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The Best Ways to Destress After Tax Season

Tax season is stressful, even for the most prepared businessperson. Over half of Americans and many small businesses across the country are already stressed about money and filing your taxes can make this pressure even worse. Everyone becomes more run down and workloads increase to try and mitigate the negative outcomes of tax season. However, as April comes to a close and taxes are filed away, it can be difficult to let that stress go. In fact, for most people, stress continues to build and can lead to a host of both physical and mental problems. To help you decompress, here are the best ways to destress after tax season. 

1. Enjoy Some Time Off

While the idea of a vacation in April might seem unthinkable, you may want to reconsider. Chronic stress can take a toll on productivity, creativity, and general day-to-day functioning. By enjoying some time off, you’ll give your mind and body time to reset and lower your cortisol levels. This, in turn, will actually make you more productive. As a nation of workaholics, we’ve forgotten how much better we feel after unplugging and taking a break. If you can’t go away for a vacation, that’s okay. Staycation’s can be just as beneficial, as long as you commit to avoiding work. Do something that speaks to your soul and try to focus on relaxation. 

2. Schedule a Spa Day

For the ultimate relaxation package, schedule a full-blown spa day. This could be either at a resort or in the comfort of your own home. It doesn’t take much to create a peaceful oasis, as long as you commit to staying off of technology. Unplug all of your electronics, put on some soothing music, slice the cucumbers, run a bath, throw in some essential oils, and enjoy. Focus on taking deep breaths throughout the day and try to avoid any and all social media. Detoxing from the real world can give you a fresh perspective and allows you to focus on your mental health. 

3. Create a Healthier Routine

Once you’ve taken some time off to reset, consider your everyday routine. Is it healthy or do you run on no sleep, excessive caffeine, and junk food? Living a healthy lifestyle gives you more energy, mental clarity, and allows for better stress management techniques. Implement changes slowly over time for the best long-term results but aim to revamp a few areas. If you’re not eating well, consider taking the time to pack a healthy lunch rather than call in for take-out. If you smoke, try to find cessation tools, and quit. Regardless of how busy your days are, make it a habit to schedule exercise. Exercising is one of the best ways that you can cope with stress and has several other health benefits. You don’t have to hit the gym for an hour every day. Instead, take the stairs instead of the elevator, go on a walk over your lunch break, ride your bike to work, or do some exercises at your desk. Small changes can lead to big results, so even just changing one thing can make a difference. 

4. Redo Your Space

Your environment makes an impact on your attitude and overall mental strength. After surviving another stressful tax season, consider making some changes. This could be to your office, home, or both—whatever makes sense to you. By simply adding a few plants, upgrading the lighting, or changing the décor, you’ll be able to impact how you feel and increase your productivity. Refreshing your space can be reinvigorating, so it’s worth considering. 

5. Adjust Your Work Mentality

Americans have a hard time finding a good work-life balance. Oftentimes, we take our work home with us and neglect our personal lives. Instead of continuing down this pattern, consider adjusting your work mentality. While there are times where you may need to work late or go in on your day off, don’t make it a habit. The long-term goal is to avoid burnout and when you’re overworking yourself, this becomes far more difficult. Consider adjusting your hours or thinking of ways that you can more efficiently optimize your work output. Everyone works differently and unfortunately the 9-5 schedule doesn’t take that into consideration. If you’re a night owl, work at night. If you’re a morning person, avoid scheduling any calls or meetings until the afternoon so you can fully capitalize on your energy levels. While this isn’t always going to be possible, fine-tuning your work routine to fit your peak productivity times is a great way to hack the system. 

6. Improve Organization

One of the biggest reasons that businesspeople are stressed during tax season is that they didn’t stay organized throughout the year. All of a sudden, you need to compile all of your expenses, invoices, payroll information, and more. This can lead to chaotic situations, especially if you’re not prepared. So, start your preparation for next year’s taxes by staying organized and creating a system to file records based on category. There are plenty of great ways to create an excel sheet to seamlessly improve organization and keep everything in one place. If you’ll need to get information or documents from clients, create a system that reminds you to reach out early to avoid potential problems come tax season. 

7. Get Proactive Early

Though you’ve just filed your taxes, it’s never too early to start preparing for next year. With this mindset, you’ll give yourself plenty of time, better understand where you stand, and will avoid enduring the severe stress that inevitably comes every April. One of the best ways to get proactive and start preparing for next year’s taxes is to schedule a mid-year check in. Mid-year check-ins allow you to see where you are, project where you’re going, and get a better understanding of any missing documents or potential problems. You’d be amazed at how focused and calm you’ll be able to stay when you’re not scrambling to sort through finances and maximize your deductions. Plus, doing this early allows you to take better advantage of small business deductions and charitable donations throughout the year.  

Many small businesses overpay in their taxes every year, which can create both stress and problems for brand stability. To make sure that you’re keeping more of your hard-earned money in your pocket, tax planning is essential. However, not all tax planning is created equally. By working with a certified tax coach, you’ll have access to tax professionals with advanced training in tax planning who go above and beyond to help their clients pay less in taxes. Del Real Tax is one of the select companies fortunate enough to have an experienced certified tax coach available to our clientele. We specialize in helping small businesses maximize profits and each of our accountants work to give you personalized service and attention. Our primary goal is to help you save thousands of dollars in taxes a year! See how we can help by calling us today at 708-788-0082. [/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_single_image image=”238″ img_size=”275×270″][vc_raw_html]JTNDc3Ryb25nJTNFQ2hpY2FnbyUyMENQQSUyQyUyME1hcmliZWwlMjBEZWwlMjBSZWFsJTNDJTJGc3Ryb25nJTNF[/vc_raw_html][vc_text_separator title=”Services:” color=”juicy_pink” style=”double”][vc_accordion active_tab=”1″][vc_accordion_tab title=”Tax Accounting”][vc_raw_html]JTNDcCUzRVdlJTIwcGVyZm9ybSUyMHRheCUyMFBsYW5uaW5nJTIwYW5kJTIwdGF4JTIwY29uc3VsdGluZyUyMHllYXIlMjByb3VuZC4lMjBXZSUyMHVuZGVyc3RhbmQlMjB0aGF0JTIwcHJlcGFyaW5nJTIweW91ciUyMG93biUyMGluY29tZSUyMHRheCUyMHJldHVybiUyMGNhbiUyMGJlJTIwYSUyMHRhc2slMjB0aGF0JTIwbGVhdmVzJTIweW91JTIwd2l0aCUyMG1vcmUlMjBxdWVzdGlvbnMlMjB0aGFuJTIwYW5zd2Vycy4lMjAlM0NhJTIwdGl0bGUlM0QlMjJUYXglMjBBY2NvdW50aW5nJTIwU2VydmljZXMlMjIlMjBocmVmJTNEJTIyaHR0cHMlM0ElMkYlMkZ3d3cuZGVscmVhbHRheC5jb20lMkZ0YXgtYWNjb3VudGluZy1zZXJ2aWNlcyUyRiUyMiUzRVZpZXclMjBNb3JlJTNDJTJGYSUzRSUzQyUyRnAlM0U=[/vc_raw_html][/vc_accordion_tab][vc_accordion_tab title=”Small Business Accounting & Bookkeeping”][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_accordion_tab][vc_accordion_tab title=”Payroll Accounting”][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_accordion_tab][vc_accordion_tab title=”Entity Selection & Restructuring”][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_accordion_tab][vc_accordion_tab title=”IRS Representation”][vc_raw_html]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[/vc_raw_html][/vc_accordion_tab][/vc_accordion][vc_raw_html]JTNDYnIlMkYlM0UlMEElM0NiciUyRiUzRQ==[/vc_raw_html][vc_text_separator title=”Sign up for our Newsletter:” color=”juicy_pink” style=”double”][dt_contact_form fields=”name,email,message” required=”name,email,message” button_size=”small”][/vc_column][/vc_row]