Extinguishing The Burnout Flame

Of course in any business there is the risk of burnout. And so it’s true in the real estate business. In an article on realtor.org entitled: "Come Back From Burnout," Kelle Sparta cites the Mayo Clinic which offers the following tell-tale signs of burnout: (1) being more cynical and sarcastic at work; (2) lacking the energy to be consistently productive; (3) being more irritable or less patient with coworkers and clients; (4) feeling disillusioned about your job; (5) having a hard time laughing at yourself. Do any of these sound like you? If so, how do you “get better”? Sparta offers this advice again citing the Mayo Clinic. First, consider what might be the reason behind your burnout. It couldn’t be that you’re working too many hours, could it? Or maybe it’s the unappreciative customers that’ve got you down? Or the hard-to-get-along-with fellow realtors? Or the down market? Or something else? It could be just about anything that’s behind your being burnt out. Once you’ve pinpointed the reason, that’s the time to make changes. If you’re a workaholic, take a break. (After all, even God rested on the 7th day.) And Sparta goes on to add how, along with whatever changes you do decide make, there are some other things you can put into practice that will help your recovery from burnout. I especially like her counsel to pull out all the nice letters and appreciative notes you’ve received from satisfied clients in the past. (You have some of those, don’t you?) It’s important to remind ourselves that we really have helped people in our profession (no matter what it is we do). And that we really are an asset (because we are!). This will go a long ways to bringing us back from the brink and extinguishing the flame of burnout.