The holidays are officially around the corner, which means crammed schedules, long days, and little downtime. Adding to the chaos, this season social distancing, PPE procedures and heightened sanitizing routines will also be in full effect. Before you get burned out, start a new routine for yourself by ramping up your self-care both at home and at the salon to ensure a successful season. Take a peek at some of our top tips to embrace.
Pack Lunches and Snacks
There are countless memes about stylists and their own special size of Starbucks, however, fueling your body starts with feeding it first. Stylists tend to skip lunch and suppress their appetite with copious amounts of caffeine, and while that’s ok to do once in a while, you really shouldn’t make a habit of it. By depriving your body of the nutrients it needs, you’ll feel run-down, fatigued and unable to give your clients your best. Instead, pack lunches and easy to eat snacks the night before and block time off your books to eat!
Schedule Alone Time
Sure, an après work cocktail with a colleague sounds like a great idea, but if you have a packed schedule the next day, you’re going to end up exhausted. Instead, schedule alone time for yourself to catch up on your Netflix queue or try out the new mask your salon just got in. By taking the time to pamper yourself, you’ll feel more ready and able to pamper all of your wonderful clients.
Wear Comfy Shoes
It doesn’t take a lifetime behind the chair to know that you’ve got to take care of your body. While the stilettos or strappy flats might go better with your outfit, you’ll be paying for it later. In addition to proper shoes, think about padded mats, stretch breaks, or an after-work foot massage to ensure you and your feet make it through the holiday season.
Ask for Help
Whether you work in a salon with other stylists or have your own suite, set your self up for success this season with a helping hand. Think about hiring an assistant to help appointments run smoother while also giving you breaks throughout the day. If this is not an option, make a plan with a fellow colleague to help each other out, taking the pressure off of doing everything on your own.
Sometimes, Just Say No
The basis of self-care starts with yourself, and sometimes you need to put yourself first. Working in the beauty industry, it’s natural to want to please clients. However, if adding a last-minute client or squeezing in another appointment between services is going to stress you out or make you run late, apologize to your client and simply say “no.”
