To successfully run your business, you must maintain a constant connection with the outer world. However, too much of it can result in wearing away your productivity and focus. Thus, you must seek help from the experts and get some advice on how to properly take a step back for a well-deserved digital detox.
According to a survey, almost 30% of Americans reported using their cell phones constantly. It shows a significant number of people are available online. The increase in screen time leads to many health issues like poor sleep, obesity, and so many more. After the pandemic, many businesses shifted to the digital world, and their dependency on social media and online tools increased.
Now the question is, “How can real estate professionals step back from the digital world?” Their job requires them to stay online and connected 24/7. The real estate market doesn’t take any breaks. Clients are always there to ask their queries and concerns, even during the off-hours. It all implies that a constant connection is necessary to survive in the real estate industry. But is that true? What about taking a digital break to stay sane? Those with crazy working schedules and hard-to-please clients need a pause to function correctly during working hours.
A well-known business coach, Dr. Wayne Pernell, and professional counselor, Leah Rockwell, raised a few points mentioned below:
We All Need a Digital Detox
If you constantly work without rest, your breaking point will come anytime soon. That’s when you need a digital detox. But the point is, how will you feel the need for it? How can you be sure that you need it? You can observe how you behave or react under certain circumstances to get the correct answers to your questions.
For instance, if you feel anxious and you start looking for your phone, you may feel one or all of the following:
- You feel tired but still stay awake to spend some more time using the phone.
- You constantly search for the reasons to use the phone even while having a meal.
- You go out or anywhere else but don’t forget to take a quick look at the messages.
- You feel a constant urge to check on the phone to make sure that you are not missing out on anything.
If all such things happen to you, you are following an unhealthy pattern of compulsive connectivity.
The addition of using the phone is so common nowadays that no one pays heed to how harmful it can be to both your physical and mental health. People think it’s good to be conscious and think about their work all the time without realizing that it’s one of the unhealthiest ways to live their lives. Remember that it is of no use if you are hard on yourself. You must think about taking some time off before your energy drains out completely.
Digital detox is beneficial for both you and your business. It helps keep your stress level low and set healthy boundaries to maintain a work-life balance. Even if your job as a real estate professional requires nonstop work, you must take a break to boost your energy and productivity level. This way, your creativity level will also enhance, and your decision-making power will improve.
Tips for Taking a Digital Break
Taking an entire day off might be impossible, but even small breaks can have a substantial positive impact. Here are a few tips to help you take healthy digital breaks.
Choose Your Favorite Platforms
Using all the digital platforms at a time can be overwhelming. You can pick one or two that you enjoy the most. For instance, if you pick Facebook and Instagram, you limit yourself to focusing on them. Even for your real estate business, you might have a profile on each platform, but you can spend time on your favorite ones.
You should also check the analytics to see which platform helps you target your audience, and then you can spend your time on that. Moreover, you can automate the posting process on your social media platforms to free some of your time. Many social media platforms have automated posting plans to help you run your real estate business.
Mute Your Notifications
Notifications help keep you up to date about the activities on your social media platforms. Your mind is trained so that whenever it hears the notification sound, it stimulates an action. However, your realistic mind knows you can take a moment and check it later, but you feel compelled to check it at once. It gets pretty annoying at times, especially when your mind needs rest.
Your stress level will increase if you continue reacting to these notification sounds. So, you can turn off the notifications every once in a while to get peace of mind for some time. You can also check the settings and mute the notification permanently for at least irrelevant activities like shopping apps, gaming, etc.
Reconsider Your Smart Devices
Consume smart devices, but don’t let them consume you. These devices are supposed to help you perform your job efficiently. However, you can keep them away when they are not needed. For instance, if you keep wearing your smartwatch all the time, it will be a literal handcuff to your work. Take them off to stop yourself from checking emails, messages, or other notifications. If you find it too difficult, it is time to reconsider your relationship with these smart devices and technology.
Set Boundaries
Clients demand 24/7 support when they hire your service. However, how you establish your boundaries regarding availability is up to you. They will never realize it if you don’t let them know that you also have a life outside of work. So, you should inform them beforehand about the number of hours you will be available in a day. You can mention your office hours on your official site as well. It won’t impact your services as long as you have scheduled an autoresponder for your off hours.
