Let’s get one thing straight: affirmations aren’t just fluffy Insta quotes or woo-woo wellness trends. Done right, they’re powerful tools to rewire your brain, boost your confidence and build resilience. And let me tell you: that’s exactly what we need in this industry.
Whether you’re on the salon floor smashing back-to-back clients, working for yourself trying to make rent and build a brand or just juggling life and scissors, the pressure is real no matter what. Burnout is common and self-doubt is loud. That inner critic? Sometimes, she’s got a megaphone.
So, how do we change the story…?
Saying “I Can, I Am and I Will” might sound simple, but the science behind it is solid. When you repeat positive affirmations — especially ones rooted in action and belief — you’re literally training your brain to think differently. And this isn’t fluff; it’s back by real neuroscience.
Researchers have found that self-affirmation activates the brain’s reward centres, particularly the ventromedial prefrontal cortex – this is the same area that lights up when you eat good food, get a compliment or nail a banging colour correction. (Source: Falk et al., PNAS, 2015.) So, when you affirm yourself, your brain registers it as something rewarding. You’re carving out fresh mental roads that say,“I’ve got this,” even when old ones try to say, “I’m not good enough.”
Why is this important? Well, we work in a high-speed, high-stakes environment. Clients trust us with their look, their story, their feelings, and most of us have a natural instinct to give, give, give. However, if your default inner voice is running off broken factory settings – from trauma, conditioning or just plain survival mode – then giving can come at the cost of your own confidence and wellbeing.
I don’t speak on this from theory, I speak from experience. There were times I doubted myself hard, and times I felt like I didn’t belong. My upbringing didn’t hand me a silver spoon; it handed me clippers and a hard work ethic. However, what changed the game for me wasn’t waiting to be chosen; it was me choosing me. Every day, I told myself:
I Can. I Am. I Will.
That mindset carried me from local salons to working with the world’s most beautiful stars. It helped me create a global empowerment movement, launch coaching programmes in schools, publish a journal that’s now used in classrooms, produce affirming TV features and curate art exhibitions that uplift the under-represented. I’ve sat in rooms I once dreamt about, and I got there not just with skill, but with belief. Not every day was easy, but the reset was simple.
So, next time you’re feeling the pressure, take a breath and drop into three simple truths:
I Can – I’ve got the power, the tools and the heart to keep going.
I Am – I know who I am. I’m learning. I’m growing. I’m here.
I Will – I’m not finished yet. There’s more to come. I’m building my next chapter.
Because hairdressing isn’t just about what you do with your hands; it’s about what you believe in your heart.
Affirmations are your way of rewriting the old scripts:
“I’m not clever enough.” > “I am capable.”
“I’ll never make it.” > “I can build something of my own.”
“I’m too much / not enough.” > “I am exactly who I need to be.”
They’re free, accessible and powerful, and if you make them part of your daily mindset, they start to stick. Even when life gets loud.
