Retirement

We all experience anxiety at times, after all, it is a normal and natural response to stressful and dangerous situations. It is our body’s way of keeping us safe and has been critical to our survival as a species. It can focus our attention, helps us react, and even improve our performance in certain situations. Anxiety is described as uncomfortable feelings of nervousness, worry, uneasiness and tension. A healthy amount of anxiety is perfectly ok and expected but what happens when it builds up and becomes difficult to manage? Signs of Anxiety Anxiety is a common state, it is estimated that one in nine people will experience anxiety in their lifetime. Anxiety affects people in different ways, but it has physical, emotional, and behavioural effects and signs. Signs of anxiety include: Being on edge, restless or irritable, feeling a sense of dread Difficulty concentrating or making decisions Repeatedly checking things or seeking assurance from others Avoiding situations or putting off doing things Change in eating habits – increased or decreased appetite, craving junk food Dizziness or trembling Sweating Racing heart Shortness of breath Physical aches or pain – headaches, stomach problems and nausea, diarrhoea, muscle tension or pain, jaw clenching Sleep problems – disturbed sleep, tiredness, nightmare, teeth-grinding Pins and needles A dry mouth Types of Anxiety There are several kinds of anxiety that can affect individuals and have varying symptoms and triggers. Here are the most common types of anxiety: Generalised Anxiety Disorder is the most common type of anxiety where sufferers feel constantly and excessively anxious about a wide range of situations and issues. Social Anxiety is characterized by an intense feeling of anxiety and self-consciousness in everyday social situations. Severe forms can cause a person to experience symptoms almost anytime they are around other people. Panic Disorder is an anxiety which causes regular panic attacks with no particular triggers. It is bouts of intense fear that are often accompanied by physical symptoms such as chest pain, racing hear, shortness of breath, or dizziness. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is repeated unwelcome thoughts and/or a compulsion to carry out repetitive behaviours that can be difficult to ignore. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety that is triggered by very stressful, frightening or distressing events. PTSD sufferers often relive these traumatic events through nightmares and flashbacks, and may experience feelings of isolation, irritability and guilt. Tips to help with anxiety The causes and kinds of anxiety are complex. Anxiety requires treatment such as psychotherapy in the form of talking therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and/or exposure and response prevention (ERP) or in the short-term, anti-anxiety medication. However, there are many things you can do to help you learn how to manage feelings of anxiety. Keep a mood diary- Check in with yourself on daily basis and take note of how you are feeling at different times, rating how anxious you are feeling on a scale of 1-10. List what you are feeling anxious about and if there are things you can do to ease those feelings. Make time- If you are feeling particularly anxious, set aside some ‘worry time’ to go through your worries. When that time is up, consciously focus your thoughts on other things. Challenge unhelpful thoughts- Our thought patterns can exacerbate our feelings of anxiety and lead to negative and unhelpful thoughts. Challenge these thoughts and do not accept them as fact. Ask yourself: Is there evidence that confirms your thoughts Is there another way to look at it If you were to think positively about the situation, how would you view it Talk about your feelings - Telling someone about how you are feeling can help make things clearer for you. Relaxation techniques – Breathing and mindfulness exercise help keep you in the present moment and help your mind and body take control of a situation. Lifestyle factors- Eating healthy, regular exercise and getting plenty of sleep can improve your mental and physical wellbeing and burn off anxious energy. If anxiety is affecting you or someone you love, the Thrive Wellbeing Hub is here to offer advice, information and support on anxiety and for those who need it, we can arrange professional counselling. You can contact the Thrive wellbeing team by email at: thrive@charteredaccountants.ie or by phone: (+353) 86 0243294.

When someone asks you “How’s everything going?” is your default instinctive answer “Yeah… busy!” but then you might quickly realise that’s not the perfect answer so you qualify it better by saying “Oh but it’s good busy!”. Is this you? It’s true we’re busy these days as we have an infinite amount of choices to help us occupy our time. There’s no shortage of things to do, people to see or work to be done. But is there a cost to constantly having all our time filled up, even if it is “good busy”? Well it shouldn’t be any surprise to you when I say that there is. Being busy requires the constant activation of our fight-flight (stress) system, even when it is poised at low levels as we expend daily physical, mental, cognitive and emotional energy. Think of sitting stationary in your car with the engine steadily running all day, ready to kick into gear and drive off at a moments notice. But, leaving your engine running for too long can create some issues. Not only does it consume fuel and empty the tank, it also drains the battery, especially if you’ve also got the radio turned up, heat blowing and the lights on. Another serious problem is that the engine can overheat.  I hope you get my metaphor. Even while we sit still at our desks we are consuming fuel (what we’ve eaten) and gaining fatigue (draining our battery), but by being switched-on all the time we’re also stimulating a barely detectable level of low-grade inflammation throughout the entire body. Unlike a high stress event that flames like a bonfire for a few days or weeks, the chronic build-up of this low-grade inflammation from being constantly busy (i.e. work, home, family, friends, community) acts like lava in a volcano, bubbling its way slowly to the surface over several months and years and is now what is strongly linked to being a major cause of many of the serious non-infectious diseases associated with ageing. So how do we prevent the volcanic eruption that could be ahead of us when we get older? Apart from eating well, being more active (sitting less & moving more), spending more time in nature, sleeping routinely and lovingly attending to our most important relationships, we perhaps need to pay more attention to our diaries and our bodies to gain a better balance between stress & recovery (context: recovery during your wakeful hours). By doing this, you may learn how to detect stress better and become even more balanced & resilient! One of the best ways to do this is through silence & stillness. The key thing is that the practice is intentional and you (want to) commit time towards it. You can also learn how to body scan where you “check in” with yourself by noticing your breathing, heart rate and muscle tension. You could also listen to your gut instincts. Or you could follow a guided meditation or mindfulness practice through popular apps such as Headspace or Calm.  Ok, so this week’s challenge is all about deliberately slowing down. Aim to have 2 minutes of silence & stillness twice (x2) a day for the next 7 days. Schedule the time into your diary. If you can, see if you can extend that 2 minutes and maybe try 5 minutes instead, or give yourself a challenge and try a full 10 minutes. Thoughts will come and go and that’s absolutely normal and fine. Just let them, but take notice and be curious. Pay special attention to your feelings and the senses you discover throughout your body. Consider your busy schedule and what needs to be reduced. Enjoy switching the engine off for a few moments twice a day and enjoy the anti-inflammatory benefits of the “rest-digest” system, helping to keep that lava at bay. Article written by Health and Performance coach Dr. Jonny Bloomfield.  Jonny will be joining Thrive and the Young Professionals on Wednesday May 17th for their lunchtime webinar, How to Create a Better Work/Life Balance, which aims to bring greater balance to your life and work.  Jonny is a Health & Performance Coach specialising in stress, sleep, exercise & nutrition. He has a PhD in Sport Science and worked as the Sports Scientist for England Rugby, as a Physical Performance Consultant in the English Premier League and on Tour with Darren Clarke. Jonny is a qualified Executive Coach and provides Keynotes and Coaching for Organisations to help improve health, wellbeing and performance.

The term emotional intelligence is something we hear a lot of these days and has become a buzzword of sorts in the wellness space. However, it is a critical skill and its importance on our wellbeing, work performance and interpersonal relationships shouldn't be underestimated. Emotional intelligence is defined as the ability to identify and regulate one's emotions and understand the emotions of others. Here, we look at emotional intelligence, its impacts, and how to develop and improve it. Characteristics of emotional intelligence Essentially, emotional intelligence is being aware of our emotions, how they drive behaviour and impact ourselves and others (negatively and positively). Some experts even believe that it is more important in determining life success than IQ. There are certain traits and key signs associated with emotional intelligence. Some include: An ability to identify and describe how you and other people are feeling Self-confidence and acceptance Being able to accept and let go of mistakes and move on quickly Acceptance and embracing of change Feelings of empathy and concern for others Being sensitive and astute to others’ feelings and emotions Being able to manage emotions in difficult situations or within conflict The 5 elements of emotional intelligence According to psychologist Daniel Goleman, who popularised the concept, there are five components to emotional intelligence. Self-awareness Self-awareness is considered the core foundation of emotional intelligence. Strong self-awareness is recognising and understanding your emotions, knowing why you are feeling a certain way and acknowledging their impact on you and others. It is also about knowing your strengths and weaknesses, what your values are and having a strong moral compass. Self-awareness is a key skill in managing our wellbeing too, it helps with decision-making and helps you instinctively make the right choices for you. Conversely, it is suggested those with lower EI exhibit uncontrolled and misunderstood emotions which can heighten their susceptibility to a host of mental health concerns such as stress, anxiety, and depression. Self-regulation Once you have an awareness over your emotions, the next step is being able to manage and regulate your emotions – particularly the negative ones. This is not to be misconstrued as bottling up or hiding your true feelings. Self-regulation is about expressing yourself appropriately. It is one’s ability not to act impulsively or hastily based on emotions, steady self-regulation allows us to reduce how intense our emotions and reactions are. Motivation The next element is the ability to motivate, not only yourself but others too. Motivation is the drive to improve ourselves, set standards and expectations for ourselves and our desire to achieve. This type of motivation goes beyond external rewards though, it is based on a desire to fulfill inner needs and goals. In a work setting, those who are highly motivated tend to be action-oriented, always looking for ways to do things betters, are very committed, and like to take the initiative. Empathy Being empathetic is another key foundation of good emotional intelligence. An important interpersonal skill, empathy is having an understanding of others’ thoughts, feelings and emotions and respecting their point of view. Empathy for others can help foster stronger relationships and is especially vital in the workplace as it is integral to understanding workplace dynamics, influences and how different situations can be interpreted. It can also guide the interactions we have with different people we encounter daily. Social Skills The final element in the emotional intelligence concept is social skills, which is the ability to properly manage others’ emotions, and the ability to connect, interact, influence and work with a range of people effectively. Having strong social skills allows people to build strong and meaningful relationships. In work settings, people can benefit from effective social skills as it allows us to develop strong rapport and trust. In emotional intelligence, social skills include active listening, verbal communication skill, non-verbal communication skills, leadership and persuasiveness. Take a look at our Communicating with impact webinar to learn more about building these key communication skills. Developing our emotional intelligence Emotional intelligence infiltrates all aspects of our lives and is essential for understanding ourselves as well as how successful we are in navigating our social world. Research has found being emotionally intelligent is associated with professional success, financial security, fulfilling and meaningful relationships, increased life satisfaction as well as better overall physical and mental health. While some tend to be more naturally adept, the good news is that these skills can be learned, developed, and strengthen over time. Here are some ways you can strengthen your emotional intelligence. Know yourself – Practice and develop your own self-awareness by becoming more in tune with your emotions and your emotional reactions and responses. Knowing what and how you are feeling can help you identify and process your emotions and strengthen your ability to communicate them in a healthy way. To strengthen your awareness, make a note of when you are experiencing strong feelings, what made you feel that way, and if there were any adverse reactions to those feelings. Communicate and listen – Strong communication skills are essential for developing emotional intelligence and crucial for building strong relationships. Work on communicating openly and be willing to share your own feelings. People communicate verbally and non-verbally, so it is helpful to actively listen and observe reactions.  Active listening involves listening with all senses and paying full attention to the speaker. To develop this skill try nodding along, asking questions or repeating points they have made to show you are listening and understand what the speaker is saying. Empathy – Be mindful of how others may be feeling. While you may not feel that way or have a differing stance in a situation, being empathic means you can imagine yourself in someone else’s position and can acknowledge how and why they may be feeling a certain way. To build empathy, take the other person’s feelings into consideration in a way that is respectful and comforting to the other person. The Thrive Wellbeing Hub provides free practical and emotional support to members, students and family members. We offer a confidential space for you to talk, whether you need a listening ear, wellbeing advice or professional counselling, we are here for you. You can contact the thrive wellbeing team by email at: thrive@charteredaccountants.ie or by phone: (+353) 86 0243294

Investing time and effort in networking can help young professionals to develop important relationships and progress faster in their careers. Sonya Boyce explains why Networking is defined, broadly speaking, as: “the action or process of interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts”.  When we think of networking as a transactional, one-sided, and artificial relationship, however, it can make us feel slightly uncomfortable about the concept, as though we are somehow using someone for our own professional gain.  Through our work with clients at Mazars and our own experience, we can see that post-COVID-19, working habits have reinforced artificial or contrived perceptions of networking.  Many employees have lost the appetite to network effectively and it can be difficult to mobilise people to re-engage with their existing network and forge new connections in-person.   Just as those connections become even more important in a physically disconnected professional environment, it is key that people invest now in re-establishing and developing their networks in a meaningful way.  Unlocking your network effectively in a post-COVID-19 world could be the key to deeper engagement with colleagues, faster career development and more enjoyable working environments and relationships.  Benefits of networking A strong professional network can be a powerful asset in your career development, playing a critical role in progression, professional opportunities, and making work more enjoyable. Building a network is about relationships with colleagues, bosses, friends, industry colleagues or connections.  Your network isn’t just the relationships you have nurtured over time with friends and colleagues. It also includes more distant relationships and connections with thought leaders, business leaders, and “infrequent contacts”, such as casual acquaintances, and people you have met at conferences.  While not necessarily as close, these connections can be an invaluable part of your network and often possess information or links that can grow your reach and opportunity to learn.  This network, of both close and looser ties, developed over the course of your career, can support greater job mobility, while also being beneficial for employment opportunities, career progression and rewards. Top networking tips Developing a network or networking is not simply about attending conferences and events to “sell” yourself professionally.  Growing a network is about relationship building, developing trust and engaging with the needs and interests of the people you meet and connect with.  To help you enhance this network, especially if you find the process intimidating, here are some useful ideas to consider:  Networking as learning Developing a network is not about gaining connections immediately. Like any relationship, it takes time to develop trust and understanding. Therefore, considering networking as a learning exercise in which we engage is important. Understanding people’s “currencies” Different people are motivated and engaged in different ways. Allan R. Cohen and David L. Bradford, the organisation psychologists known for their work about the power of influencing, wrote extensively on understanding people’s currencies, in order to be able to influence others without authority. Their work identified five primary currencies:  Tasks Position Inspiration Relationship  Personal These five “currencies” can help us identify areas for potential collaboration with other people, develop our networks, and deepen our relationships with others. Networking to get ahead Building your network is just as much about those outside your organisation as it is about your colleagues inside the organisation. One Cornell University study on networking found a correlation between a person’s ability to engage with internal network and their professional opportunities.  In the study, lawyers whose personal views of networking were positive ended with more billable hours and greater choice over the projects they wished to work on, than their colleagues who were less inclined to network.  In essence, those who engage colleagues, make connections and put themselves forward—i.e., those willing and able to develop their personal networks—were more successful in their careers.  Overcoming your fear There is a great opportunity for employers to support and encourage employees to network.  Julia Hobsbawm, author of The Nowhere Office, has, for example, promoted the idea of a Chief Networks Officer (CNO) as a means for organisations to put focus and energy into ensuring that employees are getting the most value out of their connections. Hobsbawm says: “Really, the office is going to be good for two things—social networks and learning. Because people have been out of the office, the last thing you want  to do is to send them to a conference.” Putting networks, and networking, at the C-Suite level would send a clear message to employees and customers alike about the importance of relationships, consistent engagement, chance encounters and stretch projects or developmental opportunities that come from our direct and indirect network.  Sonya Boyce is HR and Organisational Development Consulting Director with Mazars in Ireland You can read this article and more about your career in accountancy in the Accountancy Ireland Career Guide 2023.

Your personal brand is a definer of success in your career and the most visible marker of you and what you stand for. Veronica Canning explains why My definition of a personal brand is, “what people say about you when you leave the room”. It’s not what you say it is. It’s what others say it is—what others say about you. You know what I mean. Usually, the description is short, pointed and deadly accurate. Irish people are good with words, and there’s none better when putting someone down. So, your personal brand is not what you say it is. It’s what others say it is. It is also a definer of success in your career as it is the most visible marker of you and what you stand for and, as such, it offers you the chance to take control of what people say about you in a corporate setting.  It can give you a distinct advantage in having an active input into building your career. Listen well the next time you hear the side comments after a meeting, especially when someone has been upset.  How many times have you sat in a room and heard someone being written off with one sentence, or heard someone else being damned with faint praise? Whether or not you believe you have a brand, such comments constitute it.  Think of the most memorable descriptions that you have heard. Remember that a similar comment could be attached to you. Often admiration is expressed in few words, like: ‘rising star’, ‘jet-propelled’, ‘one to watch’, ‘born gentleman’, or ‘straight as a die’. Everyone has a personal brand. It’s not something you can opt out of. It is inevitable, but the good news is that you can control whether yours is ‘purposeful’ or ‘accidental’.  A crucial point is that what your brand looks and feels like is up to you! I believe that when you take control of all aspects of your personal brand, you craft a purposeful one that is authentic and is an integral part of your career plan.  In addition, a purposeful brand is considerably more likely to be a positive one, as you will see as you read on. I often say this to audiences when speaking at conferences, and I see the odd sceptical face, but when I ask them if their personal brand is accidental or purposeful, the scepticism disappears.  They move to questioning which kind of personal brand they have. It is an enlightening moment when you realise that every day people are interacting with you and judging you by your appearance, accent, behaviours, moods and by your impact on them.  If you are unaware of this and just do and say what you want, as you want, without reference to those around you, you definitely do not have a purposeful personal brand. Exploring your personal brand begins with these four hard-core truths: 1. You are at the centre of your personal brand The number one truth is that you are at the centre of your personal brand. It is built on you and your values, it emanates from you, it is played out by your behaviours.  For it to succeed and contribute to your development it must be authentic. You may think you can fake it like the person who asks everyone how they are and wants to look like they care, but then rosters them on long hours, or ignores requests to take leave for important occasions like weddings and funerals.  They fake that they are good people managers and care about their staff, but their deeds show that all they care about is results. You may be good at faking it, but believe me, others will eventually see the real you.  The inconsistency between the two is surprisingly visible to observers. It is often given away in subliminal ways and expressed as a feeling or intuition.  There is a dissonance, and observers catch it. Someone will express a fear that the person “is not all they seem to be”, or “there is something off about that person” and the result is an accidental brand, not a purposeful one. 2. You are in charge of your personal brand You create your brand daily, and you are responsible for it. Every action you take further defines it. It is vital that you realise that it is not an optional extra that you may get to later, when you are happy, wealthy and wise.  It is a big part of you now, at this moment. There is no point blaming your colleagues or your boss if you are in difficulty at work. You are a key player in your own drama.  Often, when I work with people who hate their job and everyone they work with, they see the answer as leaving so they can start afresh in a new place.  I always remind them that the unfortunate reality is that they take themselves with them to the new job. It’s far too easy to blame everyone else when you are the problem. 3. It is your single biggest transportable asset As people move away from having a job for life, or being a ‘lifer’ in one company, and move to having a career made up of different parts–jobs, periods of transition, breaks for education or childcare and, increasingly, periods of unemployment–your brand becomes your most valuable transportable asset.  In an increasingly fluid workplace, you have to move to a ‘portfolio’ approach to your career. You are the only constant as you move through a career spanning decades.  You therefore need to concentrate on imagining yourself as a little enterprise, ‘You Incorporated’, with unique skills, competencies and a personal brand. 4. It is a vibrant, evolving part of you The core ‘you’ remains more or less the same, but your confidence, experience, self-knowledge, projection and the extent of your fame changes.  You will not have the same personal brand as a mid-level executive as, later, a successful senior executive – at least I hope you won’t. The key message is that you have a brand at every stage, and as you learn from your mistakes, you will continuously adjust it. The great thing about getting older is that although you keep making mistakes, they are different ones, and you avoid repeating the disasters of the earlier part of your career.   Veronica Canning is a motivational speaker executive mentor and consultant, and author of Your Brand: Advance your Career by Building a Personal Brand You can read this article and more about your career in accountancy in the Accountancy Ireland Career Guide 2023.

There are many reasons why our confidence can falter. Dawn Leane explains how we can overcome our self-doubt and silence our inner critic so we can achieve our goals In the workplace, being confident means feeling self-assured and believing we are capable of achieving our objectives. We often think that confidence is intrinsic; we either have it, or we don’t. In fact, our relationship with confidence is more likely to be influenced by our conditioning, life experiences and environmental factors. Handling feedback Confidence is one of those words that often triggers an emotional response in us, particularly if we struggle with it. We’ve all had an experience where we make a proposal or suggestion and have it critiqued. If we work in a psychologically safe environment, we take feedback from colleagues and leaders at face value. We appreciate the input and guidance and trust that the motivation is to help us refine and improve the idea. However, if the environment is not psychologically safe, we are much more likely to receive such feedback negatively. Perhaps we perceive it as criticism, a chance to settle a score or ‘mark our card’. This is especially true when our work is deeply personal and connected to our values and sense of self. In this situation, it can be hard to avoid internalising or personalising feedback—and when we do, it has the potential to erode our confidence. Limiting beliefs While our environment is hugely significant in determining our level of self-assurance, we are also influenced by our own limiting beliefs. A limiting belief is a state of mind or belief we think to be true, but one which will limit our potential. A limiting belief could be about you, your relationships with other people, or with the work environment. Self-limiting beliefs have the greatest potential to negatively impact our ability to achieve our full potential and are usually developed in response to our experiences, and because we are shaped by these limiting beliefs, we then go on to adopt behaviours that reinforce them. While many of our beliefs are formed as we grow up, we can develop new ones as we grow. Our inner critic Everyone has a voice in their head that reinforces their worst fears – an inner critic. The voice may be a whisper, or it may be so loud that it paralyses us. The voice holds us back from trying new experiences and rubs failure in our faces. It is possible to let go of limiting beliefs and tune out the inner critic, however. People can develop new ways of thinking and behaving that can help to create a positive narrative for themselves. To help silence your inner critic and build your confidence, there are several steps you can take: Identify any self-limiting beliefs and the behaviours that have resulted from them; Consider where these beliefs might have come from; Reflect on instances where these beliefs have been shown to be incorrect; and Decide on new behaviours to replace the limiting beliefs, then practice and reinforce them After acknowledging a self-limiting belief when it occurs, learn to replace it with something else. Carol Dweck, Professor of Psychology at Stanford University, has a simple but effective solution: add the word ‘yet’ to any limiting belief. For example: ‘I don’t have much experience at public speaking… yet.’ By adding ‘yet’, it allows you to acknowledge your shortfalls while also identifying that you are actively working on correcting it. Finding confidence Being a self-assured person without doubt is a lofty goal and probably not a realistic one. Acknowledging your limiting beliefs and working on silencing your inner critic is important, however. Your confidence will rise and you will be far more likely to achieve your objectives no matter the environment. Dawn Leane is the Founder of Leane Leaders