Warning: These 9 Mistakes Will Destroy Your WORKLIFE BALANCE

The pressure of an increasingly demanding work culture is one of the biggest challenges to society’s mental health.?As busy yoga teachers, we wear many hats: teacher, marketer, parent, entrepreneur, administrator, manager, friend, spouse, confidante, and the list goes on. With the fast-paced nature of our daily schedules, it can seem that it is nearly impossible to maintain any sense of balance in our lives.?Whilst as yoga practitioners, we are better equipped than many to handle the multitude of challenges and stressors that get heaped on our plates, sometimes the whirlwind of life sweeps us up, and we feel like we are flying by the seat of our yoga pants.

It is safe to say that most yoga teachers did not get into the business of yoga for its financial benefits but as we started teaching more, taking our classes into the community, offering personal tuition and more recently over the pandemic, we have had to shift what we offer and how we make those offerings in order to keep supporting the people who come to our classes and also to maintain our cashflow. Lockdown and social distancing have played havoc with our ability to run classes.?Numbers attending classes have dropped in some instances and in others, we have not been able to increase the class capacity to pre-pandemic levels because of social distancing. Over the two years, people have found other ways of exercising and practising yoga.?Youtube channels like Yoga with Adrienne have soared in the number of views and the average Yoga teacher is struggling to make ends meet.

The burnt-out Yoga teacher is more common than you think, and this was pre-pandemic. One of the main problems is that not many within the community are prepared to speak openly about it. Crammed schedules and an excessive focus on high-intensity yoga poses are very much the pictures of your average urban yoga environment in many modernised societies. Yoga teachers fall into the category of ‘the helping professions and people working in the helping professions are at higher risk of job burnout simply because the ratio of who is giving and who is receiving is naturally skewed. This is not an issue in itself, yet it requires full awareness AND the ability to know how to recharge the batteries on a regular basis.

It is completely ironic that the very teachers who pass on words of wisdom about balance, awareness and healthy training end up with the most injuries and loss of energy. Staying quiet about it only makes it appear more shameful. By being open about it, we help to highlight potential issues in the culture and instead increase our collective awareness and ability to address these issues. So aside from the pressures of teaching, today, we also have the added pressure of the business side of things. So here are some mistakes to avoid and what you can do to attain more balance in your life.

1. Do it all yourself. Why do we do that? Over the years, I have found this to be more so with women than men. When you studied to become a Yoga teacher, Group Fitness Instructor, BODYBALANCE Instructor, you were not taught about business much. Yet, because of your love for what you do couple with your desire to spread the love and the ridiculously low rate of pay in health clubs and leisure centres, you decided that you would take what you do into the community. Busy classes in a health club do not automatically translate into busy classes in the community. You have to market your services, which these days means social media and email marketing, as well as the more traditional methods of marketing like flyers and banners. You cannot do it all and unless you have a marketing background, you really have no idea nor have any inclination to actually do the marketing. So why do it?
2. Not paying attention to stressors that lead to burnout. Stress affects everyone, but?there are ways to minimise it and manage its impact. The first step toward dealing with this pressure is identifying its root causes and triggers. Some common culprits are the workload, the work environment, professional relationships, and missed professional opportunities.
3. Diversify with no thought. This is something that was happening prior to the pandemic and is now more apparent. Yes, we should diversify our income streams. Being reliant on just one is not smart. Jack of all trades and master of none. Yes, it makes sense to broaden your offerings otherwise your clients could go elsewhere. But there is also the honesty needed to know that you are potentially doing them a disservice by teaching something that you are not really passionate about or even teaching way too many classes that you burn out. There are other alternatives to what you can do for your clients whilst managing your personal energy levels.
4. Bury head in the sand. Oh, I have been here before. Not looking at my finances sufficiently well.?Ignoring following up with enquiries because I am feeling tired and overwhelmed. Not maintaining the marketing. Not doing any marketing even though the numbers are declining. As you read this, I am sure you know that it is silly, unless your desire for teaching is waning and you are considering giving up and getting a job instead.
5. Not setting boundaries with time: The work/life balance refers to the amount of time you devote to your work versus the time you devote to the many other aspects of your personal life. Your work/life balance is likely to be different to that of your colleagues and will vary throughout your life, depending on your priorities. If you're just starting out in your career and have a strong desire to climb up the career ladder, your work life is likely to be your main priority while if you’ve recently experienced the joys of parenthood, your family life is likely to be your main focus. Regardless of your priorities, it's vital to create and maintain a healthy work/life balance.
6. Not staying connected. Remote work kills the social interaction people naturally get at the office, and loneliness poses significant mental health risks. Social isolation is also increasing beyond the pandemic's effects and working from home can be a toxic combination when it comes to mental health. Loneliness can lead to depression, poor sleep quality, and even reduced immunity. Self-employment can feel lonely anyway let alone over the past couple of years.
7. Not finding the joy: Joy seems like an extravagant thing to prioritise amid such widespread uncertainty and anxiety, but it is proven to be a formidable defence during a crisis. And the need for positivity and mental wellbeing is universal.?Bringing a little bit of joy into your work?and life has exponential, extremely practical benefits.?
8. Not having a clear vision for your life. You have to know what you are doing it for. I have come across teachers who want to increase the numbers in their classes and when I ask them what their financial goal is, they do not have one. In that scenario, if they are choosing to teach because they love it and want to share the love of yoga and they do not need the money, then it is super easy to increase class numbers.?They just need to make the class free. You have to have a clear vision for your life and then work backwards and chunk it down. It makes it all so much more manageable.
9. Not celebrating your achievements: Finding the right work/life balance does not have to be a challenging task. Whether you end up doing more or less as a result of your efforts, you will know you have successfully achieved the right balance when you feel your mood has improved, your stress levels have eased, you are able to spend more time with your loved ones without feeling guilty and feel content with your life in general.

One major solution that can help with the majority of these mistakes is being part of a business mastermind.?My partner and I have over the years been part of group masterminds and I cannot speak highly enough of them, especially if they are run well. You have a community to lean into, a group of like-minded business owners who have your back.?Everyone gets to bounce ideas off each other and also hold each other accountable.?In a good group, everyone holds each other's vision and will remind them of it when times get tough. They are there to celebrate your successes and to also drag your head out of the sand and give you a love punch along the way. You build lifelong relationships with everyone in the group and the impact on your personal and professional life is impossible to measure.

How powerful is that, to sit down on a regular basis with great people who have your best interest at heart. Masterminds are a life and business advantage most people unfortunately never pursue.?