Around the holidays, it seems silly to suggest slowing down. After all, between family meals and other get-togethers, there’s little down time.
Yet there are plenty of benefits to taking a little extra time. Consider one Northwestern University study, referenced by WebMD, which indicates impatient types have a 50 percent increased risk of developing high blood pressure over a 15-year window compared to others.
The same is true for taxes: Calm works. No one likes to dwell on taxes, of course, but among the most common mistakes on filings are typos.
To that end, we’ve pulled together several ways you can practice slowing down today to do the same at tax time in early 2015. These suggestions come from Borcheck & Gase and ZenHabits.net.
Get coffee. When using TaxHawk to e-file this coming spring, take a few breaks. Grab coffee from the kitchen, chat with your spouse or check a few items off your household chore list. Then come back and complete the filing.
Double-check your math. We’ve written before about the importance of gathering your tax documents early to save time. With those in hand, you can check papers (printed and electronic) against your TaxHawk filing to ensure all the numbers are accurate.
Set aside distractions. Leave the all-important smartphone in another room and focus on the task at hand. After all: refund money hangs in the balance!
Whatever tricks you choose for maximum focus, the TaxHawk team has confidence in your abilities! Enjoy the start of the holiday season, and remember to practice those breaks well before April 15. They’ll come in handy, and you might just feel better, too.