Let’s face it, sometimes doing hair can be a grind. Physically, it’s a long day on your feet, your legs get tight and achy. Some days you are repeatedly bending over a shampoo bowl. Not to mention, we all know that hairdressers have strong arms from those “Victoria’s Secret” style blowouts.
The physicality of the job has incredible demands on our bodies. It can be grueling and I didn’t even mention the pain in your lower back as well as between your shoulder blades!
Let’s not forget to consider the mental aspects. I would argue that the mental game is even more difficult some days than the physical game of life behind the chair! One of my good friends is a social worker, I have another girlfriend who is a counselor, I also roll with an oncology nurse and I’ve got a lady friend who is a doctor. These professionals are working in some of the most taxing jobs to the mind and the spirit! I would argue that hairdressers are right there in the trenches with those other pros!
If you have been behind the chair for more than a year, I bet you’ve seen your fair share of clients who break down, admit their children are addicts, divulge that they are seeking a divorce, or have just lost a parent. Life can be heavy and that heaviness gets dumped at our salon chair at regular intervals and at unpredictable times. Often without regard to your own personal energy and mental balance.
We see clients every 4 to 6 weeks, and they come every half hour, and it’s basically a private setting which leads to a very quick way to get comfortable quickly. Over the course of many years, you can go through deaths, engagements, divorces, births, loss of friendships and so much life! Hairdressers get to see inside their client’s lives and support them through all of the ups and downs that life will throw at them.
So how do we protect our spirits? We know that between clients we should stretch, drink plenty of water and make sure that we are getting exercise that supports our bodies staying strong and healthy. Have you ever thought about what are some tools to protect your mind, your soul?
Mentally it can be really tough! This is not something that we generally get any preparation for in school.
A daily gratitude practice is my secret weapon! It’s a valuable tool that a hairdresser can partake in to protect herself or himself from the mental rigors of the changing vibes that his or her clients can bring in the salon.
If you pick three things every morning that you’re grateful for, it can make such a huge difference in your day.
Sometimes my gratitudes are huge… ”I’m so grateful that I have an incredible partner who is a loving supportive father to our children.”
Other times it can be things like, “I’m really glad I found that pottery and it looks like my plant is really thriving in it.” I mean honestly, sometimes I’m so grateful when one of my plants starts to flourish!
Everyone is different, some people are grateful that they get to work alongside a close friend and share in a great salon community every day.
Others are grateful that they found an amazing daycare and that their kids are enjoying the time while growing and developing. Each day is definitely different because each day brings new things to be thankful for and new challenges as well.
I challenge you to give this a try, pick three things that you’re grateful for every day in the morning for 1 week. This practice starts the ball rolling and your mind is focused on the positive. Your mind starts collecting things for the next day so you will trick your brain into paying more attention to the good parts of your day. It will organically start spending less mental focus on the parts of the day that are tough.
Your outlook will be better and elevated and you’ll end up attracting more positive things into your life on a daily basis. I challenge you to give this a try, starting now!
Before you know it a month will pass by where you have collected 90 positive thoughts that you were grateful for. That’s a lot of good things that you’re ruminating about! 90 things in a month. Do the math, that’s at least 1,080 things per year that you’re grateful for!
All that adds up to a better week and all those weeks add up to a better month and all those months at up to a seriously incredible year!
I’m telling you, try it out! It can be so valuable to take the time in the morning and write down three things for which you’re grateful. Save your journal of gratitude. It gives you something to lean on, to look back to on a difficult day and remember all of the good stuff in your life!
Today I’m grateful that it’s a Sunday and we get to be lazy as a family. I’m grateful that my husband brought me coffee in bed, and I’m grateful that we have some fun plans this afternoon with the kids. And... I’m grateful that I’m in a community with you! I hope this is incredibly helpful to you!
Cheers friend!