Sinking stomach. Swimming head. Anxieties galore. Stress can be taxing on us mentally in ways that really hinder productivity and contentment. Stress can also have long term physical repercussions. Blood pressure and other heart problems can stem from stress, along without diseases and bodily ails.
For our health and our sanity, it’s important to practice effective stress management in our lives — both personally and in the workplace. Life will always come with a little stress — deadlines, arguments, big decisions, and plenty else are simply unavoidable sources of stress. When you add in the fact that we are real estate investing, well, the stress level can go up a bit!
We can’t eliminate it, but it’s well within our power to takes steps towards reducing stress.
5 Methods for Reducing Stress
Find a Healthy Way to Blow Off Steam
Everyone needs an outlet. Stress can get up wound up physically — releasing some of the pressure it a great way to improve your physical and emotional health. Take a run, go to the gym, or take up an active sport where you can really get that pent up stress and frustration out. Kickboxing, cycling, swimming, anything! Exercise is a good outlet (in moderation) and it’ll help you stay in shape. Two birds, one stone.
Other healthy ways to reduce stress are more relaxing. Pick up a hobby. Art, reading, woodworking, baking. Hobbies can help us feel productive and accomplished where stress does the opposite. Channel your stress into something creative.
There’s also nothing wrong with finding an escape. It’s okay to binge a little on Netflix once in a while. Whatever you do, do not make your escape real estate related and sure don't make it a therapy group (those are called REIA's in most cities!) that is masquerading as an investors meeting. At some point, you have to get away from everything and take a real breather.
Organize Your Priorities
Stressed people are often overwhelmed by all the have to do. How do you fix that? Organize! Write your priorities down and make a plan to get things done. Good organization is key to stress management and it will keep you from becoming mentally paralyzed.
This is especially true when it comes to investing in real estate. Organization is vital to giving yourself that "feeling" that things are not out of whack. They may be a little off and that is what causes stress. We need to make sure we do not add to it by being unorganized and not having a good grasp. We could be making things worse!
Have Someone to Talk To
Do you have a network of emotional support? Lean on friends and family members that you can trust. Vent your problems. Let them offer love and support. It can be hard to “burden” others with your stress, but open communication with your loved ones, when done honestly and healthily, can go a long way to easing your load.
Let Yourself Take Breaks
You need to rest. If you’re dealing with work stress, you have to remember to give yourself a break. You’re not saving lives. Trying to force work under a deadline is sometimes necessary, but sometimes you really need to step back and calm down before you mind can free itself up to find a solution.
Identify Your Biggest Stressors
Do you know what stresses you out? Stress management isn’t just about tackling existing stress. You can avoid a lot of stress if you know what triggers it. It could be certain topics or situations that are very preventable. Take some time to reflect.
How do you handle your stress? Share your stress management strategies in the comments.
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image credit: Benjamin Watson
