[Rivière]

I feel like I'm suffering burnout with my job.

With everything that's happened with Covid and the constant lockdowns. The constant up-down uncertainty. The financial worries. Issues with other staff. The lack of staff. Having to cover additional shifts because of other staff unwilling to help... the list goes on and on.

I feel like I'm losing interesting in continuing with my personal training business. I really enjoy fitness, but due to my job, it's really messed me up physically. Both my knees are now clicking and pin pain if I do too much. My right shoulder from an old injury is just worse. I'm constantly fatigued. I'm tired of the worries of having to keep up with clients and constantly worrying about what to do if clients come and go.

Some clients are so easy to work with and it's great. Others are so difficult and part of it feels like it's due to my coaching style. But I'm so tired to do anything different. I ended up dropping a client because nothing I did or said sank in with her. She was with me for 8 months and her goal was fat loss. I gave her all the help I felt that I could, within my scope of practice. We would do end-of-month fitness assessments and all sorts. I would constantly assess technique and see how much was taken onboard. In her final assessment, I demonstrated correct technique on an exercise, and because she felt like it was too hard to perform, she started to do it the dangerous way solely because it was easier. I just felt like, 'What am I doing here anymore? Why is she even bothering to pay me? I could use this time to fit somebody else in'. I have another client similar. But I'm getting so tired.

Putting aside the PT section, I also teach classes and try and keep up with my own fitness. No other staff try and help out management. The 2 managers are actually really good, and because of this, they're also suffering burnout, I feel. No other staff want to help out with doing additional shifts or see the bigger picture.

We had a staff meeting last week and I just knew nothing that was said would be taken onboard by the other staff. They made it all about them. Our manager allows us to wear whatever trousers we want so long as they're plain and dark, despite technically having to wear a uniform. One staff member kicked up a fuss because she wasn't allowed to wear her pink leggings and claimed that it's 'part of her identity' and 'represents who she is as a person' and 'what she's all about as a PT'. Like, can you get any more first world problems? Really? Bloo bloo I can't wear pink leggings. He's literally allowing us to wear whatever dark coloured trousers we want despite it not being company uniform and a requirement, and she's taking his nicety and demanding more.

That same staff member is one I've written about before. When she came back to work at the gym I felt there would be issues. There have been, but it's just her attitude. She takes and takes and doesn't give back. She's threatening to leave if she's not removed off a Sunday shift, and even said to me that if she isn't taken off it soon, she just simply won't turn up. What kind of attitude is that to have? I've been stuck doing sometimes 13 days of work without rest. I've had to do Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I've had no weekend and straight back onto another shift on Monday. But oh no, she has no weekend for herself!

After the meeting last week, the managers asked if I was ok. I honestly broke down in tears and told them a lot of my issues. I told them I'd started looking for another job because I'm just getting so fed up. I found one as well.

Part of me wants to leave this job because of the fact my body is getting messed up, but at the same time, I worked hard to be there and I try and hope the situation will improve. But I'm just tired of having to worry about finances. I don't get much money as it is, and I feel like I'd be better of in a job with a proper wage.