You're working in Corporate Finance. Are you sure you're not neglecting your mental health? (2024)

Recognizing the signs of stress, burnout, and mental illness is the first step to taking care of your mental health. Stress is a normal response to challenging situations, but can become harmful when it is chronic or overwhelming. Burnout is a state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged or excessive stress. Mental illness can affect your mood, thinking, or behavior, such as depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder. Common signs of these issues include feeling tired or overwhelmed; having difficulty concentrating, remembering, or making decisions; losing interest in work and hobbies; experiencing mood swings; having difficulty sleeping, eating, or relaxing; developing physical symptoms; isolating yourself from others; using substances to cope; and having thoughts of harming yourself or others. If any of these signs arise in yourself or your colleagues, don't ignore them - seek help from a professional like a therapist, counselor, or doctor. They can provide you with support and treatment.

Taking care of your mental health should include managing your workload effectively. Working in corporate finance can be demanding, but it is possible to prioritize tasks, delegate or outsource nonessential tasks, communicate clearly and honestly with managers, clients, and team members, and set realistic and achievable deadlines. It is also important to negotiate or decline requests that are beyond your scope, capacity, or expertise, learn to say no to unnecessary or unreasonable demands, take breaks throughout the day, and avoid working overtime or on weekends. Utilizing tools and technology can also help to automate, streamline, or simplify work. Managing your workload can help reduce stress, improve productivity, and enhance quality.

A third step to taking care of your mental health is to find your balance between work and life. Working in corporate finance can be rewarding, but it shouldn't be your only source of fulfillment. You need to make sure you have time and space for yourself, your family, your friends, and your hobbies. To do this, you should establish and maintain boundaries between work and personal life, turn off your phone, email, and notifications when you are not working, and schedule activities that relax you. Additionally, you should make an effort to spend quality time with your loved ones and nurture relationships; seek support from mentors or peers; join or create a community of people who share your interests; and explore new opportunities for learning, growth, or fun. Finding the right balance can help you boost your mood, energy, and creativity. By knowing the signs of stress, managing your workload, and finding balance in other areas of life, you can cope with the pressure of corporate finance and still enjoy your work. Ultimately, this will allow you to make a positive impact on your organization, your clients, and your industry.

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

Corporate Finance

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