Increasing employee turn over rates every year are recorded to auditing firms. This is not surprising, given that auditing is both a mental and a physical-intensive profession. Unfortunately, we hear some stories about those who resigned during the peak of their exhaustion and subsequently had regretted it.

Let's be honest. Even I came to a point where I wanted to resign as an auditor due to some internal and external factors on the middle of the engagement. But thankfully, I didn't and finished substantially the engagements that I've started.

I'd like to share to you some of the things that I do whenever I feel burned out, and also some tricks on how to avoid stress:

1.  Don't work over time unless otherwise BADLY needed. You like to resign because you are tired. Why not go home early and have an 8-hour sound sleep? I highly discourage (especially the new hires) to do overtimes especially during the planning stage of the audit. Auditors should save up some strength for the substantive testing season. Go home early while you can! Magsasawa rin kayo niyan sa ST and archiving!

2. Charge your over time (depends on the engagement). One reason why auditors resign is because they feel being underpaid for the effort and the time they exerted. I remembered Over Time Thank You (OT TY) was raised during our debriefing, and one of the attendees said "Why aren't you filing your OT? Who said it's prohibited to file?"

So go ahead. Charge your over time if you, indeed, worked.

I can't emphasize though that in filing an OT, please always remember that there should be a reasonable output. If you will charge a 3-hour OT, 2.5 hours of which is daldalan, then, it's just even not to charge.

3. Don't work during weekends. I mean not to change your working style, but, working 7 days a week might be one of the reasons why you're burning out. I remember one of my seniors told me, "Quine, did you finish this working paper during the weekends? I'd suggest you not to work during weekends. Have time for yourself. Relax and give yourself a break so you have something to look forward every Monday."

4. Have time for yourself. Catch up with your friends. Read books, paint or watch some movies.

When I was in audit, I felt very burned out to the extent that I felt I just went to the office just to survive a day. Tinatawid ko lang ang isang araw. I so hated to work. I was too tired. Patayin niyo na lang ako.

But then I changed my lifestyle. I allocated time for myself. I went home at around 6:30PM, had a nap, did some exercises, watch films, and this, blogging!

Starting that day, I have felt the fire once again. The logic is this: if you're running out of fuel, fill up your tank. You know the answer. You know what type of fuel you are going to use.

5. Be vocal to your superiors. Let's not be those typical Filipinos who just smile and nod even if they are not okay with it. One lesson my superiors have taught me is to have the balls to speak out your mind. If you felt you're unreasonably given of a task without considering your allocation and the others', speak up. If you have a problem with your workmates, speak up. If you think you cannot meet the deadline, tell your superiors. They might help you in resolving the bottleneck on your side.

Let's avoid toxic by being transparent. Speak up professionally. Just always connect your tongue first to your brain before spitting out a word.

6. When OT'ing, have a cut off. One superior taught me to always have a cut off when I will work over time. Say 11 PM. Let's admit it. Some tasks cannot be completed within the night, and the more we stay, the more we become sabaw and unproductive. You'll try to finish a task until 3 AM then what? The next morning you'll feel super dizzy, hot headed, and even more unproductive?

Having a cut off motivates you to do whatever you can to finish a task and avoid unnecessary daldalan.

Rule of thumb: if it can't be finished tonight, don't push it. It's not being pessimistic.

It's being realistic, and being a human.

7. Stop talking about work during lunch and break time. You only have an hour to stretch your bones, to have some walk, and to pig out. Consider your break time as your holy hour. Respect yourself. Respect your workmates. Talk no work-related stuff.

8. Always look at the brighter side. They say if you don't have the intention to be promoted, at least, as a senior in audit, don't apply as an auditor. True enough, some of my superiors have gone so far and now they are earning $$$. Just think of this: your hard work shall always pay off. Time will come and you will be reaping the fruits of your labor.

9. Read self-help books. I highly recommend the works of Tony Robbins, Brian Tracy, etc. Grab a book and read. They have awesome tips about efficiency, personal development and other stuff that will surely fill up your tanks!

10. Work for 7.5 direct hours, and give the remaining hours of the day to yourself. Some do over time to compensate for the hours they spent irrelevant to their tasks.

We tend to have this I'll-just-make-up-those-hours habit. Why not do the 7.5 hours directly (with rest in between) and go home early? One of my seniors told me, "I'll give my 100% focus until COB, Mondays to Fridays, and nobody has the right to steal/ruin my weekends."

Galing no?

I am pretty much aware that we cannot finish everything in audit for 7.5 hours. But I'm a firm believer that though we may not have time for everything, there will always be time for the important ones.

I know a lot, even a partner, who do this 7.5 direct working and we can also emulate them, if we want to have a work-life balance.

I was not a perfect auditor. I had pending working papers, but I finished them with a light and a fulfilled heart.

Please have time for yourself. Every person who has worked hard for the day deserves it.

Conclusion

Why do we feel demotivated? Why do we burn out? It is because of the work load, absence of work-life balance, and the feeling of being under paid.

These ten things I provided are obviously neither authoritative nor exhaustive. Some may apply to you and some may not. You know yourself better. Find your balance and always seek ways to have a forward-looking mind and a happy heart. Audit is such a wonderful profession and we have to view it as such, all the times!