What is Thrive?

During exam season, it can be a struggle to build and maintain momentum in the final weeks of preparation for the big exams. Stress levels can be at an all-time high and while some stress can help keep you motivated and focused, too much can be unhelpful. Here we look at tactics and strategies to help you focus your efforts and build study resilience in the weeks ahead. The Art of Distraction With a mammoth task like exam preparation, it can be easy to fall into the trap of procrastination – we’ve all been there!  However, the more you procrastinate the worse you feel and the greater your anxiety might become. The psychology profession outlines two types of procrastination – active and passive. Active procrastinators deliberately decide to procrastinate as they believe they work better under pressure. Whereas passive procrastination is seen as the more negative of the two where people are paralysed by indecision or lack of confidence, loading them with anxiety causing even further stress and inaction. Passive procrastination is usually a sign of something bigger – performance anxiety, fear of failure or simply to avoid negative feelings.  At its core, procrastination is about emotions, not productivity. Therefore, it is important to identify the reason why you are procrastinating and try to address it. There are ways to beat the procrastination bug if it’s really impacting your focus, here is where your study schedule and a reward system will come in handy. Blocking out chunks of time for study will help you concentrate on the task in hand. Don’t bite of more than you can chew either though, quick burst of 30-40 minutes study might work best for you to help keep your focus.  Reward yourself after completing a task whether that’s a quick cup of tea and a treat, a scroll through your social media or half an hour of your favourite show. Tap into and regulate your emotions with mindfulness techniques, mediation or breathing exercises to better manage your feelings around studying and exams. Time Management Time management is key to exam success and helps you gain control. Use a day planner or a weekly schedule to help you determine your available time. Managing and mapping out your day can bring structure to your study without it feeling too overwhelming. However, be realistic with your schedule and don’t overload your day. For maximum efficiency, determine and prioritise the subjects you find most difficult and focus on them first. Certain subjects may also warrant more study time than others. Get to know your body clock, there may be times throughout the day or week where you feel more alert or sluggish than usual and use these times to your advantage. Track your progress and by the end of the week you will feel a sense of accomplishment with all the work you have done over the past few days, and it will help shape your schedule for the next week. Most importantly, schedule time for relaxing activities and exercise too - your body and mind will thank you for it! Studies have shown that exercise improves cognitive performance so consider it as part of the exam preparation. Meet up or chat with friends and family to help you reset and have time away from work and study for some fun. Think of the Bigger Picture! When caught up in the stress of study and exams, it can be hard to motivate yourself and gain perspective on why you are actually doing it. Studying to be a chartered accountant is challenging – the personal sacrifices you have made, the unattended social gatherings, the copious amounts of exams and years you have already put in etc. But if you look to your goals and the end game you can find the motivation to carry on. Think of why you decided to become an accountant in the first place, the career goals you want to achieve and where you want to be in a few years’ time. These exams are leading up to something bigger and are a means to achieving your goal. By keeping this in mind, it can help you attain the self-discipline and encouragement you might need when you feel your efforts and motivation begin to wane. Wishing you all the best for the weeks ahead. Happy Studying! If you need more advice on preparing for your exams, Thrive has a dedicated student hub to help you navigate student life. Alternatively, you can contact the CA Support wellbeing team in confidence on mobile: (353) 86 024 3294 or by email: thrive@charteredaccountants.ie.

The pandemic has transformed how we work and with many returning the office, working hybrid or remotely, it will continue to evolve. No matter where employees are situated, how small or large a firm it is, it’s important to foster a culture of good wellbeing to positively influence both employees and the company. Corporate wellbeing programmes are becoming more and more popular. Once seen as an added perk for employees, they are now an integral part of the business agenda. But what is workplace wellbeing?  Generally speaking, it means promoting staff wellbeing at work and empowering staff with the knowledge and tools to be proactive in boosting and protecting their own wellbeing. Fostering a culture of good wellbeing can help prevent work induced stress and create a positive and healthy work environment where employees and the company can thrive. On average, we spend a third of our adult life at work.  That is a significant amount of time and how we feel about work has a big impact on our day, life, home and on our general happiness. A VHI study conducted in 2018 reported one in five employees missed work in the previous year due to stress, anxiety or depression while mental health related illnesses are one of the most common reasons for long-term absence. Employee stress and ill mental health can directly impact levels of absenteeism, presenteeism and reduced performance - all at a high cost for employers. As a result, implementing wellbeing initiatives and strategies should be seen as a key business driver. Businesses have a duty of care to employees both physically and psychologically and employers hold a responsibility for the wellbeing of their staff. However, there is a wealth of evidence that points to a positive correlation between workplace wellbeing and improved business KPI’s. Fostering a culture of good wellbeing not only produces a happier workforce, the benefits to the company are just as happy: Improvement in staff productivity and engagement Can help with staff retention Increase in employee morale Reduction in absenteeism Stronger employer brand and reputation A resilient workforce In recent times, our collective interest in health and wellbeing has expanded and two years on from the beginning of the pandemic, the role and value of workplace wellbeing is recognised more than ever. This new era in our working lives has proven how fundamental employee wellbeing is to company resilience and creating a healthy workplace is something employers are becoming much more aware of. National Workplace Wellbeing Day is a great starting point and opportunity for organisations looking to promote the wellbeing of employees.   Evidence suggests there is a holistic and cyclical effect of promoting wellbeing in the workplace both for employers and employees. Therefore, companies should take the steps to support employees and demonstrate their commitment to promoting positive mental health. Like most workplace initiatives in order for it to be successful, leadership buy-in is essential. This obstacle has been cited as one of the biggest barriers to implementing workplace wellbeing strategies. By linking employee wellbeing with success metrics, increased business performance and clearly demonstrating how it will positively impact all aspects of the business is a sure way to ensure clear, consistent and visible support from the top down.   There is a plethora of ways how a culture of workplace wellbeing can be embedded into an organisation through internal policies and offerings.  The most popular strategy is an employee assistance programme, however there is a wealth of additional supports employers can put in place to promote workplace wellbeing. For example, some organisations run employee wellbeing events such as mindfulness or exercise classes, a no meetings Fridays’ policy, provide mental health training for managers to identify signs of mental stress, offer flexible working arrangements, promote a culture that fosters a healthy work-life balance, and raise awareness of mental health challenges within the workplace. If you would like more advice or assistance on wellbeing whether an employee or an employer, the Thrive Wellbeing Hub provides counselling, wellbeing coaching, information, advice and lots more to all members of the Institute.  You can contact the Thrive wellbeing team by email at: thrive@charteredaccountants.ie or by phone: (+353) 86 0243294.

Strong social connections not only impact our mental health but our physical health too. In today’s world, we lead increasingly busy lives and often our relationships can sadly fall by the wayside. Feeling socially connected is more important than ever, especially after a long period where our social interactions are restricted, and our close circle reduced. In celebration of International Friendship Day, CA Support discuss the importance of maintaining and prioritising our relationships for our overall health. We're designed to be social We all know that comforting upbeat feeling of human connection, when you come away from a catch up with friends feeling more positive, happier, and even lighter. As a species, human beings are inherently social creatures.  We are biologically wired to seek out connection from a time where humans hunted in tribes and being part of a group was necessary for survival. Humans need closeness, connection, and a sense of unity to thrive. Social connection is one of our core psychological needs which means it plays an essential role in how safe and satisfied we feel in our lives. Social groups provide us with an important part of our identity, forming who we are and teach us a set of skills and norms that help us to function throughout life. In today’s world though we lead increasingly busy lives trying to juggle and balance work, family, and other commitments. Often our friendships can fall to the wayside. However, strong connection and belonging to something bigger than ourselves are important for our overall health and wellbeing. The benefits of connectedness should not be overlooked, and therefore as a society we should be placing greater emphasis on investing in our friendships. The more connected we feel to other people, the more enriched our life becomes. Friendship and being part of a social group offer a variety of mental health benefits. It increases our feeling of belonging, boosts our sense of purpose, and improves our self-worth and confidence. Connectiveness helps us regulate our emotions, leads to higher levels of empathy and compassion, and can even reduce our stress levels. Studies show that people who feel connected to others report lower rates of anxiety and depression. Not only does good social connection impact our psychological wellbeing, its impacts our physical health as well. Countless studies have shown a lack of human connection and feelings of loneliness are more harmful to our health than obesity, smoking and high blood pressure. By neglecting our need to connect, we put our health at risk. It can even lengthen our lives. Extensive research that looked at the lifestyles of inhabitants within Blue Zone areas, a term given to geographically regions that are home to some of the world’s oldest people, found healthy social networks and high levels of community engagement were commonalities among the differing zones. Our relationships and social groups can alter the course of our life, shape the person we are and can change our perception of ourselves and the world as well as offer an important support system.  So as you can see, social connectedness creates a positive cycle of good social, emotional and physical wellbeing. To forge happy and healthy relationships, it is very important we continually attend to and nurture our connection with the people we consider important in our lives. After an incredibly long period where our social interactions were restricted and ultimately reduced, you may find your sense of connection has diminished. Here are some ways you can improve your social health and reignite your connection with others; Reach out to a friend you may have lost touch with, remember it’s never too late to spark up an old friendship! Take time to ring or meet up with a friend you have not seen in a while. Join a new club or try out a group activity: focus in on your interests and you’ll be sure to find a club or group full of like-minded people. Volunteer: this can strengthen your sense of purpose, provides an opportunity to meet new people and give back to your community. Invite a co-worker out for lunch: now we have more freedom to socialise why not reconnect with your favourite work colleague or arrange a work group activity. Spend quality time with family: this could be planning a family BBQ, a movie night on the weekend or a family day out. Be Present: Step away from your devices when you are in company and have an uninterrupted chat. Social isolation is a challenging aspect of life to cope with and is detrimental to your health, please know the Thrive team  is here to lend a friendly ear, if and when you need it.