Work life in Singapore can be hectic, and it’s not exactly rare to find people who prioritize their career over everything. And that’s not rare among personal trainers either. Work can take over their lives, and if you’re a personal trainer you need to improve and maintain your work life harmony if you know what’s good for you.

So what can you do to create some balance in your life? Here are a few tips:

Maximize your passive earning potential by giving more expert advice. If you think you can’t take too much time off from work because you need the money, you may want to take some time investing on your expertise so you can earn passive income.

For example, you can use your certification as a personal trainer to become an affiliate marketer. After all, you’re an actual expert in your field unlike others in the affiliate marketing industry who just pass themselves off as “experts”. So when you recommend an exercise tool or program, then your recommendation carries weight.

Or you can even sell your own ebook. It’s true that it will take some time for you to write it yourself, but once it’s done you can offer it for sale. And you can earn money while you’re just relaxing at home. You can write it in English so you can have buyers from all over the globe, or you can take advantage of the revenue potential in China by writing it in Chinese.

Reserve a block of time every day for yourself. You need to set hours at night and in the early morning when you’re not working (and I don’t mean when you’re just sleeping).

And to make that happen, during this time you have to turn off your work phone. While you may want to be always available for clients 24/7, that’s not exactly good for you. So you can turn it off half an hour after you reach home, and turn it on about half an hour before you leave the house for work.

You may also want to avoid checking your emails late at night. Do it in the morning. That the message was sent through email implies that whatever it is, it’s not an emergency.

Set at least one day a week for rest.  You need rest. More to the point, you need a rest day on a regular basis.

It’s best if all your clients understand which day you’ve chosen as a day of rest, so that none of them bothers you with question or requests for sessions. And if you do get these requests, you have to be firm and say no.

So what do you do during this time? You relax and enjoy. It may be best if that relaxation doesn’t involve doing more research on exercises. Your brain needs a break from all that too.

Meet friends, go out on a date, or visit a nearby café. Don’t just stay at home if you’re going to be bored.

Take a few days off every now and then. As a personal trainer, spending two weeks on vacation may not be practical, but a long weekend every two months or so can go a long way into helping you relieve your stress and recharge your batteries. You’ll come back refreshed and better than ever.

As a personal trainer, you may think that taking some time off during the day or the week means your clients are not getting all the help they need from you. But that’s not the proper perspective. Think of it this way: by maintaining your work life balance, you actually improve your work performance. That benefits you and your clients.

Coach Sharm, MSc
guruFitness.com