HARE & BONE’s Sam Burnett shares his mindful morning routine. Morning rituals help set up my day in the right mindset and allow me to take this attitude into the salon.
The significance of morning routines cannot be under-estimated. Small, new healthy habits first thing in the morning can help you respond to life rather than react. If you wake up and immediately pick up the phone you’ll be on the back foot all day. However, if you shower, exercise, eat breakfast, meditate, walk the dog – whatever works for you – before you check in with the outside world, your day will improve significantly.
Creating a short morning routine for yourself can get you mentally and physically ready for your day. We thrive on positive routines and they can strengthen our mindset and increase our health and wellbeing. I know we are all busy and appreciate that instinctively we want to get started on work as soon as possible but I promise, creating a morning routine and prioritising yourself at the start of the day will see vast, positive shifts in your energy, attitude and business.
Matrix’s Ria Kulik shares monthly rules to live by to bring out the best you.
FIVE THINGS EVERY HAIRDRESSER SHOULD DO AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH:
■ Put yourself first, your self-care is as important as anyone else –Take a breathe, book yourself out and take a break. Delegate if you can and write everything down. Sometimes when it’s out of your head things are clearer and not as bad as you think
■ Set boundaries on the hours you work – the times you are available to answer client’s queries or team issues. Then stick to these hours, you can’t be there for everyone so stop trying. Just make sure you are there for yourself. Protect yourself from early starts or late nights for other people and ask them to find another appointment that suits them.
■ Step away from the phone – the worst thing about social media is you are contactable every hour of the day. Set times when you will respond and add an automated response to your DMs so clients don’t expect an answer within minutes! Before you know it they will soon stop messaging you at midnight!
■ Have something to look forward to – whether this is a weekend break, a night away or just some time to yourself to read a book.
■ Invest in yourself – give yourself a boost in your skills and your confidence. It’s also a great way to meet others in the same position.
Pulp Riot’s Heffy Wheeler talks tips for prioritising personal mental health.
When I talk about mental health, I come at it from someone with mental health issues, so my tips and advice come from a very personal place. When it comes to our mental health, we have to prioritise it and its importance; it’s all about finding that balance. I will over work and try to distract myself from low moods or depression, but we all cope in different ways. If we don’t prioritise our mental health, we will crash and burn then won’t be able to work and function properly. In our jobs we are talking to everyone else about their problems and concerns and it’s easy to forget about our own.
HEFFY’S FIVE TOP TIPS FOR TACKLING BURNOUT
1- Educate yourself on what burnout means to you. Recognise your own signs and don’t ignore them. Face them and realise it’s not a bad thing not to be OK. There is still a taboo about mental health and it’s easy to push it to the back of your mind, but that’s not healthy or sustainable.
2- Try to identify the source of your burnout and work out how to cope with it. Take a few days away from clients or your boss, and if you’re really struggling go and see a doctor.
3- Prioritise self-care. It’s not easy to do this, especially when you’re running a business, growing your clientele, and keeping on top of social media. Whether that’s watching a film in bed, going for a run, or reading a book, there’s no right or wrong way so find what suits you.
4- Set some boundaries and limits – for example not working all day and evening! Stick to your limits and don’t worry about saying no to someone or something.
5- It’s easy to internalise your struggle, but the most important thing you can do is reach out. I talk about mental health on my social media and have connected with other people who feel similar to me, which has been really helpful. One in three people struggle with burnout, so you’re not alone.
Find more about self care in our July/August issue online here
