When we think of wellbeing, we usually think physically and mentally but there is another important aspect to add to the mix, financial wellbeing. Financial wellbeing is a term used to describe our ability to confidently manage our money, how prepared we are for the unexpected, and how we can save and plan for the future. It is an aspect of wellbeing that is often overlooked, but financial wellness can dramatically impact our quality of life. Financial difficulties can impact anyone including accountants. Here we look at financial wellbeing, its impacts on our mental health, and how we can improve our financial wellbeing. Financial Wellbeing and Mental Health With the current economic factors at play, financial worries are a main concern for the vast majority of the population and financial worries can have a major impact on our mental health. While it is true money can’t buy happiness, multiple studies around the world show that finances are one of the most common causes of stress and anxiety, which can impact our health, work, relationships, and many other aspects of our life. According to research conducted by PWC in 2023, almost half of Irish consumers are concerned about their personal financial situation. A national survey carried out by Aware found that financial worries were the number one cause of concern with 57% stating it was impacting their mental health. Laya healthcare’s workplace wellbeing index found that of the one in four people who reported poor mental health, two-thirds cited financial concerns as the cause, more than any other problem. These few figures highlight just how prevalent financial concerns are and how much of a toll they can take on our mental health. Feeling anxious, experiencing low mood, or losing sleep if you are struggling to control your finances is a totally normal response but in the long term can have a devastating impact on our lives, even fuelling and escalating our financial trouble.    How to invest in your financial wellbeing If you want to ease money worries or simply want to feel more in control of your finances, there are thankfully many simple and easy ways to do just that. Spending sprees The first step is to look at your current spending habits and identify just where your money is going. By reviewing your bank and credit card statements, you can tally your outgoings and expenses. Categorise the type of spend into different groups, this can help you identify areas where you may be overspending and where you can make changes. We can all overspend sometimes or have weeks that are more expensive, but when it becomes a habit, it can be hard to break.  By tracking your expenses, you can get a better overall picture of your spending habits and triggers. Money aspirations Write down your financial goals and consider what you want to achieve in the short and long term, this could be clearing off a credit card, buying a house or building a rainy-day fund. Having financial goals give you a clear objective to work towards and can help keep you motivated to save and stay on track. Budget   Creating a monthly budget is a surefire way of getting control of your finances. Figure out the amount that goes on your essentials expenses and then budget for the week and month ahead. For help with this, there is a wealth of free online budgeting tools and templates at your disposal. In debt to you Once your budget is going to plan, if you have accrued any debt now is the time to begin clearing it. Sort your debt from the highest interest rate to the lowest interest rate and use any extra cash to begin clearing off these debts, starting with the higher interest rate and continue moving your way down the rates.   Saving grace It can feel like any money you earn is eaten up by expenses and there is simply no money left for saving. Even when money is tight, it is important to begin setting money aside for the future. If you don’t already, set up a savings account and transfer any remaining money over at the end of the month. Even if it is just small change. Or another approach, termed ‘paying yourself first’ is set up an automatic transfer of money into your savings account as soon as you get paid.   Seek advice If financial troubles persist despite your best efforts, you may consider seeking external financial advice. A financial advisor can view all aspects of your financial wellbeing with you and identify areas and aspects where you can make changes. Supports available to you A common preconceive notion is that financial professionals should be in good financial health due to their professional background. However, like anyone in society, accountants from all walks of life can struggle with poor financial wellbeing for a multitude of reasons. From the work of CA Support, we see the causes and impact financial difficulties have on chartered accountants. Perhaps a period of illness, unemployment or upheaval has created a financial burden and we know financial problems can often deteriorate quickly. If you are struggling with financial difficulties, CA Support provides emergency assistance to Institute members, students and families experiencing turmoil. Or if you are in a healthier position, you may consider donating to CA Support to help support members and families in our community who are less fortunate. Improving your financial wellbeing can take time and effort but by building small and healthy habits, you can alleviate money-related stress and anxiety. However, if you are struggling with any emotional toll, the Thrive wellbeing team is also here to help.

Here, 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. 

Aoife Hughes outlines what life-work balance is and the steps you can take to break unhealthy habits and achieve equilibrium Life-work balance often feels unattainable as we have a lot of time competitors, all champing at the bit to claim time and energy from us. Life-work balance can be defined as a series of habit changes, powered by a permission mindset, vision, strategies and systems. The metric of success is time to invest into your self-care. Here, I outline some key steps you can take to achieve the ultimate life-work balance. Permission to embrace self-care First, build a permission mindset to invest time into your self-care. This is a term that often incurs frustration as we feel we ‘don’t have time’ to invest into self-care. Self-care can be seen across three lenses: physical, emotional and social health. They can be interlinked. Self-care is a strategy to manage emotional stress to ‘find calm in the chaos’. We all experience chaos in life. ‘Big’ chaos can involve life-changing events such as moving house, having children or falling ill. ‘Small’ chaos is the day-to-day stress from getting to work on time, deadlines and cooking dinner. Building boundaries and prioritisation are critical components to managing self-care and stress. To deal with the chaos, and care for yourself, identify when you are stressed by noticing when your heart starts racing and you can’t concentrate. Manage this by inhaling for four seconds, holding your breath for seven seconds and exhaling for eight seconds. Future vision Design your ideal life-work balance by visualising what you want. Then, define your core values. These values are the deeply-held beliefs that guide your behaviours and decisions. Building awareness about limiting beliefs that impact your thoughts, emotions and habits is key to implementing change. Creating your goals involves change – something that is not easy as we are not conditioned for change. We are wired to stay within our comfort zone as we don’t have any emotional connection with something that we have not yet experienced. To achieve your goals to reach your vision, you need to break old habits and start building new ones. You can do this by identifying one goal to help you reach your vision. Change one limiting belief to build or break a habit to reach your goal. And if you need extra help, the How to Run Your Home Like a Business Framework supports habit changes with strategies and systems to manage the physical and mental load that comes with home and family life to make room for self-care. Building strategies Building a strategy to manage your home and family life involves identifying your ‘partner in the business’. This can be your roommate, family member or life partner. Create a plan for the work associated with the home and family. Look at the projects and tasks that need to be completed on a daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual basis – just like how you would approach project management in the workplace. Next, look at your internal team, which could be your immediate family, and identify who your ‘village’ are. Leadership and asking for help are key to achieving success with implementing your strategies. Finally, identify what projects you would like to complete in your home. Manage when you would like to have these projects completed by creating a prioritisation plan. Systems management Now that you have your strategies and team in place, building systems and delegation are the final components. Identify what your key pain points are in terms of managing the physical and mental load that comes with home and family life. Give yourself permission to set a budget and invest in solving problems by expanding your team with external suppliers. For example, hiring a cleaner to manage weekly tasks will lighten the physical and mental load that comes with the home. The key cyclical tasks related to the home are cooking, laundry and dishes. They come with a heavy workload as they need to be managed regularly. Delegate ownership around these tasks by playing to the strengths of each partner. Delegation can be challenging. Working with the ‘progress over perfection’ mantra and accepting that tasks may be approached in a different manner, can help to overcome some of the challenges. Leverage planning tools and applications to streamline the systems you create to save time. Identify who owns a task that needs to be managed weekly, then create a system and schedule this task with an online calendar or app. Begin at the start Life-work balance is a fitness – you decide how far you want to take it. The hardest part is starting. Once you build your permission mindset and vision, however, you’ll soon find that the rest will fall into place. Aoife Hughes is the founder of FRAZZLE

Small businesses can sometimes feel left out of the conversation on neurodiversity, believing such initiatives are reserved solely for large businesses. Mark Scully explains why it is so important for small businesses to embrace neurodiversity and how  Neurodiversity is the idea that all people experience and interact with the world around them in many ways. There is no one "right" way of thinking, learning, and behaving. Under the neurodiversity lens, differences arising from neurodivergences, such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, autism or ADHD, are not viewed as deficits. Instead, these differences can give rise to certain strengths as well as unique perspectives. The importance of neurodiversity in the workplace has gained significant attention internationally and Irish workplaces are finally beginning to embrace this, such as Bank of Ireland’s roll out of its Neuroinclusion Policy. The commentary around neurodiversity initiatives can make it seem that they are the preserve of large organisations, however, leaving smaller businesses feeling that they don’t have the scale, resources or time to deal with such matters. Neurodiversity initiatives in small businesses Based on the most recent available CSO (2021) statistics, 69 percent of people are employed by SMEs. Importantly, almost 50 percent of all employees in Ireland are employed in businesses which employ less than 50 people, being small enterprises (22%) or micro enterprises (28%). So, it is paramount to emphasise the important role small businesses can play in embracing neurodiversity, as well as to challenge misconceptions and barriers that may stand in the way. “We will cross that bridge when we come to it” Some businesses may see neurodiversity as something to be dealt with in the future when they are forced to react to it, e.g. when a new employee is neurodivergent. However, businesses may be surprised by the likelihood that they may already have neurodivergent employees. Research published in the British Medical Bulletin in 2020 estimates between 15 percent and 20 percent of the population is neurodivergent, with the current view being that it is the higher end of this range. Taking this 20 percent rate, and by using the most recent European Disability Forum’s employment rate for disabled people in Ireland of 32.6 percent as a proxy (which likely understates the employment rate for all neurodivergent people, excluding autistic adults who face significant barriers to employment), we can estimate the probability of at least one neurodivergent person working in a business of a particular size. Based on those assumptions, we can arrive at conservative probability figures: In a business employing more than 10 people, there is a more than 50 percent chance that at least one person in that business is neurodivergent. In a smaller business with five people, this probability is 25 percent. In a larger business with 35 people, this probability increases to 90 percent. While rough, this calculation is intended to illustrate a key point: the probability that you already have a neurodivergent employee is much higher than you think. If your business is larger than a micro enterprise, there is no point waiting to cross the bridge – you likely already crossed it without even realising it. “We don’t have a budget for this.” If financial cost is significant constraint, there are numerous free or low/subsidised cost resources available to help: There are excellent not-for-profits/charities in Ireland that provide support, advice and resources on supporting adults with more common neurodivergences such as autism, ADHD, dyslexia and dyspraxia (DCD). Some organisations that were previously solely autism-focused have now broadened their remit to wider neurodiversity, such as Specialisterne Ireland. There are government-backed information and support programmes such as Employers for Change to assist employers in recruiting and retaining disabled employees. Specialisterne Ireland has recently collaborated with international organisations across the EU to roll out neurodiversity resources aimed at SMEs which are freely available to use. The Department of Social Protection will shortly roll out a revised scheme to replace the existing Reasonable Accommodation Fund and Disability Awareness Support Schemes. This revised scheme should hopefully make funding more easily available to subsidise costs of disability (including neurodiversity) awareness trainings for employers. Often, the most beneficial workplace adjustments for neurodivergent employees do not involve financial outlay. Instead, an understanding and willingness on the part of the employer to adopt a different way of working or communication to best suit that person’s cognitive style or sensory needs can be incredibly helpful. Any such adjustment depends entirely on what works for that individual and their needs but can include: flexible working arrangements; asynchronous communication to allow time to process information; being permitted to use noise cancelling headphones; taking movement breaks; being provided more prescriptive instructions to facilitate task breakdown; chunking work to minimise transitions, etc. But even where financial cost is involved for reasonable accommodations e.g. text-to-speech software, there are government supports available. “We don’t have the time for this.” Every business should embed diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, including neurodiversity, as part of its long-term strategy. This can involve reviewing the recruitment process, reviewing the physical environment for accessibility and updating policies and procedures. Smaller businesses can feel that a such an undertaking is beyond their capacity, however, and therefore avoid taking any steps at all. Inclusion is a continuing journey – there is no finish line. The key is to take one step and then another. Here are some small practical steps you can take today: Let your people know that neurodiversity is something you want the business to embrace. Invite them to provide feedback and help. Often, you will be surprised to find that people are more than willing to help, particularly where they or a family member is neurodivergent. Make your people aware. Online neurodiversity awareness trainings suitable for all employees generally range from 60 to 90 minutes in length. Train your leaders and managers. Typically, more in-depth neuro-inclusion training aimed at leadership and human resources range from two to three hours. It is important that neurodivergent employees have some way of making their voice heard, especially if they do not feel comfortable yet to share their neurodivergence. An anonymous survey to request feedback on neurodiversity in your workplace can be generated and circulated (via a third-party intermediary, if necessary, to ensure confidentiality and anonymity of feedback). Conclusion Neurodiversity is not just the domain of large businesses and multinationals – small businesses must readily embark on the neuro-inclusion journey if we are going to foster an inclusive workplace for all employees in Ireland. Mark Scully ACA is the founder of Braver Coaching and Consulting, an executive coaching and neurodiversity consultancy.

In the pursuit of academic excellence, students often overlook the power of breaks. Discover why strategic pauses are crucial for learning retention, focus, and overall well-being during intense study sessions. Students often believe that the key to academic or exam success lies in pushing themselves to the limits to study for hours on end without taking a moment to rest. However, when students deprive themselves of breaks, they are less productive, retain less information and in turn risk burning out. Taking breaks while studying is not only beneficial but essential for deep learning and performance. Breaks are important for maintaining our cognitive capability and our overall mental health and well-being. In addition, breaks fuel our productivity. Cal Newport in his book Deep Work describes deep work as “activities performed in a state of distraction free concentration that push your cognitive capabilities to their limits”. When a student engages in deep work, or productive deep study, they need to also take productive deep breaks. The benefits of breaks Taking breaks while studying are important for the following reasons: Enhances focus and concentration Our brains cannot maintain focus and concentration for extended periods. Taking short breaks during study sessions allows our brains to recharge, making it easier to maintain focus, concentrate and absorb information effectively. Much like our phones, our brains also need to be re-charged. Improves learning retention Taking breaks between study sessions can improve our ability to retain information. Breaks give your brain the opportunity to process and consolidate new information, making it easier to recall later. For this reason, I always recommend taking a walk where possible after a study session. This will help you retain the information you just studied and learned. Maintains overall health and well-being Extended periods of intense studying can lead to burnout, fatigue and increased stress levels, ultimately undermining your academic or exam performance and health. By incorporating regular breaks into your study routine, you can keep burnout at bay and reduce your stress levels. Promotes sustainable study habits Taking breaks while studying encourages sustainable study habits that can be maintained over an extended period. By taking regular deep productive breaks, you can pace yourself more effectively and avoid the cycle of procrastination followed by cramming which inevitably leads to stress and overwhelm. What does a productive deep break look like? There is no specific rule of thumb when the optimal time is for a student to take a break while studying. We are all individual and we all have our own specific needs. If you are engaging in productive study, then you could take a 10-minute break after 50 minutes study or a five-minute break after 25 minutes study. When taking a break, you should not turn your attention to email, social media or distracting websites. The purpose of the productive deep break is to recharge your brain. By scrolling on your phone, you are not giving your brain the rest and recovery it needs and deserves. In fact, you are stimulating it, which is not what we want from a productive deep break. Try not to turn your attention to a complicated or stressful task. A short walk is a fantastic way to clear your head. It will help consolidate what you have just learned. If going for a walk is not available to you, getting out in the fresh air for 10 minutes is another great way for your brain to rest and recover. Sometimes a productive deep break can be as simple as sitting in silence with a cup of tea or coffee. Alternatively, you can listen to music or a podcast. Another example of a productive deep break is to do a five-minute meditation or five minutes of breathwork. As you are likely to have been sitting at a desk for a period of time, five minutes of stretching, yoga or physical exercise is great to boost your energy levels. Taking breaks should form part of your study routine. By prioritising rest and relaxation, you can cultivate healthier study habits, enhance your learning and ultimately achieve greater academic and exam success. Productive deep breaks ensure that you return to your study motivated with renewed concentration and a refreshed mind, ready to tackle complex problems and absorb information more efficiently. So, when you find yourself buried in books or glued to your computer screen, remember to allow yourself the time to rest, recharge and rejuvenate. Breaks fuel productivity. Edel Walsh is a student and exam coach. She supports her clients with their studies and exams using a holistic approach of focusing on academic success, personal development and looking after their well-being. For more information, check out www.edelwalsh.ie.

Swapping self-criticism for self-compassion can help us to become more resilient, overcome difficult situations and boost our mental health. Dee France, Thrive’s Wellbeing Lead, explains why. “You are your own worst critic” is a popular phrase for a reason and will resonate with many of us. Our inner critic can be very harsh, and while we shouldn’t outright ignore it, we also shouldn’t give it more attention than it deserves. In fact, it could be argued that a healthy dose of self-doubt and criticism is necessary as it allows us to monitor our behaviour and check ourselves. However, overwhelming negative self-talk and being too critical of oneself can be damaging and detrimental to how we live our daily lives, not to mention the devastating impact it can have on our mental health. This is where a level of self-compassion is needed. Humans are collectively compassionate beings, showing a great deal of understanding and kindness to others, but we aren’t always great at being kind to ourselves. Where self-criticism asks, “am I good enough?” self-compassion asks, “what’s good for me?” Instead of dwelling on mistakes, past failures and judging and criticising yourself for various imperfections or shortcomings, self-compassion means you are understanding and supportive of yourself. How do we develop self-compassion? Like any skill, developing a sense of self-compassion requires time, practice and patience. As a leading researcher in self-compassion, Doctor Kristin Neff theorises that there are three core fundamentals to self-compassion. Mindful awareness This involves being aware of your thoughts and emotions and taking a balanced and mindful approach to both, neither suppressing nor exaggerating, but simply acknowledging your feelings without judgment. Self-kindness This involves caring for yourself the way you would a friend or family member going through a difficult time. When we are faced with challenging situations or have feelings of inadequacy, rather than beating ourselves up, we are instead supportive and encouraging of ourselves. Self-kindness gives us the security and perspective to put ourselves in a better frame of mind to cope with any challenges we may experience. Common humanity Self-compassion is rooted in common humanity. When we make a mistake, it is common to think we are the only person in the world who is flawed. Common humanity is recognising that everyone is flawed, vulnerable and imperfect. It is important to acknowledge that we all make mistakes and have our own insecurities. Nobody is perfect and this is something that connects, rather than separates, us. Self-compassion and wellbeing Self-compassion can be thought of as being self-indulgent or feeling sorry for ourselves, but developing the ability to cope and manage our difficulties is good for our emotional wellbeing. Research studies show that those who are more self-compassionate benefit from better mental and physical health. Further, people with higher levels of self-compassion tend to be more resilient, have a less physical response to stressors and spend less time dwelling on situations after they have happened. Self-compassion involves recognising strengths and achievements, which, in turn, boosts our self-confidence and self-belief. A study by the Universities of Exeter and Oxford found that self-compassion can immediately calm your heart rate and lessen stress responses. Study participants also demonstrated a general state of relaxation and security and reported a stronger sense of connection to other people. Exercising self-compassion makes you more likely to: engage in healthy behaviours such as exercise, eating better and better sleeping patterns; be less fearful of making mistakes, rejection or change; display higher levels of emotional intelligence, happiness and optimism; handle and cope with adversity and difficulties better; and demonstrate healthier boundaries in both your professional and personal life. Practising self-compassion There is a vast array of ways we can cultivate self-compassion. To get started, there are plenty of helpful resources, tools, exercises and templates available online. Below are a few ways you can start showing yourself a little more kindness and understanding: Practice mindfulness and self-reflection: learn to observe and evaluate your thoughts; activities such as journalling and meditation can aid this. This encourages you to be curious and self-aware, understanding that your thoughts and assumptions are just that – they are not facts. Reward and celebrate: celebrate your successes and achievements. Practice gratitude and celebrate moments of positivity and kindness. Keep a list of personal strengths to review in moments of self-doubt. Take a break: time away from your day-to-day routine and a change of scenery can help you keep things in perspective. Strengthen your connections: kindness is contagious! Showing love and understanding to the people around you means you are more likely to show yourself the same compassion. Do things you enjoy: spending time on our passions, hobbies and interests is good for the soul and brings a sense of satisfaction and achievement. Thrive is the Institute’s dedicated wellbeing hub that offers confidential wellbeing support to students and members. For more advice or information, check out Thrive’s Wellbeing Hub. Alternatively, you can contact the team by email at thrive@charteredaccountants.ie or phone at (+353) 86 024 3294.