The Elite Performer: Address Your Stress

Buying or selling a home while securing a new mortgage can be one of the most stressful temporary experiences people face in life. There are a lot of mixed emotions, planning, demands and deadlines. Your clients rely on you to help them navigate through the process and at times this can feel like a burden when things outside of your control don’t go as planned. Most would agree that the mortgage industry today can be one of the most stressful occupations as a mortgage loan originator. It’s imperative that you realize this and prepare for the diversity and sometimes insanity that goes with this industry.

 

Certainly the regulatory and appraisal environment doesn’t help when trying to manage your own stress and the stress of your clients. Finding ways of putting the process in perspective will always help dissolve conflict. I believe many in this industry truly put their clients before themselves by spending time communicating, educating, and simply applying a hard day’s work each and every minute spent at the office. This is a good thing, but only if you acknowledge and pay attention to your own level of stress internally or externally and listen to your body.

 

Natural stress can be normal when dealing with situations and a demanding environment, which can simply become a feeling of being overwhelmed at times. Chronic stress can become an issue if not dealt with by finding ways of relaxation and separation. If your body releases adrenaline or excess levels of sustained cortisol as a stress response, it can lead to health problems. According to many some include:
 
►Anxiety
►Depression
►Digestive problems
►Headaches
►Heart disease
►Sleep problems
►Weight gain
►Memory and concentration impairment
 
What I find more fascinating is the studies that have been conducted about our mental perception versus reality on how stress can impact our health. The University of Western Ontario found that people who believe their stress is affecting their health are twice as likely to have a heart attack ten years later. Pennsylvania State University found that stress was not the problem, but how we react to stressors. If you have two people with the same amount of work to do and one is grumpy and stressed about it and the other doesn’t let it bother them, this will greatly impact the future health of the stressed out person.

 

It’s not easy to always manage stress during demanding situations in this industry, but it is possible with perspective. If we all realize the importance of our mental perception and how we respond to these demands, I believe our health will improve as a result. Don’t let temporary transactions change the big picture. If you control and balance your stress well, you’ll find that your clients and all those around you will be able to as well more easily.

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