Stress Management 101 | Owning Your Energy
By: Coach JoAnna Burks www.coachjoannaburks.com
THE EPIDEMIC
Stress is commonplace in America; an epidemic that can drain you both personally and professionally, if you don’t kept it in check. As a property owner I’m sure this is not news to you. Leasing leaders are highly susceptible to stressful conditions simply due to the nature of the job. You are often the point of contact and chief problem solver for your properties at every hour of the day and night. Emotions can run high on both ends of the leasing spectrum because you and your renters have a financial and emotional invested in your properties. It is imperative that you have the tools to manage stress; for the sake of yourself and your business.
THE IMPACT
You are about to receive a real estate-wellness smack down−a direct and honest discussion about the effects of stress on the human body. More specifically, I will discuss the impact stress has on your health, your quality of life, and ultimately your profitability and sustainability. Stress alone is powerful enough to work against everything we intend to feel and experience in your life. I’m not being melodramatic; I’m trying to get your attention.
I have spent more than a decade in real estate, so I understand that properties have the ability to drain us if we let them. Stress isn’t stationary; it bleeds into every area of our lives.
Our Goal | Create a space of zero self-resistance. All energy flowing forward.
Let me introduce you to the ‘Decompressions Zone;’ a space designated to relax your mind while releasing tension and stress from your body. All of my real estate leaders have these quiet spaces built into their everyday schedules. They acknowledge the need to relax their minds and bodies so they stay in a healthy space mentally and physically. You can resist the urge to feel rushed and overwhelmed throughout your day by using these decompression tools.
Decompression zones are a proactive approach to managing your stress levels. By decompressing you begin to master your minutes instead of react to them. This paradigm shift is the difference between sitting in the flow of your daily life or being a victim to the daily grind. Make feeling present a priority.
RELAX
As a coach I believe that less is more. Less stress, less tension, less distraction, less imbalance−all equal MORE health and happiness. A happy and relaxed mind has the ability to embrace the present moment and everything that it has to offer; a stressed out mind does not. Having a distracted mind may cause you to miss out on all kinds of potential new opportunities. Slow down. Relax.
RELEASE
Energy needs and outlet−make sure you have one. Whether positive or negative, energy is flowing through you in every moment. Even good energy can be a distraction if not properly managed. Unmanaged stress can feel downright chaotic. The key to personal and professional success is to harness your energy and keep it moving forward; fluid and uninterrupted. In order to make this happen you have to release energy from your mind and body. As humans we can’t simply keep taking in more and more, that leads to feeling overwhelmed and out of control. You have to release what no longer serves you in order to properly nurture what does.
KEYS TO SUCCESS
Our Plan | Establish a Stress-Busting Routine
Now that you understand the true impact of stress on your life, let’s get busy creating a plan. The first order of business is to flip the switch on the stressors in your life. Moving from a reactive space to a proactive space will have a powerful impact on your everyday experience. My intention is to transform the role that stress plays in your life by building decompression time into your professional schedule.
Remember, you are in control here not your properties. You can no longer just talk about it. You need to develop healthy behaviors to manage stress. Take action today! Keep yourself in check with these keys to success.
Key # 1 Visualization
The habit of visualization gives us the power to shape our days instead of having our days shape us. Visualization offers a complete paradigm shift in how we can experience our time.
Begin each morning with the powerful practice of laying out your day in advance. Start your morning by cracking open your schedule and walking through your day mentally. By visualizing your day, and how you want to feel as you move through your day, you can identify possible road blocks and pitfalls. You can proactively identify areas where you may experience resistance and plan accordingly. In just a few moments you can visualize a winning outcome to even the most complicated circumstances. By going through this practice you begin to cultivate the corresponding energy needed to support your goal of a winning outcome. Follow Stephen Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People to get a jump start on your visualization skills.
Key #2 The Power Walk
Get up. Get out. Get away. Twice a day. The fastest most amazing stress buster you could ask for, walk away. Believe me when I tell you that every power player has adapted this fresh new move. Overworked and overwhelmed are overrated. Leasing leaders know it’s entirely possible to stay in the flow of good energy by proactively inviting more of it. Productive streaks can be improved and creative blocks can be eliminated with the fresh air and increased circulation you’ll find on a power walk.
Let me clarify one thing;, the word ‘power’ does not refer to the speed of your wclealk, rather the impact of it. Power walks help you hear, analyze, and honor what is going on in your head, heart and body. Healthy minds and bodies require silence and open space (i.e.no pressure zones). THIS is where YOUR magic happens. This is YOUR time. Realign your mind with your intentions by standing up and stepping away twice a day.
Key #3 GUIDED MEDITATIONS
Clear the space to hear. Invite stillness in all forms.
Life happens at a very fast pace. Your mind and body can easily acclimate to this non-stop pace and begin to assume chaotic is the new ‘normal’. It is not uncommon that busy professionals experience difficulty powering down at times. It can be challenging to turn off the stream of constant information flowing through your head. The last thing you need is yet another mental battle. I welcome a friendly voice into my day by using a guided meditation to help direct my thoughts away from work or worry. In less than 15 minutes you can completely elevate your energy levels.
Whether you select a motivational speaker, or a more traditional relaxation, guided meditation does wonders to lower the blood pressure, ease tension and create much-needed mental space for you to enjoy. Meditation gives you the opportunity to slow down and listen; embrace the role of a quiet observer; a practice that will serve you well in all areas.
Key #4 STRETCHING
As you sit here reading this here is a high probability that you have a nagging voice in the back of your head telling you that you MUST get into the gym! Pump the brakes. Not the case. There is a large chance that you need to address your ‘wellness’ before your fitness. This is great news for many of you. You have a fitness profession telling you that a single stretching and decompression session may be more valuable than any fitness session depending on the day you have had.
Here are just a few of the benefits you can expect from a regular stretching program:
It is helpful to dedicate some space in your home to relax and stretch. Look around your living space. Where can you clear some space and establish your Relaxation Station? Remember, if you intend to make wellness, happiness, and good health a priority, than you need to do just that. Let’s make your life start working in your favor. As little as 15 minutes a day can elevate your health on so many levels.
Key #5 Focus on Abundance
ABUNDANCE: YOU MUST BE PRESENT TO FEEL IT, YOU MUST BE PRESENT TO PERPETUATE IT.
Your thoughts can easily get swept away with the chaos of the day and take your mood and productivity right along with it if you are not careful. That running monologue in your head needs constant attention and direction in order to prevent a landslide of negativity. Believe it or not, your own mind can be the number one creator of mental stress!
Stressful conditions can allow that inner voice to rise up and try to convince you that you need to do more, have more, and be more. In addition, you can multiply your stress by letting that voice impose a false sense of urgency under the fearful belief that there is a lack of time and resources available to you. Balanced leaders know that nothing could be further from the truth. When you choose to be present in your mind you can clearly see that you have more than enough options and resources.
Abundance is a choice in every moment. No matter what is happening around you, or inside of you, you always have the power of choice. Your ego is never satisfied with the present moment. Our egos drive us to be consumers of life rather than students of life. Remember, less is more and there is far more than enough time, money, energy, and support for everyone.
Champion Talk
In order to manifest the best health and the most money, you’ve got to be in the best mental and emotional space possible. Take a step in a new direction. Commit to your mental and emotional health by implementing these powerful steps throughout your day. Embrace the art of slowing down and harnessing your energy. Pick any of these ideas. Pick all of these ideas. Decide what works best for you.
I promise, you will not regret a second of it.
Finding ourselves in stressful situations is a reality. Remaining stressed is a choice.
Coach JoAnna Burks
Coach JoAnna Burks is a lifestyle leader, a former real estate executive turned nutritionist, trainer and corporate coach, who provides a “full service” concierge approach to achieving health, wellness and happiness. Called on by top executives for her one-of-a-kind champion talk and counsel, she has become the go-to resource for those looking to take their lifestyle to the next level. Whether she is in the board room, on the training floor or out taking clients for a run, she infuses the clarity and energy needed to keep people in their most productive space.
She considers herself more of a project manager than a life coach. She believes that we are stronger as a team as has spent the last 7 years cultivating that belief with her social media and in her private practice. She affectionately calls her clients and members “The A-Team” and under that umbrella she has turned total strangers into a supportive family for wellness.
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