When the lines of work and home life blur, it can be difficult to power down and create boundaries. This can lead to burnout and a decline in productivity. Burnout is a state of exhaustion caused by a period of prolonged stress or demands. It can be emotional, physical, or psychological and it can have a major effect on your overall wellbeing. Here are some tips on how to create a balanced work environment and avoid burnout. 

1. Define Your Tasks

A great exercise to begin defining and separating tasks is to start with a list. Write down everything you do on an average day. FOr property professionals, an average day is fairly rare, so include the usual unexpected calls and troubleshooting into your list. 

Then, pick out the items on the list that only you can do and be honest. This exercise not only gives you a sense of your productivity but it also gives you a starting list of tasks you can delegate, teach someone to do, or work out of your daily routine. 

So often, professionals feel like the weight of every task is on their shoulders. That way of thinking can lead to stress and eventually burnout and a decrease in productivity. 

2. Hone Yor Mental Game

Avoiding excessive stress is about the conversations you are having with yourself. What language are you using? Oftentimes, a professional can increase their stress levels by using negative self-talk or imposing overly rigorous deadlines and standards on themselves. 

Consider solutions-based self-talk rather than focusing on all the things you can’t accomplish in the time given. Not only will this help you focus on the task at hand, but it will leave you feeling better about what you did accomplish and help you set boundaries around working time. 

3. When you stop, stop

Emergency calls and after-hours problem solving are inevitably going to happen, but that does not mean that boundaries are not possible in the world of commercial real estate. Just like professionals should try to make the most out of their working time, they should focus to make the most of their off time. 

When the day is over, unplug and relax. Whether that is making dinner or enjoying TV, don’t do half-work during your off time. Breaks are important for physical and mental health. DOn’t do your work and non-work life a disservice by not committing to the off-time you create for yourself. Feel free to schedule breaks into your day as well and make sure they are only interrupted for emergencies.

In a remote working experience, professionals can be even more susceptible to burnout as the lines between work and home life are almost nonexistent. This means professionals need to take the time to evaluate their workload and create solutions that prevent unnecessary stress and harm their productivity. 

Sources: https://www.inc.com/john-discala/researchers-studied-workers-from-155-countries-found-most-arent-engaged-here-are-5-ways-to-avoid-burnout.html

https://hbr.org/2016/11/beating-burnout