The pandemic has been a challenging time for everyone and especially for those whose professional life was severely impacted by it. Lockdowns, social distancing measures, and the fear of catching Covid infection have altogether pushed many people working in the beauty industry to the verge of a financial crisis. Even today, when vaccination processes have begun, people still avoid visiting beauty salons as a beautician cannot provide them with a beauty treatment without touching them. As a result, people working in the beauty industry have been severely affected.
Their mental health has been hit at the worst during these challenging circumstances. Even before the pandemic, the mental health of those working in the beauty industry was suffering because of the high work intensity, emotional reactions from clients, the nature of the work, and other similar factors. When the financial crisis stimulated by the pandemic added to all these factors, the mental health of people working in the beauty industry hit the worst.
If you are someone working in the beauty industry, who is also experiencing a loss of mental well-being during the pandemic, this blog is for you. Here, we’ll discuss 7 tactics that can help you support your mental health amidst challenging circumstances. As your mental health starts bouncing back, you can think, function better, and sail your ship out of the financial crisis.
7 tactics to support your mental health as a beautician:
Engage in a side hustle that gives you inner joy: Inner joy is the ointment that can bring ease to a troubled mind. If your work gave you immense joy, chances are that you are missing the joy along with the financial security it provided you. Under such circumstances, it is crucial for you to engage in a side hustle that can help you gain financial stability while giving inner joy. For example, you can start teaching beauty techniques to aspiring beauticians online. This way, you can not only stay connected with your profession but also earn well. Further, if there is something else that gives you inner joy, you can also try to make it your side hustle. For example, if you love art and craft, you can try selling handicrafts on e-shopping websites like Etsy, Amazon, and ArtFire. As you engage in a side hustle that brings you inner joy, believe me, your mental health will get a significant boost.
Engage in self-care, doing relaxing things that you did for your clients: Beauty treatment and massage are known to enhance one’s mental well-being. Both these things help induce deep states of rest and relaxation which help the mind heal. So, it is time for you to engage in quality self-care, doing the same relaxing things for yourself that you did for your customers. For example, you can try a soothing body massage with the best oils, moisturizers, and beauty products that you have. Nourish yourself and believe me, you’ll experience deep inner peace and your mind will assume a state of rest. As your mind gets the desired rest from all the thinking that it has been into, you’ll heal and slowly assume sound mental health. Once your mental health returns to its best, you’ll be able to do all that you wish.
Try a meditation app: According to healthline, meditation reduces stress, controls anxiety, promotes emotional health, improves sleep, and helps manage pain. With all these immense benefits, meditation is a boon for mental health. I have been meditating for almost 6 months now and I can tell you that it is really beneficial. It’ll help you retreat in deep inner peace and heal. As you start meditating on a regular basis, you’ll find your mind becoming stabilized. You’ll be less anxious, there will be a reduction in your overthinking tendencies and you’ll find yourself drifting towards creativity. With this, you’ll slowly again reach the peak of your mental health. Further, to incorporate meditation into your daily life, you can try a meditation app. Headspace, Tranquil, and Insight Timer are some free meditation apps that you can use. You can also meditate with the help of guided meditation videos available on YouTube. There is no need to meditate for hours to reap the benefits, just 10 to 15 minutes of meditation a day will be sufficient.
Engage in the pursuit of positivity with Salonology: The beauty coaching brand Salonology has curated a simple way to keep your head happy in times of crisis. It is known as the pursuit of positivity. The pursuit of positivity inspires us to take one day at a time. If we cannot imagine a positive future, then why should we even imagine a negative future for ourselves? Now, let’s discuss the 6 steps that’ll help you with your pursuit of positivity:
- Control:
Having control helps us feel secure but during times of a crisis we feel out of control which breeds insecurity. As a result, we feel anxious, worried and stressed. Under such circumstances, we can help ourselves feel secure by controlling the things that are actually in our control. For example, you can create a plan for contacting your clients and making your business bounce back once things begin to improve. Moreover, you can also create other plans like for your side hustle and start implementing them. This will help you feel a sense of control in your life and bring a reduction in your anxiety levels.
- Gratitude:
Gratitude can help us see the sunshine in our lives even when we are surrounded by a storm. So, you should try to practice gratitude on a daily basis. This will help you rewire your brain towards positivity and boost your mental health. Every night before going to sleep, you can try counting at least 3 things that you are grateful for. This practice will start reaping its benefits in around a week.
- Smile:
The beautiful curve on your face has the ability to make you feel better and enhance your mental health. So, you should try doing things that bring a smile to your face. For example, you can speak to your friends, watch funny videos and movies online.
- Productivity:
Productivity has the power to give a boost to your self-confidence which is good for your mental health. Try to engage in something productive on a daily basis. You can set goals for yourself and try to accomplish them. For example, you can try learning two new beauty techniques in a day and making a painting, whatever you like. Believe me, by doing such things you’ll again start feeling happy and motivated towards doing the best in your life.
- Inspiration:
To help your mind heal, you should try reading something inspirational today. For example, you can read inspirational quotes, blogs and stories.
- Self-love:
“Treat yourself the way you want to be treated by others...love yourself and you will be loved.” These words by Rhonda Byrne highlight the importance of self-love. As you start loving yourself deeply, you’ll begin to feel good and your mental health will also witness a significant boost. So, you should try to stand in front of a mirror every day in the morning and say two positive things about yourself.
Exercise a little every day: Exercise is one of the best ways to enhance your mental well-being. It leads to the secretion of happy hormones like Serotonin and Dopamine in the body. These happy hormones uplift your mood and induce a deep state of relaxation. Moreover, exercise also helps nourish skin cells and keep them vital. This makes it crucial for you to exercise a little every day. If you want exercising to be fun, you can try dance workouts like Zumba and Aerobics. You just have to play these dance workout videos on YouTube and dance along.
Take a good beauty sleep at night: In the words of the Dalai Lama, “Sleep is the best meditation.” Good quality sleep has the power to heal your body as well as the mind. If you get good beauty sleep every night, your mental health will begin to improve. If the stress associated with the financial crisis induced by the pandemic has disrupted your sleep cycle, you can try the following tips:
- Try sleep guided meditation before sleep:
Sleep-guided meditation can help your mind calm down at night and help you sleep better.
- Reduce blue light exposure in the evening:
Blue light emitted from screens tricks the brain into thinking that it is still daytime. This negatively impacts the production of melatonin- the sleep-inducing hormone and disrupts your sleep. So, you should try to reduce blue light exposure in the evening. This will help you sleep better.
- Massage yourself to sleep:
Massage helps reduce stress and increases the amount of happy hormones like Dopamine and Serotonin in the body. When your stress levels decrease and the happy hormones make you feel relaxed, you are likely to sleep better.
Try virtual therapy if needed: If you find yourself struggling despite trying the above-mentioned techniques, you can try virtual therapy. Therapists can help you understand your mind better and provide you with tools and techniques that can bring ease to your troubled mind. There is no trouble in taking virtual therapy. Just like your body, your mind may also need a therapist’s help to regain its health at times. So, don’t let the stigma associated with mental health bother you, and feel free to try virtual therapy if needed.
The pandemic has been an extremely challenging time for beauticians like you. Along with the health challenges induced by the pandemic, you are also dealing with the financial challenges it has brought in your life. As a result, your mental health may have been impacted and the above-mentioned tactics can help you restore your mental well-being. Now, wishing you All the Best and healthy life ahead.
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