As a group exercise instructor, it can be hard to find balance between classes and home life. And if you’re using your home as your base for content creation, admin, and the odd online class too, sometimes you just can’t switch off.

It’s so important to look after your mental health just as much as your physical health. Low mental health can affect your energy, your sleep, and even your memory.

To give you a helping hand, here’s three actionable tips you can fit into your instructor lifestyle to boost your mental health.

1. Understand the basics

Did you know 1 in 4 adults in England will experience a mental health problem? Mental health challenges are not uncommon, and no-one should go through them alone.

Boosting your mental health starts with understanding some of the signs and symptoms of some common mental health problems.

You don’t need to be an expert, but having a basic knowledge of what to look out for can help solve some problems early.

Start your knowledge boost with our free guide for group exercise instructors on mental health. Diving into common mental health problems, you’ll understand:

  • The physical and mental symptoms.
  • What you can do to support yourself in your mental health journey.
  • Where to go for more support.

The guide is free to download here.

2. Put boundaries in place

Picture this… It’s 10.00pm. You’re scrolling through Facebook. A message pops up from a class member. Are you tempted to reply immediately?

Stop!

As a self-employed instructor, it can feel difficult to switch off.  You want to support your participants, but you can’t be there for them 24/7.

Set times for yourself when you can answer enquiries.

You wouldn’t expect a reply to an email at 10.00pm from a traditional business, so why are you replying at that time?

Put your phone down and get some rest.

3. Prioritise your sleep

Do you find it difficult to get good quality sleep?

Maybe you’re teaching late evening classes, or you have things going round and round in your mind at night.

If you find drifting off hard, there are some ways you can improve your sleep including:

  • Going to bed and getting up at the same time every day.
  • Stop using your phone and TV at least an hour before sleep.
  • Keeping your bedroom dark and cool.

For more tips and a personalised sleep plan, visit the NHS Every Mind Matters wellbeing page here.

And don’t forget…

Start boosting your mental health knowledge with your free guide here.