Whether you’re tuned into your mental health or need a reminder, it's always a great idea to take a step back and redefine your practices. May signifies Mental Health Awareness Month, and if you are focusing on yourself or looking for helpful habits for your salon, we want to share some of our experiences and advice. Additionally, tune into @aloxxihair each day during the month of May as Aloxxi’s Executive Director of Sales, Marketing & Education, Jessica Wall-Innella will be discussing tips on how to unplug, reset and communicate what you really need.
Why Mental Health Matters
As hairdressers, each day, we focus on making others look and feel beautiful. Sometimes we even become trusted confidants and a safe place for clients to open up about truly personal subjects. While it is important to hold this space for clients, it is imperative to recognize when to look internally at what you need — a hug, a conversation, a day off, or simply a stretch break. When we take time for ourselves, it allows us to rest, grow and recharge to be even better for our clients, friends, family, and most importantly, for ourselves.
Creating Safe Spaces
Fostering an environment for yourself, your coworkers, or your salon that is inclusive, prioritizes mental health, and creates balance comes down to communication. Working in the beauty industry, we must realize that this career is as physical as it is emotional, that sometimes we shouldn’t double book, that we do need a lunch break, and that our biggest critic is often ourselves. Safe spaces aren’t just physical places, it can also be the time we take to treat ourselves.
How to treat yourself:
- Breathwork
- Journaling
- Writing down goals
- Visualization
- Stretching
- Sitting down to eat (slowly)
- Turning off phone notifications
- Prioritizing sleep
- Having conversations in person or on the phone instead of through text
- Eliminating outside stressors
- Investing in education
- Being on time
- Knowing when to say no
- Grounding
- Treating yourself to a spa day
Be Aware Of Others
As we shift our mindset to focus on ourselves, we should also try to bring that awareness to our coworkers or employees. The salon is often a busy space filled with many conflicting schedules, but after you’ve taken the time and space to grow, make sure those around you are also investing in their mental health. Positivity is contagious, and when you work on mental health as a collective, it helps elevate everyone.
Know When To Ask For Help
While we are often a shoulder to lean on, hairdressers must also recognize when to ask for help. This might involve breaking up with a client, setting boundaries, or suggesting when friends, family, or clients need to speak with someone else. By recognizing this in others, you’ll serve them better and know when you need a helping hand. From seeing a professional therapist to hiring an accountant or simply a salon assistant, no one should be afraid to ask for a little help.
Offering daily tips during the month of May, tune into @aloxxihair with Aloxxi’s Executive Director of Sales, Marketing & Education, Jessica Wall-Innella.
