Providing exceptional real estate service has always been my top priority, but right now, it’s the health and safety of my clients, family, friends, and our community as a whole.
In the spirit of working from home and maintaining our social distance, below are a few tips from Dr. Diane McIntosh, Chief Neuroscience Officer, TELUS to help us keep our sanity and perhaps even enjoy our time in relative isolation.
1. Maintain a routine
The science is clear: we all feel better, and function better, when we follow a routine. If you’re working from home, make sure you get up at the usual time, have a shower, eat breakfast, and start your work day as you normally would (if this is your normal routine). As a quick aside, if you’re not a breakfast eater, you should know that breakfast eaters on average maintain a lower body mass index (BMI) and are more productive, especially if the breakfast is high in protein! End your workday at the same time as usual and try to go to bed at your usual time as well.
2. Exercise
Exercise is a treatment for depression and anxiety. While you can’t yoga your way out of a very severe depression, you can certainly benefit psychologically and physically from exercise and it can help to prevent the development of depression. More good news: it doesn’t take much exercise to help your brain stay mentally fit: 30 minutes of mild- to moderate-intensity exercise five days a week is enough. No Lululemon outfit required. I’m not looking for a four-minute mile, but a brisk walk for 30 minutes is truly a pick-me up treatment for your mind and body.
3. Go outside
So long as you can keep your social distance (two metres), getting outside and walking or biking is an ideal way to exercise, but better yet, go hug a tree. Research shows that stress is a major threat to human health and that spending time in a greener environment appears to be an effective way to aid stress reduction.
The research on the benefits of life in the great outdoors is abundant. Aside from reducing chronic stress and the many diseases that accompany it such as heart disease, stroke, cancer and asthma, studies have shown that moms have bigger, healthier babies when they spend time outside. Also, greater exposure to trees and grass near your homes is associated with significantly reduced likelihood of engaging in aggressive and violent behavior compared to those who live in more barren conditions.
4. Schedule fun time in your day
Make sure you do something you enjoy every single day. Whatever tickles your fancy – reading, baking, online shopping (note: be careful with that one!), macramé. Binge watching your new favourite on Netflix might initially be appealing initially, but that will get old pretty quickly and it won’t help your brain to really relax and reset.
5. Learn how to be more mindful
As someone who owns a brain that runs at full-speed and is rarely quiet, I fully understand those who believe they could never clear their mind. However, I also know from experience that mindfulness is a life skill and it can be learned.
I like to describe mindfulness as letting your worries in your front door and showing them out your back door, but not serving them tea.
Said another way, we all have worries and fears and what we’re navigating together is unprecedented. We need to accept that our emotions count, and be kind to ourselves. However, accepting them does not mean we need to spend all of our time on them. We let our thoughts in, accept them and then ask them to move on. Don’t sit in them (serve them tea), because the more time we worry, the more time we will worry. Our brain builds pathways for thoughts and behaviours we use the most, so if we are always worried, our brain will move us naturally to worry more often.
6. If in doubt, check it out
Please be very careful where you get your health information regarding COVID-19. Go to reputable sources, such as the Public Health Agency of Canada, your provincial medical officer or the World Health Organization. I have heard and seen ridiculous and unscientific information just about everywhere. If you hear something that sounds fishy, check it out on Canada’s public health resource. Please urge your family, friends and neighbours to do the same. A lack of accurate information is fertilizer for infectious diseases such as COVID-19.
Please take care of yourself during these stressful and uncertain times. Your family and your community need you to take leadership and help to “flatten the curve” of spread, so we are on the other side of this sooner than later.
Coldwell Banker®
At Coldwell Banker®, we already have a very strong digital platform in place, so I am well-equipped to serve my clients virtually, even during these challenging times.
New Listings – Our exclusive marketing program enables me to reach potential buyers quickly to get the news out when a new property hits the market, ranging from a property tour video and dedicated property website to online advertising, customized email distribution, mailed property announcements and a digital area REALTOR® notification.
Property Showings – I can show properties virtually using video and apps to keep both sellers and buyers safe while still showcasing a home’s unique features.
Your Home’s Value – I can send you a detailed report showing your home’s value as well as comparable homes that have sold nearby.
Market Updates – If you want to learn more about how real estate is doing in your area, I can send you a weekly Market Report detailing activity to keep you fully informed.
While our country, and in fact, the entire world faces this challenging situation, Coldwell Banker is prepared and ready to continue to help you reach your real estate goals.
Please contact me today if you have any questions or would like to discuss selling or purchasing a property.