How Your Mental Health Can Survive Tax Season
Photo By: Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash
I don’t know about you, but I have been feeling it lately. Ongoing war, another COVID surge, and, lest we forget, the constant gnaw of capitalism. Frankly, the last thing we want is something as stressful and mundane as “doing our taxes” to be on the docket. Alas, here we are.
Quick Disclaimer: I’m pro-taxes. I’m anti- doing my taxes.
If you, like me, feel stressed just at the idea of doing your taxes, fear not! You’re not alone. We are in this together and I’m here with a few tips of how to help manage the stress.
1. Get an early start. In the US, we’ve got a little under a month before the April 18th deadline. Build a bumpin’ playlist, carve out a few hours, and pop open those tax forms!
2. Don’t put pressure on yourself to finish everything in one day. (Or two days. Or even a week.) Take it in chunks. This can look like “I will spend 2 hours on my taxes” or “I will fill out the info for one of my jobs today.”
3. Get the support you need. If you can do taxes on your own - awesome! You can use an online service that can make it easier. If you need additional help, you can go to a local tax preparation office or hire a CPA. There’s no shame in asking for assistance. (Side note: Massachusetts people, please tag your favorite CPA in the comments because this applies to me. I could use extra support!)
4. Don’t let potential consequences paralyze you. A common fear associated with taxes is the risk of going to jail if you make a mistake on your taxes. If someone intentionally fills out tax forms with the wrong information, the IRS can consider this fraud, and a lawsuit might happen. But if you’re reading this, you probably have the intention of filing your taxes correctly. Mistakes can be corrected with the IRS and there are a ton of steps between an incorrect tax file and prison.
5. Remember the rewards of completing your taxes. Phew, you’ll be done for the year! You also might get a sweet little tax refund after filing taxes. Treat yourself to a celebratory “I did my taxes” ice cream. You deserve it!
I know taxes are scary, but they are a necessary evil and it always feels better when they are done.
Think of it this way, we have completed our taxes every year before this one, and we will continue to persevere in the future. We got this!
Whether you find taxes challenging or simple, we need your perspective! Share your experience in the comments.
I am a licensed psychotherapist who likes science and spirituality. Tune in next week for new insights!