Find positive activities and positive people to keep you energized.

I think one of the difficulties in our profession is maintaining some kind of balance. In other words to actually have a life outside real estate. Taking time off should be on the list. Call it a preventative measure if you will. If you have balance in your life you’re much less likely to experience burn out.

In this business right now I find that I’m surrounded by a lot of client stress – tough negotiations, homes on the market longer than normal, clients in tough financial situations, etc. To help maintain a positive attitude (and sanity), I remind them and myself that you should worry about the things you can control. Stressing out over ‘the market’ and other factors outside your control is nonproductive, and mentally destructive. Make a point to focus on the positives, and taking actions on things you can manage. This is a daily affirmation.

As far as Sally goes, I removed myself from a traditional office environment a few years ago. Most real estate offices are petri dishes for toxic negativity.