How are you supporting your team’s mental health every day?
R U OK? Day recently served as a powerful reminder to check in on our colleagues and loved ones, starting genuine conversations about mental health. But the reality is that mental well-being isn’t just a one-day affair – it requires ongoing attention and support.
The real estate industry is known for its fast-paced, high-pressure environment. Demanding clients, market movements and the constant need to perform can take a toll on even the most experienced & resilient individuals.
Every principal, team leader and director in real estate has a duty of care to their team and to protect both their physical and psychological safety at work. This isn’t just a moral responsibility, it’s now legislated under Fair Work laws in every state.
As leaders, this obliges us to have policies, programs and tools in our workplaces to help our people manage the day-to-day stresses of the job and support personal development and build resilience.
If you’re busy selling or leasing, dealing with numerous clients, managing and inspiring a team, and doing the millions of things required to keep an office running, the work involved to have these tools in place can sometimes be overwhelming and feel like – ‘where do i start?’
As leaders, we all need something at the ready that you can share with your team, supports your compliance and most importantly, has some vital tools and services that your people – and even you – can use any time – 24/7!
The Rise Initiative recently relaunched The Real Care app as a valuable resource for real estate offices to foster a culture of proactive mental health care & support AND it is completely free of charge to use.
Real Care is not just another generic wellness app. It’s designed with the specific challenges of the real estate industry in mind, offering practical tools and resources to address these challenges including mental wellbeing, physical wellbeing, financial wellbeing & more.
Whether it’s a quick breathing exercise to manage anxiety before a difficult negotiation or setting realistic performance goals to avoid burnout, Real Care has tools to help everyone in the industry think, feel and perform consistantly at their best er. One of it’s most powerful features is the three free and completely confidential phone counselling sessions, offered through our partnership with Domain.
For principals, Directors and Team leaders – the first step in the right direction is to share the Real Care app with your people & teams and encouraging them to download the app. This is one of the simplest and most effective ways you can provide Immediate 24/7 support
Equally as important, it helps you start the conversation around how someone is feeling. I heard a great term of phrase the other day from Phil Harris – ‘what’s up and where are you stuck?’ Love it! It can be that simple without being awkward.
Real Care also empowers individuals to take a proactive approach to their own mindset by equipping them with tools and resources to recognise the early warning signs of stress and burnout, develop effective coping mechanisms to build resilience, prioritise self-care by nourishing their emotional wellbeing and providing access to professional help without stigma so they can seek support when it’s needed.
As they say when you’re flying in an aeroplane and you are in need of emergency oxygen.. ‘You need to pull the oxygen mask down and look after yourself first, before helping others’ . What a great metaphor and reminder to prioritise looking after yourself as well as others.
There are many key features & tools in the RealCare App that offer immediate and long-term support.
While R U OK? Day initiates important conversations, Real Care ensures that the dialogue continues.
The app is completely free to download providing ongoing access to mental wellness and health resources to help everybody working in the industry to develop healthy habits and coping mechanisms that extend far beyond a single day of awareness.
By taking proactive steps to prioritise resilience, performance and wellness in our teams, we can build a stronger and healthier real estate community.
So continue the conversation beyond R U OK? Day to make thinking, feeling and performing better a priority every day of the year.