Why Using Your Hands Can Make You Happier - For REALTORS® Who Need a Break From Living in Their Heads

Real estate is a mental sport. We spend most of our days in our heads, doing things like problem-solving, negotiating, analyzing, anticipating, and especially reacting. Even when we’re not technically working, our brains are still running: thinking about our clients, our next deal, our goals, or what we forgot to do yesterday. It’s a lot! And sometimes, we don’t realize how overstimulated and disconnected from our bodies we’ve become until we hit a wall.

Recently, I started doing something different. I got into pottery. I’ve always loved gardening because it’s  been a place where I could quiet the noise. But learning how to throw clay on a wheel has been unexpectedly powerful for my mindset. It’s forced me to slow down, focus on my breath, and use my hands in a way that demands presence. When I’m shaping clay, I can’t multitask. I’m not thinking about real estate or emails. I’m just there, working with the material. It’s been incredibly calming and centering.

As it turns out, there’s real science behind why this helps. When we engage in hands-on, repetitive activities, like gardening, painting, woodworking or cooking from scratch, it signals our nervous system to shift out of stress mode. It grounds us. Using our hands in this way helps regulate the nervous system, reduces anxiety, and brings us back into the present moment. It creates a “flow state,” which is kind of like meditation without sitting still (which I love, because sitting still is not my strong suit!).

I think a lot of us in this business need that. We spend so much time producing, performing, and reacting, but not enough time simply creating. Being in the moment without pressure, without screens, and without an end goal.

If you’ve been feeling mentally foggy, anxious, or stuck in your own head lately, I really encourage you to find something you can do just for you, that gets your hands moving and your brain to quiet down. It doesn’t have to be pottery. It could be baking, painting, growing herbs on your windowsill, sketching, fixing something around the house, or even just sitting outside pulling weeds. Anything that lets you engage your body in a simple, focused, tactile way.

Not everything in life needs to lead to a deal or be optimized for productivity. Some things should just bring you peace. Give your mind a break. Let your hands take over for a bit. You might be surprised at how much lighter and clearer you feel afterward.