If the housing market is stressing you out, it's important to know that you're not alone. Consider the following tips to help manage your housing stress:

1.  Manage Expectations

High expectations are generally a way to try to control outcomes or other people. Since these factors lie outside your control, the result is moodiness and stress. Try to set reasonable expectations for yourself, your agent, the sellers, and the market at large. Also, be prepared for the homebuying process. That means knowing current mortgage rates, the pre-approval process for the loan, the market prices in your area, and your options for a downpayment.

2. Build a Strong Support System

Social support can reduce stress, eliminate dysfunction, and improve measures of happiness. Before buying a house, consider who will provide you with both practical and emotional support. On the practical side, you'll need a good real estate agent, mortgage lender, home appraiser, and insurance agent. Your emotional support system should include someone you can talk about issues with, such as your partner, a family member, your spouse, or a therapist. 

3. Find a Good Real Estate Agent

Your agent is the key to your success as a homebuyer. They help you source potential homes, negotiate with sellers, and make offers. Your agent will shepherd you through the entire homebuying process, so you want them to be excellent at what they do and easy to get along with. How do you find the right agent? First, look at your personal network. Ask friends, family members, or neighbors who have recently bought or sold their homes to give you recommendations. Then, do your own research online. Look for high-rated realtors in your area. Narrow down your list to the top three and interview each one. Select your agent, and then follow their advice.

4. Be Kind to Yourself

When you are kind to yourself, you cultivate a positive self-image, which can boost self-esteem and confidence. This, in turn, can help you better cope with stress, setbacks, and difficult situations in life. So be patient with yourself, and treat yourself with the same compassion, care, and understanding you would offer to a close friend or loved one. It's OK to move slowly through the homebuying process. You don't want to move too fast. Instead, get comfortable with the process.

5. Prioritize Your Mental Health

Your mental health matters. It helps determine how you feel, what you say, and how you treat others. Don't let anything prevent you from staying fully present to your life and the people in it. Practice gratitude. While a thankful attitude may seem hard to come by when you're pressed in by mortgage applications and home inspectors, remember that gratitude is about perspective. It's always possible to choose a positive perspective. To help yourself out, consider downloading a mental health app. You might try something like Headspace, Insight timer, or Isleep easy. These apps can systematize and automate your healthy behaviors.

While buying a house is never easy, it's worthwhile. Keep in mind that you're choosing both a home to love and an investment to protect. But mostly, remember that you're valuable and important no matter where you live. Enjoy both your new home and the process you take to get there.

This story was produced by Today's Homeowner and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media.