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How to Handle Holiday Stress & Burnout

06Jun
Green KeyGeneral Interest, Green Key News, Leadership + Management, Worklife

Holiday burnout is already an issue among adults, but balancing a job at the same time makes it all the more difficult. Tackling work while also juggling the stress of holiday parties, gift shopping, and family obligations can lead to higher levels of anxiety. These overwhelming feelings can often be so common and distracting that many of us don’t realize we need a break. This can lead to a vicious cycle of burnout.

While the holiday season can be a fun and joyous time, it can also be hectic and stressful. The following tips and strategies are designed to help you prevent burnout, enjoy the holidays, and set yourself up for a healthy new year afterward.

Set boundaries and realistic expectations

The holidays come with a lot of expectations, from yourself to your loved ones. Remember that the holidays don’t have to be picture perfect and neither do you. If you feel like you have to say no to plans, or simply don’t have the time, allow yourself to do that and don’t feel guilty.

In your professional life, setting expectations is just as important during this time. NBC suggests, “…changing your email signature to include the dates you will be out of the office so people know when you will be unreachable…and pacing yourself by focusing on the most urgent, high-priority projects first and checking in with your team to see if any tasks can wait until after the holidays.”

Make a budget

Addressing your financial plan prior to the month of December is a great way to relieve some of that holiday stress, especially during the year-end at work. Determine how much money you are able to spend and stick to that budget. You will be less likely to overspend on parties and presents, preventing more stress from building up.

Take breaks

Taking breaks during the workday, whether it be a walk outside or making some coffee, will allow you to focus your mind and energy on yourself for a bit. Mentally disconnecting from work and the demands of the holidays will grant you moments of peace throughout the season. Removing distractions is just as helpful; if your phone or computer prove to be triggers for you, don’t take them with you on your breaks.

Seek professional help if needed

While our friends and loved ones can often be outlets, sometimes you may need some extra help from a therapist or doctor. If you’re struggling, don’t hesitate to contact a professional in order to recharge and listen to your mind and body during the holidays.

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Healthcare, Information Technology, Leadership + Management
Jun 6, 2023

Tech Team Leadership Takes More Than Coding

Healthcare, Information Technology, Leadership + Management
Jun 6, 2023

Tech Team Leadership Takes More Than Coding

You’ve just been tapped to lead a development team on a new project. It’s a sign of the company’s confidence in you and the opportunity you’ve been wanting for a while.

Now that you’re back at a workstation, reality is setting in. What do you need to get your team on board and rowing together?

In a word, it’s leadership. And that has far less to do with your coding skills than your ability to communicate, motivate and collaborate. Your team will look to you for guidance in setting priorities, advocating for them up the food chain, and working with them to solve problems.

“In today’s world,” says The Ohio State Engineer Magazine, “It is essential for an engineer to possess strong communication skills; it is the biggest determiner of success in the modern engineer’s professional career.” This goes double for project leads and managers.

Clear communication starts with knowing the details of the project, defining the end goals clearly, assigning roles and setting expectations. Clarity is essential, so even when you see nodding heads, don’t assume everyone understands. Ask for discussion. A diplomatic way of ensuring your team understands what needs to be done is ask if the process and goals are realistic; does anyone see any potential problems. Invite pushback on the timeline.

Besides uncovering misunderstandings or communication gaps, you’ll demonstrate your openness to disagreement and differing points of view. Creating an environment of psychological safety is the single most important component of team success, according to Google, which exhaustively studied team leadership.

A Slack blog post describes how a team lead creates psychological safety:

  1. An empathetic approach – “Strive to read your teammates. Are they content, stressed out or struggling?… Aiming to empathize with their point of view is key to gaining their trust.”
  2. Practice active listening – This means listening to understand what the person is saying rather than thinking of how we will respond.
  3. Avoid finger pointing – Constructive feedback is helpful. But blaming does nothing good. When problems arise — and they always do — focus on how to solve them. Involving the team in finding solutions is often a smart way to find creative ways to resolve problems.
  4. Be humble – When you make a mistake, admit it. When you’ve been short with someone, apologize. Say “please” and “thank you” often.

Image by Free-Photos from Pixabay

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Accounting + Finance, General Interest
Mar 8, 2024

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Mike Bosco

Accounting + Finance, General Interest
Mar 8, 2024

#WeAreGreenKey: Spotlight on Mike Bosco

Welcome back to #WeAreGreenKey, where we shine a spotlight on our powerhouse recruiting team.  

Recently, we met up with Mike Bosco, Staffing Director on the Accounting & Finance team at Green Key. Mike started his career at Green Key about 10 years ago, first as an intern out of the Long Island office, and quickly climbed the ranks to where he is today. He currently still works out of the Long Island office, supporting both the perm and temp sides of the business.

What do you enjoy the most about Accounting and Finance recruiting?

I really enjoy how fulfilling it is both personally and professionally.  I’ve been doing this for over 10 years and still encounter new situations and challenges.  At the end of the day, we’re the intermediary between our clients and candidates. Besides being able to fill positions for our clients, working with and helping people is very rewarding. Especially when we get positive feedback, or a referral, it feels gratifying knowing you not only made an impact but established a lasting professional relationship.

How do you stay informed about developments in the accounting and finance industry, and how does this knowledge influence your approach to recruitment?

Our team consists of industry professionals. We collaborate a lot as a team, meeting several times a week to discuss various recruitment strategies and target areas.  Particularly within public accounting, we prepare for the natural seasonality of hiring for our clients. Currently in the first quarter of the year, there’s not much hiring in public accounting, so we are more focused on recruiting for clients in the private sector and outside of public accounting. 

What advice would you give to candidates looking to stand out in the accounting and finance job market?

Value every interview you go on and prepare like it’s your dream job.  General preparedness, knowledge of the company, and showing genuine excitement in the opportunity to interview.  I think hiring managers, a lot of the time, are looking for somebody who has a particular interest in their organization, not somebody who’s just looking for a job.  Getting an interview typically shows you are qualified, but how do you stand out?  Personality, enthusiasm, being prepared, and how you can clearly articulate your skills are things that can be worked on prior to an interview that will make a huge impact on a hiring manager’s decision.

Are there any specific certifications or additional qualifications valued by employers in this industry?

As an accounting and finance recruiter, the CPA license is always something that would increase somebody’s marketability for any accounting position.  However, it depends on the individuals and their background. For instance, if I’m working with a payroll individual then perhaps not the CPA, but the certified payroll professional, the CPP certification, or an experienced bookkeeper might just have a certificate in QuickBooks.

2024 marks 20 years of Green Key, how would you describe your experience since starting your career with the Accounting and Finance team?

I started back in 2010, right after the 2009 downturn. I remember being told that things are slow right now, while the year before was a busy market. Fast forward to ten years later, the pandemic happened, and it almost seemed like I was seeing things full circle. Overall, my journey has been really interesting. I started when we only had two offices, the New York and the Long Island locations. We’ve since outgrown the original office space, going from about 5 people to about 40-50 in our current larger Melville office. So even though we were a 10-year-old company, seeing where we are now seems like I started in those infancy stages and now we’re on national basis. I’ve seen not only the growth of the team but also the different transitions of our VMS systems, starting with Encore, then Ultra, and now our newest version of Salesforce. I was able to see these different systems being implemented along with new policies and procedures across the company. I was also able to witness how the team and company adapted to challenges, for instance, through COVID and then have our bounce back year.

So, it’s really been an interesting journey to say the least. I’ve never really felt that the company or I have felt stagnant. It’s been nice to be at a place for as long as I’ve been to always feel personal and company growth. That’s something I’ve really enjoyed about working here and the people that I’ve worked with, I wouldn’t be here as long as I’ve been if I didn’t like who I’ve worked with.

With all that being said, this year we’re aiming to get back on track and continue to grow by cultivating strong relationships with new clients, as well as businesses we’ve worked with in the past.

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