Stay Focused – Its Peak Season

Focus on Property Management

How to Stay Energized and Focused Throughout the Busy Season

This is it. The sun is out, days are warming up. Prime renting season is here! For property managers, being busy can be a double-edged sword. It comes with increased profits, but it also places increased physical and mental demands on your employees... which can heighten the potential for accidents and mistakes.

Keep reading for tips on how you can combat and even prevent the exhaustion and burnout that affect you and your team during the busy season.

Tip 1: Sleep is your friend.

When you're working hard during the day, it can be tempting to stay up a few extra hours and enjoy your free time at night. Sleep experts refer to this as revenge bedtime procrastination. It might feel good in the moment, but it ultimately leads to sleep deprivation, which leads to lower productivity, which leads to even more working hours. It's a vicious cycle. The key to ending revenge bedtime procrastination is to recognize that sleep is working for you, not against you. Establish these healthy, pro-sleep habits to ensure that you get enough rest each night.

• Go to bed at the same time every night, even on weekends.
• Avoid alcohol and caffeine after 4PM.
• Turn off or distance from all electronic devices for at least 30 minutes before bedtime.
• Get into the habit of doing a relaxing activity before bed each night. Reading a book, meditating, or gently stretching are good choices.
• Make sure that your bedroom is dark and quiet, with a comfortable temperature (experts recommend setting your thermostat between 60-67 degrees F at night).
• Use a sound machine, fan, or white noise generator if it helps you.
• Some people find that supplements such as magnesium and melatonin can be helpful sleep aids, but make sure to check with your doctor before adding them to your routine.

When you are better rested, you'll be more prepared to deal with additional stress and less likely to lash out at employees.

Tip 2: Proper nutrition isn't just for athletes.

When people are tired or stressed, we tend to reach for foods that might give us a jolt of energy. While caffeinated, sugary drinks and processed carbohydrates (think doughnuts and french fries) might feel like they're going to address the problem, they can actually contribute to it. Because of how they are processed by the body, sugar and processed carbohydrates cause a decrease in blood glucose, leading to hypoglycemia and its dreaded "sugar crash." So while they might give us a short-term spike, the long-term effect will be that we end up more tired than we were before we had them.

To make sure that you have the proper nutrition to power you through the day, try these food tips:

• Eat three healthy meals per day, don't skip or supplement with snacks.
• Strive for color: the more colorful your meals, the better the chances they'll contain a variety of fruits and vegetables, which are packed with vitamins and minerals.
• Aim for complex carbohydrates rather than processed ones. Complex carbs provide the energy you need, but they take longer to digest, so you'll avoid the spike and crash that comes from processed carbs. Examples of good complex carbohydrates are: beans, oatmeal, whole wheat bread, quinoa, barley, potatoes (with skins), and sweet potatoes.
• Just say no to candy. When you're craving something sweet, reach for fresh fruit instead. Oranges are high in vitamin C and can contribute to a feeling of being more awake, making them an excellent choice for a mid-day energy boost.

Here are some ways you can support your employees with healthier food habits during the busy season:

• Put out bowls of fruit and/or veggie trays in common areas; this will encourage employees to snack on brain-healthy foods that support productivity and focus.
• Give out gift certificates to health food stores or healthy restaurants as incentives or rewards.
• If you have vending machines on the premises, consider adding a few healthier options such as vitamin water, fruit juice, granola bars, crackers, and trail mix.
• Celebrate Wellness Wednesday or Meatless Monday and encourage employees to do the same. Focusing on healthy eating one day of the week can feel more manageable, and it often inspires people to eat healthier all week long.
• Launch an employee wellness challenge. When healthier habits are gamified, employees feel more engaged and willing to try it out. Wellable has some great tips and challenges on their blog.

Tip 3: Flex your focus muscles.

Having energy is great, but it's not very useful if it's not focused. Sometimes when we're really busy, it can lead to a feeling of being overwhelmed, making it difficult for us to know what to tackle first. Using a few techniques to strengthen focus can help make sure you're using your energy for the most benefit.

• Make a to-do list each day. Getting all of your tasks out of your head and onto paper can help you organize and prioritize where to apply your focus. For your team, productivity apps such as Microsoft To Do and Google Keep offer an easy and satisfying way to cross things off their list.
• Practice mindfulness. While meditation might sound like something that's only for spiritual gurus, everyone can benefit from practicing a little mindfulness. Take a few minutes each day and focus on your breath. If any thought enters your mind, just release it and go back to your breath. This will build up your ability to focus so that you won't be distracted as easily on the job. There are hundreds of meditation apps to help you, but don't keep it all to yourself. Consider gifting a subscription to your employees and watch their attitude and productivity soar. Several apps now offer corporate subscriptions and gift options such as Headspace, Ten Percent Happier, and Calm.
• Set realistic goals and be kind to yourself. Sometimes it just isn't possible to do it all. Take a look at your list of tasks and be honest about what you can and cannot do in any given timeframe. Consider that your employees are faced with the same challenges. Encourage them to be up front about deadlines they won't be able to meet, so that you can reallocate tasks accordingly. When everyone is honest about their ability (or inability) to deliver, stress decreases and focus and productivity increase.

This rental season is shaping up to be busier than ever. Make sure to take care of yourself and your employees along the way. With a little extra attention to sleep, nutrition, and focus, you'll be able to increase productivity and profitability too.