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SEARCHSustain Beauty Co.'s Valerie Tate walks you through the four pillars of mental health to help you combat burnout and protect your mental health.
Connecting with friends and colleagues is a powerful way to boost overall wellbeing. It should make you feel valued, but if it doesn’t, ask yourself why not.
We are bang in the middle of Mental Health Awareness Month (May), yet so many beauty professionals are still struggling to stay well. Nearly seven in ten stylists have experienced burnout (Source: L'Oreal Professionnel 2023), while almost half also report that their clients are ‘trauma-dumping’ their own mental health issues in the chair, reports Valorie Tate, founder of Sustain Beauty Co.
“Supporting a client with anxiety, depression and stress has an impact on your own mental health,” says Tate, who advocates for personal sustainability as much as professional. “Add to that the physical demands of the job, other more difficult and demanding clients, and the struggle to achieve a positive work/life balance and it can all become too overwhelming.
“We need to protect ourselves, and one way is to bring personal awareness to the four pillars of mental health. Identifying one action at a time from each pillar can help build greater resilience.”
The buzz of adrenalin flowing through your body after even moderate activity – like walking – does more than benefit your heart, it also helps with mood regulation and stress reduction. If it’s feasible, try walking after work. Maybe park your car a bit further from work or skip on to the next bus/train stop.
Don’t forget that ‘physical’ also covers health - yours! Protect yourself from the negative impact of repeated washing and coloring of hair with protective gloves and avoid mixing color close to your face. You also need to be aware of the degenerative effects of untreated conditions that stylists can be prone to such as back and allergy problems. Protect your body and total physical wellness.
Connecting with friends and colleagues is a powerful way to boost overall wellbeing. It should make you feel valued. If it doesn’t, ask yourself why not. Being behind the chair can leave you feeling socially drained at the end of the day, so fill your cup with those that gift you comfort without expectations. Drop vampiric friends who suck you dry by dumping their negativity on you while lacking any curiosity about your life. Work to protect your peace at work. Call your mom more.
This one might be more of a challenge, but we need to stimulate our minds. The bad news is browsing Instagram for hours won’t do it. Take time out to expand your knowledge beyond beauty by following a podcast, reading a paper or joining a club or class. As well as being good for your brain, it can distract you from the professional pressures of challenging clients and troublesome career obstacles.
This is tough but crucial – you must learn to accept yourself and prioritize your mental and emotional well-being. Research and adopt self-care tools that suit you which you can use during times of high stress, and incorporate a non-negotiable self-care practice into your daily routine. It can be something as simple as a relaxing bath when you get home or practicing mindfulness (you can do this in the bath or in the car after work) or listening to your favorite podcast (which you can also do in the bath). You deserve it.
For ideas on how to support professional mental wellbeing, check out the Team Initiatives section of SBCo’s free Sustainable Salon Checklist
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