What is Thrive?

Mental health challenges can affect anyone, at any time. Recognising the early signs of emotional distress is key to preventing more serious issues and maintaining a healthy, fulfilling life. Recognising Depression Depression affects people in different ways, but common signs include: Loss of interest in usual activities Social withdrawal Persistent sadness or hopelessness Feelings of guilt or worthlessness Tearfulness or irritability Physical symptoms like aches, fatigue, or changes in appetite Difficulty concentrating Anxiety often coexists with depression In the 2024 Aware national survey, over half of adults (53%) reported experiencing depression at some point in their lives. The same study found that 20.9% of adults had an official diagnosis of depression. Depression is a very common condition and anyone can experience these feelings, it doesn’t discriminate.  If you’ve felt down or lost interest in things you usually enjoy for more than two weeks, it may be time to seek support. Depression can be triggered by stress, trauma, or life changes—but sometimes it arises without a clear cause. Understanding Anxiety Anxiety is a natural response to stress or perceived threats. It can show up as: Racing thoughts or excessive worry Physical symptoms like a churning stomach, rapid heartbeat, or breathlessness Difficulty concentrating or sleeping Avoidance of certain situations While occasional anxiety is normal, it becomes a concern when it interferes with daily life or feels overwhelming. Taking Action If you recognise these symptoms in yourself: Talk to someone you trust Stay active and eat well Limit alcohol and other unhelpful coping mechanisms Reach out to your GP or support services like Thrive, which offers free, confidential emotional support including counselling and wellness coaching Suicide Prevention: What to Know The CSO estimates over 500 people die by suicide each year in Ireland. If poor mental health is left untreated or an overwhelming situation occurs, suicide ideation can manifest.  Suicidal thoughts often arise when risk factors outweigh protective ones. Risk factors may include: Bereavement or trauma Financial or relationship difficulties Mental health conditions Isolation or lack of support Protective factors include: Strong personal relationships Access to support services Personal resilience and coping skills A sense of purpose or belonging If You’re Struggling: Take suicidal thoughts seriously – don’t dismiss or ignore them Talk to someone immediately – a friend, family member, GP, counsellor, or support service (Mental Health Support Lines: HSE Support Helplines)  Identify your protective factors – relationships, routines, personal strengths, and sources of hope Avoid isolation – stay connected, even if it’s just a short message or call Create a safety plan – list people to contact, coping strategies, and reasons to stay safe Limit access to means – remove or secure anything that could be used for self-harm Seek professional help – early intervention can save lives If someone you care about seems withdrawn, irritable, or overwhelmed, check in with them. You don’t need to have all the answers, just being there and listening can make a difference. If You’re Worried About Someone: Ask them directly - it gives them the chance to open up and to talk. Don't panic and stay calm - the best you can do is to listen to them without judgement or blame. Don’t leave them alone  Help them access support – call a GP, counsellor, or emergency services if needed Follow up – check in regularly to show ongoing support  Whether you're struggling yourself or supporting someone else, early intervention and open conversations can save lives. Help is available and reaching out is a sign of strength. Thrive is the Institute's dedicated wellbeing hub, if you or someone you know are struggling, please know there is help out there. For more advice or information, contact the team by email at: thrive@charteredaccountants.ie  or by phone: (+353) 86 0243294. 

Everything doesn’t always go to plan, especially when it comes to your exams. When the results come in, you might feel like you have disappointed yourself and others. However, their disappointment is more about themselves than you and it can be overcome, says Cyril Conroy. When we don’t succeed at an exam, our heads can become flooded with thoughts and fears. We question whether we are good enough, what we did wrong and, most of all, what people will think.   There are a few things you need to keep in mind if you don’t get the result you expected in your exams. Under pressure Whatever stage of your Chartered Accountancy education you are in, the exams are hard. Really, really hard.  Because of this, you might have put a tremendous amount of time into your studies. Or, maybe you took it a little easy, thinking that you had a particular paper in the bag.  Then, a question comes up and you find yourself drawing a blank on the answer – it could be a lack of preparation, or it could be the pressure of other’s expectations making you clam up. Regardless of the reason, you have your result and it’s not good. You are down and feeling low. And it hurts. There is tremendous pressure and embarrassment when the result isn’t as good as you’d hoped it would be. Our reactions have meaning When some people fail, they just get right up, do it again and feel no pressure. Others might panic when even presented with the possibility of failing. The important thing is that we try to understand our reactions. What is driving our response to failure?  First, you should know that it’s OK to feel down in the dumps about not succeeding in your exams.  Second, know you are where you need to be. Feeling bad about the result and the prospect of repeating is understandable.  The statement “you are not an exam result” is very true. However, when presented with a less-than-stellar grade, you might feel like it does, in fact, define you.  The feeling can be exacerbated by other’s reactions. They say things like, “you’ll be fine” or “it all will work out in the end”. People throw so many clichés at you, you’ll regret ever telling anyone your result in the first place.  By making these comments, people are trying to be supportive; they are made with good intention and can be encouraging for some, just not everyone and, more importantly, they might just feel like piled-on pressure to you. We can receive encouragement and support from our parents, peers and employers but, sometimes, there can be an awful lot of expectation pointed in our direction.  Part of the reason we feel so disappointed in a bad result is because we feel we have let down our support network. Moving on When you feel the pressure from others – before, after or even during the exams – it’s important to remember that what these people do or say is more about them than it is about you. It’s about how they think you should feel and react to the pressure and expectation about your career, for good or bad. However, the way we react to these comments is about ourselves.   If you do not succeed at your exam, it’s important to separate yourself from the comments people are making about your exam result. If you are feeling overwhelmed – that the ‘failure’ overrides all words – talking to someone about the pressure could help. This could be a mentor, friend outside of the profession, or even a therapist. The word ‘fail’, simply put, is ridiculous. Things just don’t work out sometimes. Accepting this and having compassion for yourself is key at this time.  Not succeeding at something is an opportunity to learn so much about yourself. You may not feel it now, but it does make you stronger. You do learn from it.  The important thing I learned is that the fail was not me – and it’s not the definition of you, either. Thrive is the Institute's dedicated wellbeing service that provides a range of supports to members and students. If you are struggling exam disappointment, exam stress or anything related to student life, please know our in-house wellbeing team can help.  Cyril Conroy is a practicing therapist and relationship mentor in Killarney, Co Kerry.  Cyril is also a fully qualified Chartered Accountant, having worked in private practice and industry, and who failed many exams before qualifying.

Retirement is one of the biggest transitional periods than anyone can go through with almost every aspect of our life changing. Suddenly you are met with a massive shift in your pace of lifestyle. While many of us may embrace the change, retirement can be a time of great upheaval physically and emotionally.  With this in mind, it is important to plan and prepare for the change ahead as you embark on this transitional life stage.  A long and fulfilling retirement isn’t just about a pension plan, it also about planning for your lifestyle shift. Without a plan in place, the initial novelty of retirement can wear off pretty quickly, leaving you to struggle to adapt to your new way of life.  Routine & schedule Adjusting to retired life is not something that happens overnight, and it may take a while to adapt. So do try to remember that like any big change in life, it'll take time for you to become accustomed to what comes with retirement. When working we have an imposed schedule and structure but once the 9 to 5 comes to an end, it can be incredibly difficult to fill all the extra hours you now have at your disposal. Across all stages in life, structure and routine are key habits that lead to good wellbeing. It may be tempting to fill your days with laze and leisure which is novel and exciting at first, but feelings of boredom or restlessness can creep in especially if you have been used to a busy schedule. You may want to define some specific routines to maintain order, predictability, and structure. In the run up to your retirement, take some time to consider what your day, week or month will look like. Stay active Staying active through exercise will help keep you healthy both physically and mentally and prolong your life. But it is also important to keep your mind active too. Ongoing learning can help keep you mentally sharp by getting you in the habit of staying mentally active. Having less structured days allows you to take up a new hobby or learn skills and feeds into the need for routine and schedule. Retirement is a great time to discover old and new passions that you felt you didn’t have the time for before.  Taking up a course or classes in your local college, learning to play an instrument, or another meaningful activity that you can enjoy and engage with can keep you mentally fit. The mantra ‘use it or lose it’ most definitely applies here! Connection As we transition from the workforce, our social circle can diminish due to our daily interactions reducing, and unfortunately loneliness becomes more common as we get older. Loneliness has a detrimental impact on our health and wellbeing and may significantly increase the chances of poor health. Research found that older adults with a good social life tend to live longer than those who are more isolated and happier retirees were found to have more social interactions. So, whether you are married or single, an introvert or an extrovert, maintaining strong social connections is critical. It is important to keep in contact with friends and connect with your work circle as much as possible. Certain activities can also present opportunities for you to meet new friends or other retirees with similar interests. Taking a new class, joining a book club, participating in your local community centre, or joining an exercise group are just some of the many ways you can stay connected. There is also a wealth of benefits from spending time with grandchildren, it helps you to keep active, improves cognitive skills and can lower the risk of depression. Purpose For many, our sense of purpose can be wrap in what we do for living and measure our success only through our professional lives. Once we leave the workplace, there may be a need to find meaning to fill that void and reinvent your purpose in life. Outside of your profession, try and identify what gives your life meaning and purpose and makes you happy. Retirees have a unique insight and wisdom gained from a lifetime's worth of skills, expertise and competencies that could be of benefit elsewhere and this could mean using talents in service to others. Mentoring and volunteering are fulfilling paths for retirees. Retirees can gain meaningfulness and social and emotional benefits from mentoring and volunteering. But whatever you do in retirement it is important to see this time as an opportunity to live out the second half of your life purposefully. Thrive is the Institute's dedicated wellbeing service that provides a range of supports to members and students for life. If you are struggling to adjust to retirement, our in-house wellbeing team can help.