Real estate can be a demanding career. You have to research market conditions, stay on top of paperwork, and accommodate clients’ schedules.

This often means working on weekends and frequently being on call. That’s why it’s critical to have a reset routine that helps you recharge for the week ahead. Habits like self-care, reading, and meditation can help you mentally prepare for what each week has in store.

However, to truly up your game as a real estate agent, it’s essential to make healthy lifestyle changes that focus on your physical well-being and work for your job. Here’s how you can do just that.

Sustain a healthy diet

Often, the road to weight maintenance also leads to an easier time at work.

The CDC states that, besides boosting immunity and lowering the risk for diseases, healthy eating for adults helps reduce weight.

Your energy levels will also skyrocket when you maintain a healthy weight. You carry fewer pounds, thus requiring less energy, and improve oxygen efficiency, making you less likely to be out of breath.

However, one of the most commonly overlooked weight loss mistakes is eating too little, which you may be prone to as a busy agent.

Real estate agents who entertain fluctuating schedules and high-pressure demands could find it tempting to skip meals or choose unhealthy foods. But not eating enough can cause fatigue and constant hunger, making it challenging to keep the pounds off. This can open you up to adverse long-term health complications like higher blood pressure and the risk of developing various illnesses.

To avoid this, you can try meal planning. Have easy go-to recipes, like oatmeal or pasta loaded with power foods, and stock up on healthy ingredients like brown rice, yogurt, and leafy greens, to which you can add variety with toppings and sauces. These can help you easily come up with a number of nutritious meals to eat your fill of, even during your busiest days at work.

Make time for rest

When you’re working hard, you may be willing to sacrifice sleep to finish your tasks. While it may be tempting to just catch up on your days off, studies show that just one night of sleep loss can significantly impair how you function on a daily basis.

Research participants in these studies reported feeling anger, nervousness, loneliness, irritability, and frustration due to sleeping 1.5 hours less than their typical routines for at least one night. They also experienced physical symptoms like upper respiratory issues, body aches, and gastrointestinal problems.

As a real estate agent, your work primarily relies on putting your best foot forward when meeting clients, coordinating complex schedules, and being meticulous with various administrative tasks. Lacking sleep can complicate this.

To maintain a consistent sleep schedule, ensure that you manage your time in a way that works for your career. If you have duties that can be delegated to someone else, get assistance when you need it.

You can also follow strict working hours for administrative tasks and sparingly accept open house appointments outside of them. Gently communicating these restrictions with your clients can help you achieve a better work-life balance so you can observe a consistent sleep schedule.

Integrate exercise into your weekly routine

Many authoritative sources find that, in line with popular belief, physical activity can improve mood, anxiety, cognition, and memory. Exercise is also important for your focus, which we believe is a vital aspect of being a good real estate agent.

For this reason, it’s recommended that you should have 2.5 hours of moderate aerobic activity weekly or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise. However, maintaining a regular exercise routine can be difficult when you’re always on call. That’s why it’s critical for real estate agents to integrate exercises into their week where they can.

Fortunately, you can benefit from how flexible exercise routines can be — it’s as simple as assessing where in your day you can best sneak in some physical activity. For example, you can integrate 30-minute workouts into your day before you get ready for work.

If you do this three times a week, you’ll rack up 1.5 hours of exercise on top of all the walking you do at an open house. If you have 15-minute runs five days a week, you can complete over 75 minutes of vigorous exercise. It all depends on finding brief intervals in your schedule.

Real estate can be taxing, so staying in shape is essential. These three simple healthy lifestyle changes can help you up your agent game to flourish in your career.