Tips for a Stressed Property Manager

Tips for a Stressed Property Manager

New year, new you! You set your goals, make your resolutions, etc. You have good intentions to complete them and to achieve them. I am confident the most common resolution is "I want to be less stressed." We all have stress, and as property managers, we also have a significant amount of pressure. From the second we wake, we check and answer our emails, mainly emails our regional managers sent that night before moving on to our regular day-to-day activities like walking the dogs, getting our children to school, etc. We have not even made it to the property yet, and we are already engaging in stress.

Once on the property, you are immediately bombarded with the trash, your landscaper, a resident who hit your gate again, and before you know it, you end up with gate arms in your car before even setting foot in the office. Three residents stop you on the way into your office. Then, three employees want to talk to you about what happened in 4F. It's 7:59 am, and you are sitting down at your desk to do payroll. Not happening yet; you have 17 more emails from your regional who never sleeps. Secretly and in my opinion, I feel that some regionals are vampires. All these things happen before 8 am. Then, the doors open.

My point to all this is that Property Managers, Community Managers, etc., have a lot of stress. I spent ten years as an assistant manager, and I have seen many stressed-out managers. I never fully understood being stressed at work until I stepped into their shoes a few years ago. I always thought I do all the work, what do they do? They worry about everything. They have to make sure every "I" is dotted, and every "T" is crossed from the smallest to the most extensive details. I have been on-site as a manager for about four years now. I have had low-stress and high-stress properties. Everyone reacts to stress differently. My hair falls out, and I cannot sleep at all, so I work; I am that vampire aspiring regional coming to an inbox near you. It took me a while to figure out what to do to release my stress. Here are a few tips that help me, and I hope they will help you.

1. Make a to-do list

As an effective manager, you must make a to-do list, even if you don't mark anything off it and it is 11 pages long. You have it to make sure you feel like you are more organized.

2. Volunteer

 I love to help and volunteer; I cannot say no to anyone. This is my resolution every year of my life for the rest of my life. I have every second of my life planned. My planner is like a hairdresser. I have appointments every 15 minutes. I tell you all these things too, so I know how you feel. I know you are busy, I am sure you are more active than me.

3. Take Your Time

I have learned that you MUST take time for yourself. I get physically ill when I don't take time for myself. Those would be the only days I would call into the office because I am not wasting any PTO time on being sick. I have a trip planned if you know me. I suggest traveling such a great relief of stress, even down a wrong turn street. You never know what you may find. Taking a break is essential, and it is not an option or a privilege. It is required. In fact, employees cannot be required to work more than 3 hours without a rest break. So, take your time. I had to learn that work will be there when you get back. If not, someone else can do it. It took me several trips and breakdowns to get that through my head.

4. Care for your well-being both mentally and physically

I learned that you need to take care of yourself. I know some people drink a glass of wine or a bottle of wine. I found out that I am not a drinker but a work-outholic. This is my me time. I started it due to a health issue, but I continued it because it made me feel better; I thought clearer, I was in a better mood. I take 1 hour for my workout, for myself, and I love it. I tell everyone to go and try exercises. Run, do an F45, or do an orange theory workout. Do anything that takes your mind away from work for at least an hour of the day. I couldn't walk a flight of stairs to show an apartment. Now, I can sprint them. Not only do you feel better when you are showing an apartment and have to go 3rd floor, but I can also still talk to the prospects. My point is to find something do to relieve the stress. It will eat you alive. It will break you down. I have sat at my desk before and messy cry almost every day to do my job. So if it makes you feel better, It can't be that bad.

5. Disconnect

Disconnect from your workplace. I had learned that I should not take my laptop or email on vacation. I had someone cut my email off, so I was not tempted to check it. Even during my workout sessions, I would continue to leave my watch on and take text messages or phone calls in the middle of it. Nope, not anymore. I give 23 hours of my day to others and my job. I had to learn to disconnect. Work will be there when you get back. If not, someone else can do it. It took me several trips and breakdowns to get that through my head. At first, during my workout sessions, I continued to leave my watch on and take text messages or phone calls in the middle of it. Nope, not anymore. I give 23 hours of my day to others and my job.

6. Take this 10-minute Challenge & do something for yourself.

I want to challenge you to start with 10 minutes and do something for you. Put your phone down, shut the door, sit in your car, find a song that makes you happy, turn it up and be a star in your car, and breathe. Do something for yourself. If you don't, you won't be your best. No one else will. You deserve to be your best. And FYI, if you want to come to work out with me, let me know. I love working out with my friends. So figure out what may make you happy, and you look forward to doing it every day.

My point is to find something do to relieve the stress. It will eat you alive. It will break you down. I have sat at my desk before and messy-cried almost every day to do my job. So if it makes you feel better, it can't be that bad.

Holly Wauford