Hairstylist Burnout; 3 Steps to overcome work-related stress
Being a hairstylist is an incredibly demanding job. Between the constant interaction with clients, (both in your chair and after hours when they're trying to book you), being on your feet all day, missing breaks or forgetting to take lunch at all; it can easily take a toll on your general well-being. Combine that with the need to be consistently creative, a potential of feeling stagnant or uninspired and you may quickly find that you have burned your candle at both ends. This can lead to something a lot of hair stylists will experience in their lifetime called burnout.
According to The World Health Organization burnout is “a syndrome resulting from workplace stress that has not been successfully managed.” Burnout is characterized by feelings of energy depletion or exhaustion; increased mental distance from one's job, or feelings of negativity or cynicism related to one's job.
How often have you mentioned to someone at work that you're always tired or even that you're considering quitting hair for good? Although these feelings are valid, if it is a constant sentiment, then you may be experiencing workplace burnout. Burnout is physically and mentally exhausting, and it can be hard to realize you have it because it's caused by prolonged and unmanaged stress.
As someone who has experienced burnout firsthand, I have been able to manage it successfully using three simple steps; finding the root cause, prioritizing myself, and releasing perfection. By using these steps, my goal is to avoid burnout altogether, but they also help me work through feelings of workplace burnout in-the-moment like dissatisfaction or general negativity.
1. Find the root cause
Chances are you got into hair because you are passionate about the craft, but as time passes you may find yourself losing sight of what makes you passionate about doing hair.The weekly grind behind the chair can eventually leave you feeling worn out. It is very easy to feel disillusioned about your career path, but there are a number of factors that may be contributing in clouding your true passion for doing hair. Addressing these factors can help you manage your stress and bring you out of burnout.
Workplace dynamic. The first thing to consider is your environment. Perhaps you aren't in love with your salon space, you’re having trouble with coworkers, or experiencing issues with your boss. Maybe there are certain clients that make your day less enjoyable or who drain your energy. All of these factors can play into not enjoying your time at work. Eventually, these sorts of issues can disenchant you and change the way you feel about showing up to work in the first place, making it hard to do a great job. The best solution in this case is a change of setting. A refresh and a chance to redefine your workspace can help clear the table and regain inspiration. The option of completely moving salons is not always accessible to everyone but even smaller adjustments can have a huge impact.. Try moving to a different station, and choosing who you are working next to. If you are in a larger salon and experiencing issues with a coworker or your boss, never be afraid to speak to an HR representative for your salon. Otherwise, set up an actual meeting with the owner of your salon in order to try and resolve conflicts. If you don't feel heard or satisfied with how your feedback is received, that could be a sign to prioritize yourself and make more significant changes.
Physically demanding work- Doing hair is a laborious career. A busy and constant workload can quickly lead to fatigue and exhaustion, which over time will lead to burnout. I highly recommend adding some general movement in your routine in order to improve stamina and energy levels for the work day. You can do things like morning yoga sessions, a gym routine, or going on a walk in your neighborhood. Mayo clinic reports that physical activity that increases your heart rate will increase endurance, improve your mood, elevate energy levels, and improve sleep. You also need to allow your body to adequately recover in order to manage a busy schedule. Another great solution is to reduce your work hours to a more manageable time frame so you aren’t on your feet and working more than you handle in a week. This could mean starting your day later or finishing your day earlier, or you could go from three 10-hour days to four 8-hour days. This could be a great opportunity to raise your prices and alleviate some of the workload as well.
Work-life imbalance - If your work is taking up too much of your time then you won't have enough time for anything else. It’s important to find time to do things that make you feel energized like hanging out with friends or spending time with your family. When the other joys of life are being obstructed by your work obligations, it will begin to make work feel more like a chore which can be taxing on your well-being. This ties back to my previous point that if you can't fully detach from work, it can be difficult to adequately recover and manage your busy schedule. Setting appropriate business hours and only responding to work related inquiries during that time is the best way to allow yourself to detach from your work. If you allow yourself to be accessible at all hours, inevitably it will happen. Also having a separate line of contact, whether that’s a business-only instagram, a business email, something other than your personal phone number, will also help clearly define the lines between your work and your personal life.
Lack of control. Being unable to influence major aspects of your career can be frustrating. Perhaps you are not doing the type of hair that satisfies or inspires you, or you aren't able to personalize your workspace. Maybe your salon frequently lacks supplies or resources you need to adequately perform your job. A major step in regaining control of your chair is to focus on clients that will fulfill you. Be aware of the kind of clients you agree to take on. If a client doesn't make you think a resounding “hell yes!” about doing their hair, then it may be better to say no. Check out my previous blog post, for more details on how to implement this into your work in a proactive way, while still respecting and accommodating clients. When possible, becoming an independent contractor could allow more flexibility and control of your books and workplace. When you begin to work for yourself you can freely choose how you represent yourself bringing fresh energy and inspiration in your career.
Addressing these issues may help you return to a balance in your work life and lead you to reconnecting with the joy you feel working behind the chair. Being honest with yourself and addressing what issues you may have at work allows you to clear the fog, and find a more clear path forward.
2. Prioritize yourself
Being a hairstylist is both physically and mentally demanding; standing on your feet all day, constant conversation, maintaining good posture, holding your arms up for applications, cutting, and blow drying, the list goes on. When you are not making time to invest in yourself, both physically and mentally, you will be exhausted. As we now know, unresolved exhaustion will lead to increased stress and fatigue which will lead to burnout. Fortifying yourself in both aspects will nourish you and in turn you will be better able to bring your full self to work.
Prioritize sleep. Having a consistent and effective sleep schedule will improve your mood, boost your energy levels through the day, and reduce stress. Staying consistent on what time and how long you sleep will prevent you from accruing something known as “sleep debt”, when you over or under sleep and struggle to feel adequately rested on work days. I go over this topic in a blog post here, and talk about how sleep debt can affect your performance behind the chair. Beyond having more energy for work, you will get sick less, and lower risk of serious health issues according to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
Put on your own oxygen mask. It's important to check in with yourself often, and remember that you are a human with wants and needs that need to be satisfied. This means being kind to yourself and empathetic to the parts of yourself that need more attention. Being kind to yourself can mean so many things as long as you find it serves you and makes you feel better. Meditation, exercise and movement, self care, making time for hobbies and goals, completing errands and chores, journaling, cooking/eating great meals, and catching up with friends and family can all be great ways to ground yourself and acknowledge and validate needs you have outside of your career. Showing up for yourself will allow you to show up for others and perform your best in your business.
3. Release perfection
Being a hairstylist comes with a constant pressure to be perfect. You always want to perform an outstanding service for every single client, you want to make sure every service is absolutely perfect. A constant focus on achieving perfection makes it difficult to avoid comparing yourself to others. It also makes it easy to be hard on yourself when something doesn't turn out exactly how you or your client was expecting. You and I both know that perfection is not attainable. The great thing about being a hairstylist is that it is a craft. Instead of trying to be perfect or the best, you have the opportunity to constantly learn and evolve, each day a new chance to refine your skills. I am of the mindset that every client just needs to be better than the last, so that I give everyone the best that I can do at that moment. Progress will always be better than perfection. When you can release something as unrealistic as perfection, you can fulfill yourself artistically and creatively, and find more joy in the process instead of focusing on the final result.
I challenge you as a stylist to dig around and find early photos of your professional work. If you are anything like me you may cringe at the thought of letting someone leave the salon like that, let alone the fact that you documented it forever. It may not even be half bad, but I can promise you will clearly see some improvement you've made as a stylist. I do this whenever I feel uninspired or when I begin to feel burnt out. This always helps me reflect on where I can improve and feel proud of how far I've come. I will quickly feel the stress of burnout fade away as I scroll through my old work. The opportunity to change your approach and continuously refine your craft is exciting and a privilege we have as full-time creatives and artists.
Have you ever experienced burnout? What are some ways you overcome the feeling of burnout? Are you possibly experiencing burnout currently and could use some advice on the next move? Please let me know and I would love to answer your questions or share some of your tips with other stylists.