How to Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle While in Real Estate

Trust me when I say that real estate is a full-time job. I’m not joking. Our homebuying company is like a second wife to me. Sometimes it’s hard to have a balance. Although this hardworking drive to sell houses fast has gotten us far financially, we often ignore our health.

But what’s more important than health?

There is an appropriate balance between work and self-care. Real estate professionals are known to work more than 60 hours a week, and that can make it more strenuous to stay productive.

“I was so drained by my work lifestyle that I was forced to take time off for self-care when I finally hit the breaking point”.

Jon Sanborn (Co-founder, Brotherly Love Real Estate)

“With the amount of meetings I was attending per week, I hit rock bottom hard. The thing is that collaboration helps. You cannot do everything yourself. I was managing site visits, open houses, and my calendar. That’s a big no”.

Tracy Harris (Realtor)

“I realized that I was more productive when I took some hours of the day for myself. I focused on self-care and self-awareness. My mind and body loosened up, and I felt rejuvenated. The fear that my work would suffer was not true”.

Nathan Dilling (Realtor)

I, too, realized that work can take over my health, but that has to be stopped. After talking with peers and other colleagues in real estate, here’s the advice I got.

1. Purchase a Gym Membership

Working out and exercising at home is something that many of us were forced to do during the 2020 pandemic. While some of us thrived, many of us lost motivation to continue working out. That’s because there is something about working out next to others that is motivating!

As real estate professionals, we are constantly on the road. Many realtors spend their entire workday helping clients buy a house. Others work on the sale side, attempting to sell a property for a homeowner. Either way, one thing that most real estate professionals have in common is that each day is different from the next.

By purchasing a gym membership, you give yourself more opportunities to work out while you are out and about during the day. Ideally, try to find a gym that has multiple locations. Franchises like 24-Hour Fitness have many locations that can accommodate you throughout your travels.

Realtors and homebuyers usually have odd hours throughout the day. On certain days, you can get home early, and on others, very late. To counteract an unpredictable schedule, consider hitting the gym sometime during the middle of your workday. Map out where you will be when showing houses, and try to exercise at the gym in between appointments when possible.

2. Visit a Chiropractor

Depending on the day, real estate professionals are either sitting for long periods of time or on their feet all day. In between appointments, realtors drive from house to house. Spending time in the car can make your back feel stiff.

By visiting a chiropractor, you can keep your spine aligned and maintain your health regardless of your workday. Real estate professionals can receive chiropractic care even when they are not injured. This type of wellness can be proactive instead of reactive.

For house remodelers who handle most of the general contracting themselves, a chiropractor can be a great person to have in your life. Remodeling a home requires a ton of physical labor. Plus, injuries can easily happen on the job site, especially when you’re not looking after your body.

Chiropractic care can obviously help you recover from an injury. But, more importantly, you can keep your body feeling good each day, going into a home remodel. Injuries can delay home renovation projects by weeks if you suffer from a serious injury.

3. Eat Healthy

Busy real estate professionals are notorious for eating unhealthily when on the road. If you have a busy day, it can be tough to sit down and eat a salad. Many people in real estate choose the alternative: quick, fast food.

Along with exercises and seeing the chiropractor, eating a healthy diet is extremely important to maintain a healthy lifestyle at work as a real estate agent. After all, “You are what you eat.” Having cheat days here and it is fine. However, if you eat unhealthy foods over a long period of time, your body will feel the results. This affects you both physically and mentally.

Realtors who are rushing to sell a home in winter before the snow comes are constantly on the move. The best way to maintain high energy throughout your workday in real estate is by taking care of yourself and your body.

Conclusion

I love my work, but I love my life more. I know the struggles of running your business and working hard. But balance is essential, especially when the hours are long. Real estate professionals are constantly affected by this dilemma. But you should put your health first and get back to yourself at the end of the day.

You will feel an improvement in your mental and physical health, and that’s possibly going to be beneficial to your productivity.