Dealing With Christmas Stress and January Blues | Hayley Jepson

Combining her successful careers as a hairdresser and a psychotherapist, Hayley Jepson is a coach on a mission. Her coaching business, The Resilient Hairdresser, has helped thousands of salon owners, stylists and freelance hairdressers navigate the fast-paced and ever-changing working environment. Here, Hayley is on hand to answer your questions.

Dear Hayley,

I hope you can help me; I’m so stressed out. I’m also mad at myself because I do this every year! I have completely overbooked myself this Christmas. I’m working six days a week and nine in a row in the run-up to Christmas Eve, and then I am working in between Christmas and New Year too! I feel like cancelling all my clients and just hiding from everyone, but I need the money, so I can’t. Do you have any suggestions for me?

Thank you, Fiona

Hi Fiona,

Firstly, I feel for you – I’ve totally been here myself! At this late stage, I would suggest a damage management approach. You say  you don’t want to cancel any clients, so I’ll try my best to give you suggestions that avoid that. However, remember you are allowed to cancel some clients and move them to January if you are really struggling – it’s never worth sacrificing your mental or physical health.

Try these suggestions…

• If anyone cancels, book out the space.
• Delegate as much as you can at home, so you can just focus on work. Who else can take over your responsibilities there?
• Cancel all social events until January; save your energy and rest when you can. I know that can sound miserable, but it’s vital at this point that you save as much energy as possible.
• Ask for help. Believe it or not, people like to feel helpful.
• Consider asking the clients that have booked between Christmas and New Year to move to January? They absolutely might do this for you.
• Book some time off for yourself in January. You are really going to need to recover and recuperate after this.

Finally, while your feelings are fresh, I would write down how you feel right now and what you would have done differently. This way you can plan what needs to change for next December to be better.

I wish you well!

Hayley x

Dear Hayley,

I feel silly saying this, but I always find January really hard. I feel like everyone is raring to go, setting goals and joining the gym, and I just feel deflated, exhausted and fed up. I feel like I should be making plans like everyone else, but I just want to crawl into bed and stay there. Sometimes I wonder if I’ve got SAD? Is that even a real thing? What do you think? How can I be more productive?

Thank you, Chris

Hey Chris,

I think plenty of people feel deflated and in a low mood in January. It can be a tough time of year for many. Seasonal Affective Disorder is a real thing – it was named as a type of depression in the 1980s. It’s thought the lack of daylight can cause a chemical change in the brain for some people, causing depression. I definitely struggle with my mood more in the winter too, so I hope it’s helpful to know you’re not alone in this. Instead of trying to force yourself to be productive at this time of year, how would it feel to think of this time as a period of rest and reflection instead? More like hibernation and recharging. Instead of setting goals, think about what went well in 2024 and what you want to do differently this year. Take some time off in January if you can, and focus on the things that make you feel good. There are also light boxes you can buy to use at home – they are said to replace the daylight missing at this time of year. Also, have a look at the daylight alarm clocks that simulate a sunrise. Both of these things can really help.

Look after yourself,

Hayley x