Studying for your CPA exam is not an easy task to accomplish; all candidates for the CPA understand the extensive time and effort that goes into prep for the exam, meaning finding a balance where you don’t abandon self-care can be difficult. Ensuring that you don’t sacrifice your mental health for the sake of your CPA exam preparation is as important as passing it, and it is possible! Where do you start, though?
Mix Personal Time In With Study Time
Organize a realistic study plan, then stick to it. Knowing what you have scheduled for yourself to study within each module every day will ensure you don’t overexert yourself, allowing yourself wiggle room. To mitigate last-minute cramming or panic-induced late-night studying, it’s paramount to stick to your plan and meeting daily goals.
Allowing yourself set times where exams and studying aren’t your every thought is important and giving yourself an organized plan will prevent burnout.
Having the right CPA exam preparation materials can help you meet these goals, reducing needless stress from not having a streamlined avenue of study.
Remember To Maintain The Right Study To Self-Care Ratio
In an ideal situation, you want to be able to retain the information you’re studying. Reducing your fatigue during study sessions is imperative to keep as much as possible settled in your memory. An overabundance or outright neglect of either study or rest could leave you unprepared or exhausted; an examination of your priorities and what a balanced schedule looks like will keep you from one extreme or the other.
One way to lower the probability of burnout is to stagger your schedule in a way that is conducive to both study and rest. Giving yourself certain hours after work or on weekends will allow you time to socialize and decompress.
Self-care that’s worth pursuing is important as well; socializing that involves long nights or heavy intoxication could mean less energy dedicated to studying or actually letting your mind relax.
Keeping active in a healthy way and trying to maintain a positive outlook goes a long way. This is beneficial for your overall health in general while giving you the energy to pursue your studies. Many experts agree that working out or some form of exercise can help keep your mind at its sharpest without overworking it, while others tout the use of yoga or meditation.
Whatever way you might relax your mind on your downtime, make sure it’s something that isn’t going to damage you in the long run.
The Merit Of Leaning On Others
While it might seem like you have to go it alone, this is far from the truth. Whether it’s your peers, friends, or family, the value of interacting with other people can’t be overstated. Whether this involves virtual interactions or brunch now and then, knowing that you aren’t all alone can decrease some of the overwhelming feelings that try to make their home in your head.
Humans are social creatures; being alone for extended periods is detrimental to our mental health, but especially during high-stress periods of our lives. An introvert or extrovert will benefit from the support of a community or even one other person, both within learning and career pursuits and regular run-of-the-mill life.
Obviously, a balance is needed here as well; it’s important to still give studying a focused effort while not becoming a recluse.
You Can Do It
Taking a break and making time for some R&R or socialization isn’t shirking your studies or a luxury you can’t afford. It’s an important building block to a healthy mind and the retention of important information. Finding the right balance between your personal life and study or career pursuits is a skill that will help you not only with passing your CPA exam but also leading a healthy life farther down the line.
It can be overwhelming on occasion but allowing time for self-care and socialization will ensure you don’t burn out on top of focusing on retaining information rather than cramming last minute or during long nights. Your brain is a powerful machine with the right motivation, but it needs care like any other body part.
