Raise your hand if you've ever dealt with instructor burnout. At the beginning of my fitness career, I was afraid of missing out on opportunities or class numbers going down. I felt like I needed to sub all the classes I could, and I rarely took time off. But after years of doing this, I was clearly burnt out, and getting injuries that required me to take weeks of time off. I have learned the power of "no", and knowing when to cut back. Watch for signs of overdoing it and practice self-care. Here are the signs and tips to avoid instructor burnout.
Signs Of Instructor Burnout
Fatigue
Injury
Low motivation
Reduced performance
Frustration
Cognitive problems
1 Take A Break
Take a break from your classes or at the very least take time off from subbing. Talk with your group fitness manager and work out a plan. Your manager can help you find coverage and can temporarily take you off sub-lists. I work with my instructors that need breaks because I know time off means long-term retention and happier instructors. I am also a firm believer, in family first and self-care.
2 Balance Your Schedule
Reevaluate your teaching schedule, and make sure you are balancing out your classes and not teaching too many of the same format or total number of classes.
Do a mental check, are you dreading going to teach a certain class? If taking a break doesn't fix it, this is a sign of not just burnout but that something needs to change. That may mean possibly letting that class go.
3 Get Inspired
Go to another instructor's class to keep your cup filled too. So fun to be a participant!
Take a training you've always wanted to do.
Switch up your playlists.
Plan a themed class. No holiday is needed, everyone shows up in animal print. lol.
Create a vision board.
4 Self Care
You know all that advice you give your students? We sometimes forget to take our own advice. Take care of you!
Don't wait too long before seeing a doctor.
Take time to heal.
Listen to your body & don't overdo it.
Modify & do not feel pressured to teach full out. Take small breaks while teaching. (Drink your water, coach, walk around to engage students, etc.)
Take your rest days, stretch & recover.
Make sure you drinking enough H2O.
Get enough sleep.
Treat yourself to a massage.
5 Reconnect To Your Why
Take time to think about why you became an instructor. If you're not inspired to teach, how will you motivate your class? Reconnecting to your "why" will help you find new inspiration. "I became an instructor because I love to help women feel their best."When I teach, I like to think about how I will accomplish this.
The bottom line, listen to your body! If you're showing any of the signs listed above of instructor burnout, it's time to reevaluate your fitness schedule and make the necessary changes.
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