A Financial Planner’s Guide To Staying Grounded in Volatile Markets

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Written by: Jack Giardino | Inflection Point Wealth Advice

With markets off to a rough start for the year, it’s likely you, as a financial planner, may be feeling more stress than normal. After two strong consecutive years of returns, markets, while not perfectly straight up and to the right, have certainly been favorable to say the least. This has likely meant fewer panicked calls or emails from concerned clients.

While many benefits come with the career path of a financial planner, high earning potential, having a major impact on the lives of clients, and flexibility of schedule, there are stressful aspects of the career path too, such as navigating market downturns with clients.

As a financial planner, you have likely been conditioning clients over the last 12-18 months to expect a market pull-back at some point in the future and illustrated the possible opportunities that a market pull-back may offer, such as tax-loss harvesting, Roth conversions, or accelerating funding to 529 or retirement accounts for the year.

However, at the end of the day, we are all human and no matter how much preparation or conditioning we go through, with headlines reflecting, “Worst day in the market since 2020” or “DOW drops 1,000+ points”, followed by prices plummeting, we all are seeking comfort from somewhere. For clients you have the opportunity to serve, that comfort is likely to be you.

As emails hit your inbox and phone calls come in, things can begin to pile up a bit quickly. Mix in your normal workload and already scheduled meetings an eight-hour day can easily turn into twelve or more. If you stack a few of these days on top of each other, it can begin to wear on you.

There are plenty of articles to help navigate conversations with clients in market downturns, but I would argue the first and most important thing for a financial planner to focus on in these challenging times is taking care of themselves.

You can likely go a few days operating off adrenaline and muscling through, however, it’ll eventually catch up with you. To me, it’s pretty straightforward: if you can’t take care of yourself, why would others feel as though you can help take care of them?

There are many things you can do to help continue operating at a high level during stressful times and avoid ending up sitting in a dark room listening to The Sound of Silence. Practicing one or two of the items below can make a world of difference.

Fuel your body with proper nutrition

  • Focus on eating nutrient-dense foods. (Try to avoid ordering take-out/fast food. I know, I know, it’s a “time saver” but your mind and body will thank you later!)

  • Stay hydrated! (One of the most commonly overlooked items on the health front is drinking enough water.)

  • Try to limit caffeine. (Trust me, I like my afternoon pick-me-up too, but caffeine-fueled days can lead to anxiety-driven nights.)

  • Rest, rest, rest! (Sleep is important, don’t overlook it. Shoot for 7 hours of sleep a night.)

Stay active

  • Take periodic walks outside throughout the day. (Yes, a five-minute walk with some fresh air does make a difference.)

  • Hit the gym. (I prefer an early morning workout. This helps clear my brain before the craziness of the day takes over.)

  • Complete a stretching or yoga routine. (YouTube has an endless amount of routines you can easily follow along.)

Connect with others

  • Chat with your industry peers. (There is always something to be learned from others in the industry. How are they handling current market volatility?)

  • Keep your spouse/family in the loop. (Your spouse or close family is there to listen and allow you to decompress from the day. Make sure you are there for them too!)

  • Reach out to friends. (Even a few quick text messages can help provide a break from things.)

Unplug and disconnect from work

  • One of the best medicines for stressful times is laughter. (Turn on your favorite comedy special or movie and enjoy it.)

  • Allocate time for your favorite activities. (Read, write, listen to music, cook, etc.)

  • Focus on your family. (Try to be present while you are home.)

It’s easy to overlook your own needs when everyone else is turning to you for guidance. In the long run, neglecting yourself leads to burnout, not better outcomes. Make time for yourself in your daily routine and remember, you can’t pour from an empty cup!

Related: Three Proven Tax Strategies To Maximize Your Tax Savings in 2025