible to all students.  The hub provides a wide range of services tailored to our students' well-being, such as wellness coaching and professional counselling. All services are delivered in complete confidence and are available at any stage of your journey with the Institute.  For more advice or information, check out Thrive’s dedicated wellbeing hub.  Alternatively, you can contact the Wellbeing team by email at: thrive@charteredaccountants.ie or phone: (+353) 86 0243294

Remote work has given trainee accountants a lot of freedom. However, that freedom comes with some challenges that can be overcome with balance, says Jack Deignan It’s easy to list the obvious joys of remote work. The increased levels of flexibility in daily routines, the total elimination of the pains of the commute and the comfort to be found in working from your own home.  There’s also something to be said of the lack of pressure that working from home allows. There is no expectation to get out of your pyjamas, and you can take solace in knowing your favourite mug is just down the hall.  It can be much easier to get into the rhythm of the day if you just need to walk from your bed to your desk.  Work and study challenges However, working remotely is not without its challenges.  The lack of social cohesion in teams when everyone works from home can impact performance. It’s also difficult to foster a sense of comradery if every interaction is facilitated through a screen.  Learning on the job has also become more difficult in some cases. It’s almost always more beneficial to ask someone to explain something face-to-face.  The same goes for studying. When the pressure is on, it can feel isolating to be away from people who are going through the same kind of juggling act between work, study and life. A proper balance Working remotely has created an opportunity to reflect on what is gained and lost when given a chance to work from home.  We must balance our work and study while utilising the advantages of remote working. When working from home, you can get lost in a task and continue working more than what would be considered healthy for proper work-life balance. It’s important to remember to take breaks—go for a walk, get a coffee and don’t worry about going to the GP or running to the post office if needed. Similarly, studying can take over your life when you don’t have people around you that can keep you in check. Take the initiative to meet fellow trainees for a study session at the office or a local café.  Alternatively, set up a Teams or Zoom study call, so you don’t have to leave home but still have a study group. Having flexibility doesn't mean forgetting when the work and study day ends—it means you get some of that time back for yourself. Enjoy it. Jack Deignan is a Risk Assurance Associate at PwC  

What’s the second most crucial step to qualification after passing your exams? Your CA Diary. Hugh Carroll, Education & Training Support Manager at Chartered Accountants Ireland, explains why The secret of making progress is to get started’ –Mark Twain The Training Support Unit (TSU) welcomes all our new intake trainees for the 2022/23 academic year. We also recognise the continuing efforts of our established and progressing trainees. Each of you has a fantastic opportunity to push on and join over 31,000 members of Chartered Accountants Ireland. One key area the TSU oversees is the online CA Diary. As you should be aware, the CA Diary is an essential tool used throughout the training period that demonstrates incremental development of skills, knowledge, and competence. This detailed record and success in the FAE form the eligibility requirements for membership.  In short, the CA Diary is as important to qualifying as a Chartered Accountant as success is in your exams, so now is an excellent time to start (or to restart)! Keeping up momentum There is no better time to consider your approach to completing your CA Diary than at the beginning of a new year. Similar to your study and exam technique, setting out (or revising) your plan for ensuring your CA Diary is up-to-date is time well invested.  If you are joining us this academic year, you should be aware that two items need to be in place before you can access and record experience in your CA Diary: You need to have an approved formal registration, which is either an approved Training Contract or an approved Flexible Route registration; and You need to have an assigned CA Diary Mentor. In larger firms, this is typically overseen by human resources or the learning and development/education teams.  Whether you are a new or established trainee, we strongly advise engaging with the available resource materials, including the recently published ‘Trainee checklist for CA Diary entries’, before engaging or re-engaging with your CA Diary record.  It is your responsibility to ensure that your record is kept up-to-date and that you maintain regular contact with your mentor on this crucial aspect of your qualification.  Please be aware that the TSU, in conjunction with our Professional Standards Department, monitor the compliance of trainees and mentors in this area.  If you have any questions about the above, contact the relevant team/person in your training organisation, or contact us at the TSU.  Audit qualification An important future consideration for all trainees working in audit is a (post-membership) qualification called the Eligibility Requirements for the Audit Qualification (AQ). This is separate and distinct from the ACA qualification.   To meet the AQ, the CA Diary record needs to document specific details around your audit engagements. Before creating or updating entries, trainees should consult the ‘Guidance for recording audit experience’ section of the CA Diary Resources webpage. Resources and support The TSU provides guidance and direction on the CA Diary, and documents such as the Professional Development Requirements guide, CA Diary Guide and Sample Entries document are essential reading. These and further resources, such as onscreen tutorials, are available on the CA Diary Resources Webpage.  Should you wish to contact the team, we would be happy to hear from you at trainingsupport@charteredaccountants.ie or by phone: +353 01 637 7202.  

With the end of summer fast approaching, September marks a return to the books for many students. To keep track of the upcoming events, Bryan Rankin has compiled a breakdown of what students should expect in the coming months New student information For new students, September marks the first step they take with Chartered Accountants Ireland. And while the prospect of a new term can be daunting, the Education Team has numerous resources on hand to assist. The first place to visit is the dedicated Student FAQ page on the Institute’s website, which provides the answers to the most common student queries and worries. The Education Team is also on hand to offer assistance and direct support via email.  Students can also ask questions via discussion forums on the Institute’s online learning platform, and during live webinars throughout the year.  With a busy year ahead, students will have packed schedules and will need to balance their subjects and workloads accordingly.  To make this easier, students should check the key dates, outlining the most important milestones of the academic year.  Students should also follow their webinar timetable and plan their work in advance by building a study routine that caters to their schedule and capacity.  Students can also begin the journey of documenting their academic progress through the CA Diary, which acts as a record of students’ growing skills and capability throughout the academic year. Students are advised to begin the CA Diary at the earliest opportunity and keep it updated on a regular basis. Book distribution September also marks the beginning of the Institute’s book delivery to students.  For those at CAP1 and CAP2, book delivery will begin from the middle of September, while those moving into FAE will be contacted in November.  Chartered Accountants Ireland’s book distribution partner, Shanahan’s, will reach out to each student to confirm contact details and a registered home address, so be sure all records are up-to-date.  Students should check that they have received the correct books on receipt of their order to ensure any changes and amendments can be made quickly.  However, online textbooks can also be accessed via the Institute website.  All students should note that book distribution for the academic year will close in January. Students are urged to take care of their books when they receive them.  For those who are applying for or sitting the autumn examinations, books will be delivered following the release of their exam results. However, please contact textbookqueries@charteredaccountants.ie if you have any concerns or queries. E-assessment preparation New students should be aware that the Institute’s exams are now all online.  While exams may feel very far away, it’s never too early to start getting prepared. In the academic year ahead, there will be plenty of opportunities to sit online practice papers, mock examinations and utilise sample papers before the final exams. By utilising the materials available, students can familiarise themselves with the online platform and ensure their technology is fully functional before they sit any online exam while gauging their strengths and weaknesses as the academic year progresses.  Ensure your competency and comfort working online before you get stuck into lectures and exams to create a healthy, efficient study environment. Remember – a good start is half the work! Autumn examinations and results Finally, the best of luck to students at CAP1 and CAP2 who may be re-sitting exams in September (CAP1 Autumn), October (CAP2 Autumn) or receiving results at FAE.  For many, this can be a stressful period. If you are struggling, please reach out for support from the Education Team, or from the Institute’s CA Support Team, who provide emotional and practical supports to anyone who needs them.   For students preparing for resits, make sure to use the resources available, such as the practice papers, sample papers and all the content on the Learning Hub.  Bryan Rankin is the Head of Student Operations at Chartered Accountants Ireland

As we celebrate Pride month, Dee France, Member & Student Support and Well-being Lead at Chartered Accountants Ireland, explores what diversity and inclusion means in the workplace, the important role it plays for employee well-being, and why employers should foster a culture of belonging and inclusion. Diversity and inclusion (D&I) has become a driving force in the changing organisational landscape. Companies and business leaders are placing greater emphasis on their approach to D&I and are embracing policies and strategies to create a more diverse, fairer, and resilient workforce.  Employee well-being and D&I are closely connected. In fact, employee well-being awareness can be seen as an intrinsic element of a company’s effective D&I strategies and policies.  An essential and significant feature of good overall well-being is our feeling of purpose and belonging. Programmes and initiatives that promote inclusion, diversity, and belonging can support and cultivate positive employee well-being. In its entirety, D&I in the workplace can have an impact on our overall happiness at work.  Emotional tax Employees from diverse backgrounds who experience a non-inclusive workforce can face an additional burden of an ‘emotional tax’ – the experience of being treated differently from peers due to race/ethnicity or gender, triggering adverse effects on health and feelings of isolation and making it difficult to thrive at work. This emotional tax can have an extremely negative impact on employees’ mental health and wellbeing. Feeling undervalued, overlooked, or excluded due to your identity can heighten a person’s vigilance to protect themselves from acts of bias or prejudice. Thrive, Chartered Accountants Ireland’s dedicated well-being hub, continues to receive regular calls from our members and students who seek support from the damaging impact a non-inclusive workplace can have on their wellbeing.   Managing diversity and inclusion  Implementing effective and successful D&I strategies and policies can take time, but a coherent and structured approach to these ensure that work practices and values support an inclusive culture that embraces different people, views, and perspectives. Producing a D&I policy allows a company to go above and beyond legal obligations and set a standard of expectation for the organisation and for its employees.  There are several ways companies can begin to incorporate inclusivity into the workplace.  Leadership and employee training  Providing training for leadership, management and employees increases awareness, aids the understanding and engagement in the company’s values and policies, helps embed these initiatives into the culture of the workplace, and allows for the development of empathy for others.  Employee network groups  Building an employee network group is an effective way to allow people to connect with others from different groups, and raise a sense of belonging, affinity, and kinship.  For example, the Institute has several different committee groups such as Balance, our LGBTQ+ committee, Student Committee, and D&I committee.  Open communication and feedback  Developing open and clear communication channels that are easily accessible to employees breeds better dialogue. It ensures employees and managers alike feel safe in airing grievances, giving feedback, and the feeling of being heard and valued.  Employee surveys on D&I initiatives allow companies to take onboard employees’ experiences and action feedback. It permits companies to assess if policies and strategies are working and evaluate and benchmark their efforts from year-to-year.  The Thrive Wellbeing Hub provides counselling, wellness coaching, practical advice and more to all members of the Institute. You can contact the Thrive wellbeing team by visiting our website, via email at: thrive@charteredaccountants.ie, or by phone: +(353) 86 0243294. 

Dee France, Member & Student Support and Well-being Lead, explores why students use the hub and what they can do to support their own mental health.  Being an accounting student is challenging. You have to contend with work, lectures, study, the pressure of exams and new ways of learning in a remote or hybrid working world. At the same time, you may be experiencing personal obstacles. Over time, these duties and responsibilities combined can give rise to sustained pressure, to the detriment of your well-being.  Why do people need help? Our lives and past experiences shape us, affecting our mental health, and the factors that can cause a decline in our well-being differ for everyone. Students come to us for help for various reasons, but the primary motivators tend to centre on exam pressure and stress, workplace grievances, poor work-life balance, and other personal circumstances, such as illness, grief or family and relationship matters. In 2021, we witnessed a significant increase in the number of students contacting Thrive for help.  Most seek support during study leave or exam periods. It is encouraging to see so many take the brave and difficult step to seek help, but earlier intervention in the student journey is important. We want to help prevent students from becoming too overwhelmed and offer support before they falter under the pressure and demands.  Numerous factors can negatively impact our mental well-being. Some we can control. Here are five steps you can take yourself to help your mental health: 1. Nourish your mind and body  Good nutrition and regular physical activity can offset and relieve stress and feelings of anxiety. Simple things like staying hydrated, reducing caffeine intake, and walking in nature can help. 2. Rest The power of sleep in helping to regulate our stress levels should not be understated. Stress and anxiety can lead to sleeping problems, and a lack of sleep can affect your general well-being.  3. Practise mindfulness and meditation  Practising mindfulness allows you to become more aware of your emotions and help manage them. Mindfulness can become a valuable tool for easing stress and anxious thoughts with regular practice.  4. Engage in self-compassion and self-care  Be kind and encourage yourself. Being hard on ourselves is an all-too-common pattern. Self-compassion is the ability to treat yourself with the same care and kindness as you would a good friend who is going through a difficult or stressful time. Developing compassion within ourselves can help us cope with adversity and make difficult situations more manageable.  5. Seek out professional services, like Thrive  How we feel can become all-consuming. If you are struggling, the best thing you can do for your mental health and well-being is to reach out and talk to a professional. Seeking professional support can help you manage stress and poor mental health.  The Thrive well-being hub provides a comprehensive mental health and well-being programme that offers a wide range of services tailored to our students’ well-being. All services are delivered in complete confidence and are available at any stage of your journey with the Institute.  For more advice or information, check out Thrive’s dedicated well-being hub. Alternatively, you can contact the well-being team by email at: thrive@charteredaccountants.ie or phone: (+353) 86 0243294.