How to Avoid Breaking Point | Louis Byrne

Louis Byrne is an international hairdresser, session artist and mindful coach. His reset and wellbeing plan, ‘I can, I am and I will’, encourages people towards growth, positivity and mindful living. Throughout this series, Louis explores why inner wellness is the inner foundation of hairdressing excellence. This month, he explains how to avoid breaking point…

We’ve all been there – the breaking point where it’s as if you have no choice but to hit the ‘f*** it’ button. But what if, instead of spiralling, you had the tools to reset, reflect and rise?

We all have one: The ‘f*** it’ button. That point where enough is enough, and you hit it. For some, it’s a quiet giving up, and for others, it’s loud, chaotic and destructive. But either way, it causes harm – to ourselves, to our relationships and to our futures.

I’ve hit that button many times. Why? Because I didn’t have the knowledge, the tools or the experience to deal with how I was feeling. My toolbox was empty. It was empty because I’d given my energy to everyone and everything… except to myself.

When I moved to London, it was off the back of a big trauma. My younger brother had died, and I was living a lie – not knowing who my authentic self even was. On my first day at my new job in London, I went to some staff drinks… by the end of the night, I was in a ‘K-hole’ in the pub toilets. I’d never even touched that stuff before, and it was my first day on the job. That memory is visceral; it’ll be burned into my mind forever.

From there, I carried on running away from my problems with alcohol, sex and drugs. You tell yourself you’re fine and you keep pressing that button, but the truth is this: Your get-out-of-jail-free card will always run out eventually. Your energy runs out. Your clarity runs out. Your focus runs out.

The one thing I’m eternally grateful for – the thing that held me when I couldn’t hold myself – is my craft. Hairdressing. It’s my connection to people; it’s the discipline of creating. It carried me through the good and the bad, the people who just take and the people who give. That’s why I’ve created my ‘Reset to Rise’ programme and the ‘I Can, I Am and I Will’ philosophy. They’re mental fitness tools for when life throws you under. They’re about rebuilding your toolbox, so you don’t keep slamming the ‘f*** it’ button. It’s all about giving stylists, creatives and everyday people simple, effective ways to pause, reflect and reset.

Together, we will stop hitting the ‘f*** it’ button.

Together, we will build resilience.

Together, we will rise…

3 Ways to Avoid Hitting the ‘F*** It’ Button:

• Pause and Breathe:
  In the moment, stop. Take three deep breaths. It sounds simple, but it interrupts the cycle and gives you space to think before reacting.
• Journal Your Truth:
  Write down what you’re feeling, unfiltered. Journaling is a proven way to process emotions and spot patterns before they spiral.
• Check Your Energy Balance:
  Ask yourself: Am I giving too much away without replenishing myself? Resetting your mindset isn’t about ‘more, more, more’; it’s about balance, perspective and self-respect.

Sign up to ‘Reset to Rise’ today – your £1 mental fitness toolbox. Visit www.iciaiw.com and join the movement.