For real estate professionals, the past several years have been filled with uncertainty, from the potential impacts of the pandemic to the high-interest rate / low inventory environment tightening the current market to ongoing uncertainty caused by legal and regulatory challenges to the status quo.
This uncertainty has been increased by the reality of a second Trump term this week. No matter who you voted for, it’s self-evident that a Trump presidency is designed for disruption and some of his more extreme policies will have a significant impact on the housing market in particular and the economy at large.
Now, add on the fear and uncertainty brought on by Trump’s rhetoric around women, minority groups and immigration. Prior to the election, we were already seeing a trend of people moving to places that better align with their political views. That impulse is almost certain to continue, and grow, in the years ahead.
My impulse when stressed out is to “take to my bed,” isolating myself and hunkering down until I’m able to regroup mentally and emotionally. Others find that connecting with others is important for maintaining a sense of safety and equanimity.
Whatever your personality and whatever your response to this week’s events, we all go through times of stress, fear and anxiety. Maybe you’re struggling with personal problems or medical concerns. Maybe your business is down (as it is for so many in the real estate industry), and you’re not sure how much longer you can hang on financially.
Maybe you’re afraid of what the future holds and unsure about what to do next.
6 strategies for coping with tough times
Whoever you are and whatever your circumstances, we all encounter difficulties at some point. Here are some basic strategies to help you move through and feel better, both now and in the future.
1. Focus on what you can control
Political and economic upheaval can leave us feeling that we’re powerless against large forces, generational changes and historical movements. The best antidote for that feeling is to find those things you can control in your life.
Your daily routine, your personal goals — both short-term and long-term — and the way you react to external events are all things you can control. Mindful decision-making can reduce feelings of overwhelm; use tools like lists or journals to keep track of actionable steps and accomplishments.
2. Prioritize self-care and wellness
You can’t control national politics or economic change, but you can control:
How much sleep you get
The foods you eat and the exercise you get
Taking time for mindfulness and meditation
Participating in hobbies and interests
Where you focus your attention each day
How and where you spend your time, energy and money
Which people you surround yourself with
The state of your physical health, sleep and nutrition make a huge difference in how you feel and how you are able to face the world. The best part? Going for a walk is free. Deep breathing, meditation and mindful movement are free. Curling up with a new book from the library is free.
In fact, taking care of yourself is probably the easiest and most cost-effective thing you can do to improve personal and professional performance and mental health.
3. Stay connected with support networks
Fight the impulse to isolate. It’s important to communicate openly with trusted people in your life, so reach out to family, friends or support groups for connection and emotional support. Join a club for companionship or volunteer with an organization you believe in — one that’s making the world a better place.
If you’re struggling professionally, join a mastermind or other professional organization, attend no-cost or low-cost training programs at the local association or seek out colleagues and start a group to practice scripts and discuss the latest business books.
4. Set goals (no matter how small)
Focus on setting and achieving small daily or weekly goals. It will give you a greater sense of control and an awareness of incremental improvement (or kaizen) that can lead to long-term success.
Find an accountability partner to whom you report so that you can stay on track and discuss your progress with someone else. Celebrate wins, no matter how big or small, to keep your confidence high and to maintain momentum.
5. Limit exposure to negative input
Okay, here’s where I get honest: The 2016 election threw me into a tailspin. I was stunned at Trump’s election and deeply afraid of the policies he was putting into place. I ended up deep-diving into the 24-hour news cycle and constant doom-scrolling on Twitter.
Staying immersed in the news offers the illusion of control, making every new update feel important and vital. However, it keeps you in a constant state of anxiety and anticipation and pulls you away from what is, after all, your personal and immediate reality.
I’m not saying not to stay aware and informed. I’m not saying not to get involved. I believe in our right to protest injustice when we see it and to hold leaders accountable for their actions.
What I am saying is that you have to stay awake to your immediate surroundings. You have to put one foot in front of the other. You can’t immerse yourself in pundits and fearmongering and lose touch with your friends, family, daily life and business.
Set a limit for yourself. Maybe once a week you allow yourself to wallow in the news. Maybe once a day you allow yourself to check social media, and you curate your feed for a better balance of good news to bad news. Maybe you subscribe to a news aggregator like Morning Brew to get an overview of the news in bite-sized pieces.
6. Practice gratitude and positive thinking
This may feel almost impossible right now, and you may have a sense that you’re just going through the motions. That’s okay. Sometimes, behaving as if things are okay is the first step toward making things okay.
Develop a daily gratitude practice, whether that’s gratitude journaling, counting your blessings, or positive affirmations and visualization. Pay attention to the things you say; if most of what you say is negative or catastrophic, begin to reframe your thoughts into more positive paths.
This is not about gaslighting yourself with “this is fine, everything’s fine” levels of denial. It’s about keeping yourself strong and centered in your own truth while maintaining some control over your own mind. As John Milton said in Paradise Lost, ““The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven.”
I believe with all my heart that tough times are temporary. They may create long-lasting change, yes. They may take you in directions you hadn’t anticipated. But we simply can’t allow our fears to cause us to lose hope. We have to take care of ourselves, and each other, to make the most of all of life’s circumstances.
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