Thread by @LorilynCrum

How the accounting industry is LITERALLY KILLING YOU.
#accounting #cpa #cloudaccounting #qbconnect #snh

A thread.

Yeah I know, you got some new apps and your practice is all stream-lined and your clients are happy, cool cool cool.

But as a whole, accounting is a industry that does not take their health seriously.

And statistically, that means you don't either.

Let's change that.

Here's a short list of 7 problems & solutions which will lead to better work and better health.

Problem #1: The workstation from hell.

You computer is too low, you have poor posture, and you sit all day in a crappy chair.

This is a recipe for chronic neck and back pain.

Solution:

Make sure sitting or standing, your monitors are at eye level.

Sit up straight and push your head back in line with your neck.

Get up and move twice an hour.

Make sure your chair fits your work station.

Get a standing desk.

Problem #2: Eating crappy food.

Sugar is public enemy #1.

I will die on that hill.

The US breakfast is literally a giant sugar bomb. Pasteries. Donuts. Bagels. Cereals. Sugary lattes.

All this does is set you up for a huge sugar crash mid-morning.

Conferences KILL ME because this is most of the breakfast food they serve.

And then once that sugar crash hits, they have a bunch of soda to pick you back up.

All this sugar causes chronic inflammation and long-term insulin resistance.

Everything we eat we become. Crappy inputs leads to crappy outputs.

#qbconnect and #snh our accountants deserve better food than this.

Solution:

Skip the pastries, all your carbs should be in vegetable or fruit form.

Eat something higher in protein and fat. This won't cause a spike in blood sugar and will keep you full longer.

Lose the frappucino and learn to drink black coffee and water like an adult.

Problem #3: Living off of coffee

If you regularly can't function with less than 5+ cups of coffee a day, you need to step back and assess why.

Being chronically tired raises your cortisol levels and will cause adrenal fatigue. Coffee might cover it but it won't cure it.

Solution:

Break your addition and start drinking less coffee and more water.

Move more during the day to wake yourself up if you feel tired.

Make sure you're eating healthy whole foods for optimal energy levels.

Get regular and restful sleep each night.

Problem #4: "Grinding" and not taking breaks

Oh wow you worked for 12 hours straight that's so cool. Really I'm super impressed.

But how many of those hours were actually efficient?

Your brain gets tired and needs breaks.

A lot of breaks.

Solution:

The Pomodoro Technique.

Work in 25 minute increments and break for 5 minutes.

(An actual brain break, not just opening up another site to browse or looking at your phone)

After 3 sessions, take a longer 15-20 minute break.

Repeat.

You will get more work done in a shorter amount of time, and won't feel the brain fatigue.

Problem #5: ZERO physical exercise

We are evolved to move.

Sitting all day and never building muscle or working on our cardiovascular system is killing us.

Exercise not only improves mood & energy, but helps EVERY system in your body function better.

Solution:

Carve out exercise time AT LEAST 3 days a week.

Preferably include resistance training. You need muscle to support your body.

And at a minimum, WALK for good cardiovascular health.

Stop making lame excuses as to why you can't.

YOU are your greatest asset.

Make regular exercise a priority.

Problem #6: Not getting regular sleep

You need 7-8 hours minimum a night.

Coffee and alcohol disrupt this.

Staying up late watching Netflix disrupts this.

Every system in your body is impaired when you're sleep deprived.

Did you know when you lack sleep, your brain literally starts eating itself.

It's #science.

Hence my trepidation for the #hackathon at #qbconnect

Keeping people up for hours on end and fueling them with sugar and caffeine???

It's like the developers version of Guantanamo Bay with a potential money prize at the end.

Solution:

Make sleep a priority.

Don't drink caffeine or alcohol too close to bed.

Turn off your screens close to bedtime.

Problem #7: Chronic dehydration

You sit at a desk almost all day in a temperature controlled environment sipping on coffee or soda so you don't drink any water.

Guess what. You're dehydrated.

And did you know only 2% of dehydration leads to impaired brain function?

Our bodies are 60% water. Our brains are 73% water.

Our body NEEDS water to function optimally.

Solution:

Drink water.

Lots of it.

How much is lots?

Start with a gallon a day and go up from there.

Is that lots of pee time?

Yes.

But you will be taking breaks every 25 minutes anyway, so you can easily fit it into your schedule.

Throw some pink Himalayan salt with some lemon in there too to keep your electrolytes in balance.