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Tax Time Trauma

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How to Cope With Tax-Time Stress: Experts explain ways to avoid the emotional storms of tax season. Medically Reviewed by Louise Chang, MD

Spring is the season when the cherry trees and cottonwoods bloom. For Barbara Halpern, spring is also the season when her workweek blooms to 80 hours or more. Accompanying those long work hours are the colds, migraines, dizziness, and weight swings that plague Halpern and her colleagues at her small accounting firm in suburban Connecticut. "Everyone is rundown and susceptible," Halpern, owner of Halpern & Associates, tells WebMD. "We hate the spring and nice weather. It's not supposed to get warm until April 16."Tax preparers like Halpern may bear the brunt of tax-time stress. But nearly everyone has a reason to dread the 1040 tango. Some hate the math; some hate the feds. And yet others hate having to grapple with one of the great mysteries of life: Where did the money go?


Stress-Relieving Tips: Herewith, a few tips for stressed-out taxpayers:

  • To avoid last-minute stress, file early and break up the job into little pieces, Mellan suggests. Do your taxes while listening to music or whatever else makes you feel relaxed.
  • For filers with math anxiety, Mellan recommends hiring a preparer or investing in tax software. Tax software typically collects information through an "interview" and the computer does all the calculations.
  • Fractious couples should strategize on ways to avoid chronic money fights, Mellan says. For example, try communicating financial information through notes or other modes that won't carry an accusatory tone.
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    The Counselor Live with Sheldon Stovall Mon - Friday starting at 10AM ESTBy Sheldon Stovall