With the world of broking being busy as ever, it’s crucial that brokers ensure they can deal with the stress of a constant barrage of phone calls, emails, and meetings. As heard on the Elite Broker and New Broker podcasts, we find out what brokers do to de-stress and unwind
Exercise & gardening
The big thing I do to de-stress is I try and get out of the office at least three days a week by 5 pm and go and have a run or a swim. I really enjoy ocean swimming and I love running.
On the weekend, I’ve made a decision that I’m not going to take phone calls. There are some exceptions to the rule, but I try not to do any appointments on a Saturday or Sunday and just spend that time with my family.
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Anthony O’Flynn, IFA Mortgages, NSW
Time with family
Looking back at the first four to five years, it was extremely stressful. I did everything in my power to do everything for every single client. With hindsight, what I do now is to make sure I have timeout. Yes, you can work long hours, but make sure you spend the time with your family, make sure you do something with your wife and child.
Adam Burstein, Core Finance, Western Australia
Running marathons
The thing I love doing most is exercise. Ten years ago, we did the London Marathon and it’s taken me 10 years to get over the pain of doing that marathon!
But in November this year, we’re doing the Queenstown Marathon in New Zealand to raise money for The Alannah & Madeline Foundation and it’s going to be amazing.
I love listening to music while I run. My happy place is running along any body of water, like a lake or Port Phillip Bay in Melbourne. Anywhere really, I just love it.
I like to ride my bike to and from the office most days, which is wonderful. I also golf with my wife and mates. My wife has just gotten into golf recently. I love playing golf, but I’m not sure if that necessarily reduces my stress levels, to be honest!
Exercise is really important to me, as is communicating to others how you feel if a deal goes pear-shaped or if you’ve just had a bad day.
Paul Williams, Mortgage Choice South Melbourne, Victoria
Watching footy and dancing
I’m a big footy fan. I love footy and getting into sport, but I was never really gifted as an athlete. I just love watching and following sport.
Outside of that, I try to keep my fitness up as much as I can because there’s a direct correlation between how well you’re doing in your business and how well you’re doing in your fitness and wellbeing.
I don’t mind getting out and getting down on the dance floor every couple of weekends. That’s one of my big releases. As well as just sitting around and having a few drinks with your mates, getting social, getting out, dropping work for a few hours, and involving yourself in conversations that don’t revolve around work.
I think that’s important for brokers because the job can swallow you and you can feel guilty about making the time to do anything social.
Patrick Johnson, Mortgage Choice Sutherland, NSW
