Right about now is when real estate professionals start wondering if the business they close in the summer real estate market will translate into enough dollars to make it through the lean winter ahead.
But that’s not the only worry that might be rolling around in that pretty or handsome little head of yours.
There’s the listing client who is making noises about pulling the house off the market until spring, the buyer who can’t make up his mind, the agent on the other side of the deal who seems hell-bent on messing it up, the appraisal you’re biting your nails over.
Add to that the news. So, can you or can’t you send texts to leads? Are iBuyers really nipping at our heels? What’s going to happen with the commission lawsuits?
Being a real estate agent in 2019 offers a never-ending recipe for stress. And that in turn can lead to the dreaded real estate burnout.
EAP to the rescue! We’ve rounded up 5 stress relieving tips for real estate agents, from brilliant professionals, to help you beat the stress.
1. Get moving
Exercise is a mood booster, according to Tchiki Davis, Ph.D., at PsychologyToday.com. “Being active can boost your feel-good endorphins and distract you from daily worries,” says the staff at MayoClinic.com.
And this doesn’t mean you have to join a gym. Try some of these stress relieving tips for real estate agents – Plenty of activities can get those endorphins flowing:
- Aerobics
- Yoga
- A walk around the block, on the beach, through the forest, around the park
- Swim
- Climb some stairs
- Ride your bike
- Work in your garden
- Jog
- Lift weights
“The most important thing is to pick an activity that you enjoy,” the Mayo Clinic experts recommend.
Stress relieving tips for real estate agents: Don’t just say “Yeah, ok, EAP, I’ll start exercising or exercising more consistently.” Put it on your daily schedule. Active agents we’ve spoken with say the best time of day is early morning, before the day’s distractions set in.
2. Get a dog
OK, we’re equal opportunity pet lovers here at EAP so get a dog OR a cat.
Most of the scientific studies, however, include dogs, not cats. For instance, in 2007, scientists studied “adults hospitalized with heart failure, which can be seen as a naturally occurring stressor.”
They compared hospital visits of these patients, with and without a dog present. They found that “Significantly lower epinephrine and norepinephrine levels were measured during and after the dog visits.”
Epinephrine and norepinephrine are the fight/flight hormones that our bodies release when under stress.
If you work from home, this one is a snap. Feeling stressed? Go play with Max. Work in an office? Get Lucy certified as an emotional support animal so she can come to work with you on those days you know will be stressful.
If all else fails, take a walk (see stress-buster tip number one) with a mission to find someone walking a dog. “Just petting a furry animal has been shown to lower blood pressure, heart rates and even releases those feel-good hormones,” according to ESADoctors.com.
Stress relieving tips for real estate agents: Don’t want to commit to pet ownership? Foster a dog or cat. This way, you save two lives. Learn the nuts and bolts of fostering at PetFinder.com. To find a local rescue (they always need fosters), call your local humane society or animal control. They typically have lists of rescues. Otherwise, Google (or DuckDuckGo) “dog rescues in [name of city].”
3. Let everyone know that “no” means “no way!”
“Take control over the parts of your life that you can change and are causing you stress,” suggests Kerri-Ann Jennings, MS, RD at Healthline.com.
One of the first things to take control over is your time and those who aim to waste it. Jennings suggests that you say “no” more often.
This is especially true if you work from home.
Moms and Dads know that the word means nothing to “certain people” (those way shorter than us). But, even some big people treat it as a challenge.
That’s when you need to rely on your knowledge of the subtle art of saying “no” according to the experts at the Mayo Clinic:
- Say “no.”
- While you shouldn’t need to state a reason for saying it, if you feel the need be brief. “No, I can’t pick up Suzy from dance class. I’ll be working.”
- Don’t make up a reason. Even if you don’t feel like doing whatever was requested, just say so.
- But, be respectful
- Remember, the word ‘no” was never meant to be an invitation to argue with you (little people aside). Be prepared to repeat the word, respectfully.
Don’t feel bad about saying no. By doing so, you’re protecting yourself from stress – “linked to the six leading causes of death: heart disease, cancer, lung ailments, accidents, cirrhosis of the liver, and suicide,” according to Michael Ashworth, Ph.D. at PsychCentral.com.
4. Stop procrastinating
It’s ironic that I, the Queen of Procrastination, am admonishing you to quit procrastinating. But, there you have it.
When are we going to get fed up with the stress that comes from facing a deadline unprepared? Sure, we say it will never happen again, but it does.
The “procrastination accumulation effect” is real. Stress can cause procrastination as much as the opposite.
We have a tendency to put things off when we feel stressed, according to Bill Knaus Ed.D. at PsychologyToday.com. This in turn causes a “procrastination accumulation effect.”
“This is where you feel stressed, put things off, and then feel stressed thinking about what you’ve left undone. As you do this, you leave more things undone and feel overwhelmed. This is a classic vicious cycle.”
Meeting challenges, however large or small, builds confidence. When we’re confident, we are in control and better able to see opportunities.
Knaus suggests a few minutes of meditation in the morning or, the one that works for me, visualize nature scenes. Whether a calming scene is right outside your office window or you look at photos, it will work to calm and center your mind.
Once calm, set a time limit on which to work on the task at hand. Agree to focus solely on the task for the specified amount of time.
Stress relieving tips for real estate agents: I notice in my work that the tasks I most procrastinate on are those I don’t like doing. If that’s the case with you, consider hiring someone to take those off your plate.
5. Serenity cures stress
While rarely getting credit, Dr. Reinhold Niebuhr, of Union Theological Seminary, wrote the Serenity Prayer in the early 1930s. Commonly associated with the recovery community, it contains wisdom for anyone troubled by stress.
The serenity to accept what can’t be changed, the courage to change what can and the wisdom to know the difference is “Dealing with Stress 101.”
During the course of every real estate agent’s workday, they meet with numerous situations that are not within their power to change. Many handle this by recognizing that, while others fight and claw and scratch to change what is not within their power to change.
Knowing the difference is the key to Niebuhr’s prayer. When you know you’re powerless to change a listing prospect’s mind, if you accept it and drop it you’ll feel peace, not stress.
Stress relieving tips for real estate agents: Recognize the world as it is, not as you wish it were. Change what you can and dump the rest.
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