A guide to taking care of yourself in tough times

It becomes even more challenging when you’re facing complicated life situations that could include a relationship breakdown, perhaps you’re caring for a parent or loved one with a terminal illness or a new diagnosis that is challenging, or you’re attending medical appointments yourself for treatments such as IVF or fertility support to name a few scenarios that are surprisingly common for us as humans that have chosen to work as hairdressers.

Show notes for episode 126

LET’S MEET OUR GUEST – Hayley Jepson, The Resilient Hairdresser

Hayley began hairdressing at 17 and quickly discovered her passion for it. She worked hard as an apprentice and eventually moved on to work for Toni & Guy, where she worked her way up to Art Director over the course of 10 years. During this time, she taught at their training academies and worked at branches in Manchester, Brighton, and Belgium. After a decade with Toni & Guy, Hayley worked at a wonderful independent salon in Manchester's Northern Quarter for 9 years. However, she began to experience burnout and depression, so she decided to seek therapy and eventually train to become a psychotherapist.

After three years of working as a full-time psychotherapist, Hayley began to miss the social aspect of her previous job in hairdressing. She agreed to work one day a week in a salon, which helped balance out the solitary nature of her therapy work. Eventually, she returned to working full-time in the salon, realizing that the skills she gained through therapy and psychotherapy were serving her well.

As she approached her mid-forties, she considered her future and was encouraged by her oldest client, who is a business coach, to think about what was special about her. 

Hayley realized that she had a gift for teaching and that she could combine her passion for therapy work and hairdressing. She started offering workshops and training, using the ideas she developed years earlier and the strategies she learned during her psychotherapy training, to help fellow hairdressers. 

She now does this full-time and has been known as “The Resilient Hairdresser.”

Smiling can not (always) mask your feelings 

Putting a smile on your face when times are tough is one of the hardest things in our job as a hairdresser. This is the hardest part of hairdressing.

We need to really normalise this. It is ok to take time off when you need it and as an industry we tend to panic about taking time off or letting other people down. 

Is it a good idea to post on social media about your business needing to close for personal reasons? Or can thiis leave you too exposed? Would you prefer to not talk about something? Has a loved one passed away and you’re needing to cancel clients for the funeral and grieving time? We answer these questions and more in this interview. 

TIPS FOR TAKING CARE OF YOURSELF IN TOUGH TIMES

• If you dont’t take care of yourself you are sabotaging your business & one of the best ways to care for yourself is to care for everything consistently
• If you’re in the financial position to take time off work whilst facing tough times do it
• If you’re needing to keep working during a difficult time it’s important to seek support to help you physically, emotionally and mentally
• Automating parts of your salon business, especially the booking process, will allow you to remain consistent with bookings and avoids you feeling added pressure for communicating with clients
• There is support available

Listen to episode 126 of the Colour Kristina Talks Podcast to learn how to take care of yourself in tough times as a hairdresser or salon owner.