7 Tips to Boost your Mental Health in Property Management

According to the CDC, mental health encapsulates the emotional, psychological, and social well-being of a person. It affects how people think, feel, and act. It also determines how people respond to stress, relate to others, and make healthy choices. Mental health is important at every stage of life from childhood all the way to adulthood, and most especially in the workplace.

Mental health struggles are not uncommon in the property management industry in Australia. In fact according to the Voice of the Property Manager Report - 2021 Australian Edition 23% of property managers are planning to resign from their work due to mental health struggles. Among these many struggles are the inability to switch off after work, aggression from clients, a busy workload, and a lack of management support.

If you think you are facing mental health challenges, it is important to take care of yourself and look after your mental well-being. This article aims to give you some practical tips on how to combat mental stress and improve your overall well-being as a property manager.

But first, what are some of the common mental health struggles?

Poor mental health is one of the upsetting issues that plague the property management industry. What is alarming is that it is easy to miss early warning signs of mental distress. While others may silently be struggling, there are common health challenges that affect the employee’s well-being.

Here are some of the common mental health struggles that you should look out for:

• 1. Depression - Depression is described as a mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. The main symptoms of depression include feeling low and losing pleasure in things that were once enjoyable to a person. For property managers, depression can be experienced when a series of negative events such as clients defaulting on rent, workplace bullying, or excessive workloads plague them.
• 2. Generalised Anxiety Disorder - Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is characterised by persistent and excessive worry about several different things. Common symptoms of this mental health struggle for property managers are irritability, restlessness, tiredness, and tense muscles. Aside from that, those with GAD may also have trouble concentrating or sleeping.
• 3. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a mental health illness that causes repeated unwanted thoughts or sensations (obsessions) or the urge to do something repeatedly (compulsions). For property managers, OCD can manifest itself through having intrusive thoughts, searching for symmetry in everything, rearranging things excessively, and being unable to get things done because of their compulsions.

Boosting your Mental Health

If you are experiencing mental health problems or want to improve your overall well-being, there are simple ways to help elevate your mood and keep your balance. Here are 8 practical tips on boosting your mental health in property management:

• 1. Speak Up - Whether you’re drowning in client emails or unable to cope with the aggressive demands at work, communicating your feelings and challenges to some is important. Talk about how you are feeling with your supervisor. Maybe you can work out a plan to address your concerns. Your supervisor may offer an extra hand or provide additional property management tools and training to help alleviate your situation.







• 2. Invest in Technology - Managing your workload is now made easier with different technologies and automation procedures. To help streamline your property management operations, it might be high time to embrace the power of technology. For example, SimpleRent.com.au, a digital lease and property payment automation software, is designed to help property managers save time and agencies money with just a few clicks thereby giving property managers more time to rest and relax.







• 3. Stay active - Having an active lifestyle is good for both the brain and the body. Despite your hectic schedule, always dedicate time for any form of physical activity. Doing regular exercises can have a positive impact on your mental and emotional health. Some of the benefits of staying active include relieving stress, improving memory, and even sleeping better.
• 4. Make me-time a priority - Leisure time is a necessity for mental and emotional health. As a property manager, you need to take some time to relax, contemplate, and pay attention to the positive things about the day. Activities such as watching movies, playing a sport, or reading a book are just some of the ways you can spend your me-time to reward yourself for a hard day’s work
• 5. Get the help when you need it - Remember, everyone needs help from time to time. Whether you just need a friend to vent to, or require extra manpower assistance in your mountain of work, asking for help is a mature, humbling, and smart move. Perhaps, all you need is a simple coffee break with a coworker. Go ahead and reach out to a friend or someone you look up to in the industry!
• 6. Get quality sleep - Sleep facilitates the brain’s processing of emotional information. During sleep, the brain works to evaluate thoughts and memories. A good night’s sleep can improve your overall mood and well-being. Make sure to get not just adequate sleep but also good quality sleep every night.







• 7. Talk to a therapist - Medical help is also another route that you can take to address any mental health struggles. Therapists are trained to give objective diagnoses to their patients. This allows them to provide more concrete ways that can help you cope with mental distress.

Mental health struggles are an industry-wide problem. These have many detrimental effects that can even extend beyond the working life of property managers. A final reminder is, to be honest about your situation. And, remember, you don’t need to do it alone - be it a friend, a colleague or a tech solution can help boost your overall well-being.