How Cheer Coaches Can Avoid Burnouts & Breakdowns

Have you ever felt like you needed to take a vacation from yourself? If your answer is yes, you most likely are a coach. Between the balancing act of a family, social life, work, school and cheerleading, where do you find time for yourself? Think of it like this: take everything in your life and write it on a balloon. You are playing the game of don’t let the balloon drop. If you never allow a balloon to fall, even for a brief moment in time, you eventually will fall, causing all balloons to fall because no one will be left to keep them up. You need time for YOU. Make sure you are resting when you can. Sometimes a simple mental break is all you need to figure out the issues. That moment of clarity allows you to see things, well, clearer. All work and no play leads to a life of misery. No one likes to be around a miserable person. So, if you honestly think working your brain and emotions in overdrive is going to help you and your team, you are fooling yourself. I sure don’t like to be around a miserable person. Know the signs and know when to take a step back, and have a moment to deal with yourself. If you are coaching two teams, apply the above times two. Coaching two teams is like having more than one child‚ both are at a constant battle for attention. One always feels neglected and less loved. Give yourself the peace of mind to sometimes merge practices together. It allows you an extra hour or two for yourself, and it gives a bonding experience for both teams. Make sure they both know you love them equally and that they equally drive you crazy. Let’s face it, you may have never said it, but you know you thought it. Breathe. Break up the stress. I have mentioned it before: doing the same thing over and over will eventually cause you to break. It will cause your team to break as well. Your brain goes into sabotage mode and the stress will come creeping in to make life, well, less boring. Breaking it up applies to all areas in your life: go get a massage, take a walk, sit outside and just breathe in the fresh air. Escape the mundane for a moment. That moment will be the best thing you could have ever done. Cry. Let it all out. Put on a Nicholas Sparks movie and have a good cry. Throw yourself that pity party. Hear me out on this, there are just some mental breakdowns that can’t be avoided. Crying won’t help, and you honestly just need to complain and feel bad for yourself. Allow yourself to do so. Have a day of complaining and contemplating where you went wrong in life and then leave the party. The key is not overstaying your welcome. Stand up stronger, wipe off the tears, stop feeling sorry for yourself and realize the sun will come up and a new day will ALWAYS begin. It’s tough juggling everything. Understand that we understand. You’re not alone. Remember that when the season ends, you are going to miss the chaos. What helps you avoid breaking down? Tell us your coaching tips in the comments.