How do you maintain balance during busy season?

This is an excellent question and apologies for the delay I have been out of the business for a while and only just returned back.

I think it boils down to self respect. No doubt the job is very demanding at times and commitment to the work we do is key to success. Having said that it is important to maintain perspective and never loose sight of the things that really matter.

Everybody is different, but I would highlight the following things:
Self Respect: Make time for the things that matter to you outside of work. Set boundaries and stick to them. If you made a commitment to do something you love outside of work stick to it. The work will be there tomorrow.

Exercise: It is a cliché for a reason but this really helps me de-stress. Exercise needs to be given the same priority as work for me, a healthy body leads to a healthy mind and all.

Plan your time: To allow for the above you need to plan and manage your time over a extended planning horizon. This becomes more and more important as you progress in the job because project management is critical for our work. The same is true for your life, a dream without a plan is just a wish. So plan for exercise and making the time to do things and it becomes easier to stick and adhere to those boundaries.

I find when I stick to the above, things tend to go well. Needless to say sometimes things pop up and you have to adapt. One thing that makes it easier at EY is how flexible the working culture is. This is a high trust environment so if I have the dentist next Tuesday I have the autonomy to be able to plan and do that without worrying about getting permission from somebody.

Anyway I hope this helps, sorry again for the delay and please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you need anything.