Burnout has taken on increased importance as the stresses of living and working through a global pandemic have pushed many people to and beyond their breaking points. To support you in your wellness journey, Wellbeats instructors are sharing their wellness insight and offering advice on ways to combat burnout.

Wellbeats instructor Kim W. has a passion for making fitness accessible to everyone. She holds a degree in fitness and nutrition and a doctorate in health promotion. A yoga instructor since 2001, Kim has over 20 years of experience in health and wellness. Her encouraging style helps people appreciate what their body is capable of and feel empowered after every Wellbeats class.

Kim’s Philosophy on Nutrition to Combat Burnout

“Good nutrition is one factor that we have control over that can help us deal with the physical stress associated with burnout by providing our bodies with nutrient-rich foods that support our immune system and combat stress,” Kim said. “I like to focus on food as fuel, which makes me more mindful of what kinds of food I choose.”

Connection Among Burnout, Mindfulness, and Nutrition

“Mindfulness is about living in the present moment and learning to observe our thoughts and patterns without judgment,” Kim said. “This relates to food too. Often when we’re stressed, we turn to food, and this can lead to overeating (and sometimes under-eating too).

“Using mindfulness as a tool during meal and snack times can help support good nutrition and portion control so you’re aware of using food to support your body during stressful times.”

Kim’s Nutrition Tips to Combat Burnout

Don’t check your email or browse your phone while eating. This leads to distraction and often leads to overeating. Instead, use meal and snack times as your mental break, and bring awareness to the food you’re using as fuel.

Drink more water! Often an energy slump in the afternoon is due to dehydration. On average, we should drink half our body weight in ounces of water each day. So, for example, someone who weights 150 pounds should drink 75 ounces of water every day. I like to fill a water bottle and put rubber bands around it for each time I need to refill for the day to reach my needs. Just remove a rubber band each time you refill until you’ve completed your daily needs!

Eat at home more often. Meals you make at home are generally more nutritious and lower in fat and calories than what you would eat out at a restaurant. You have more control over the potion sizes too! Stumped on meal ideas? We have lots of recipes in the Wellbeats library that are easy, nutritious, and delicious!

More Tips to Combat Burnout

To learn more tips to combat burnout from Wellbeats instructors, read our comprehensive industry report, “Get Personal: An Employer’s Guide to Ending Burnout” now.

Take a Wellbeats Class with Kim

Already a Wellbeats member? Join Kim for How to Master Portion Control now. It can be very easy to overeat with today’s average restaurant portions and food packages. In this class, Kim shares her best tips to help keep portion sizes in check. Explore Kim’s complete Wellbeats class collection.

About Wellbeats, a LifeSpeak company

Wellbeats, a LifeSpeak company is a leading provider of on-demand virtual fitness, nutrition, and mindfulness classes for use in workplaces of all sizes, health plans, on college or university campuses, multi-family housing, the U.S. military, and fitness and health clubs. Based in St. Louis Park, MN, Wellbeats makes fitness accessible, affordable, and approachable for everyone. More than 1,000 classes and 35+ programs are available to help members stay on track and meet their goals. To learn more, visit www.wellbeats.com or check out a sampling of the company’s fitness classes during a Facebook Live class, and follow Wellbeats on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.