Business

Self-Care as a Barber

The Need-to-Know Tips for Self-Care 

In a Stressful Industry


Let’s face it. No matter how much you love your barbering career, it’s pretty dang demanding.

Even if you do go home every night after work singing the praises of your clients, your job, and your passion, the reality is, you’re still coming home exhausted, sore, and probably covered in someone else’s hair. Take a moment and let that sink in as you bandage up your finger cuts and explain to yet another client that their sweet fade probably won’t look exactly the same as that one they saw on Instagram that one time.

Your job’s not all bad, but it definitely takes a lot out of you. That’s why you—yeah, we’re talking to you—should learn how to focus on self-care.

Self-care is sort of a buzz word right now. A lot of people think that self-care simply means melting into a bubble bath with a face mask on and listening to smooth jazz. And honestly, that could be a form of it. But what self-care really is taking the time focus on yourself to ensure you’re checking in with yourself mentally, physically, and emotionally. 

Before we dive in, here’s an important note.

Self-care looks different for everyone. What works for one barber might be heinous for another, and vice versa. So read each of these suggestions and take them as what they are—suggestions.

The best advice we can offer you is to find a healthy, positive outlet that lets you melt away stress, focus on yourself, and relax. What that looks like is totally up to you!


Meditate

Meditation is a hugely helpful form of self-care that can work wonders for you.

The best part?

You don’t need a ton of time to do it! In fact, sometimes a solid, consistent 10 minutes a day for meditation is all you need to check in with yourself mentally, physically, and emotionally. If you can, try to set aside 10-20 minutes every morning that’s wholly devoted to meditation. Don’t work on anything else, don’t multitask, don’t do it while you wash your hair in the shower.

Just meditate. Just be.


Exercise

Exercise is a fantastic form of self-care, and it comes in ALL types of varieties. When you exercise, you’re not only maintaining a healthy weight and a positive body image, you’re also releasing endorphins, which signal good feelings to your brain, combat and reduce stress, and help you manage depression.

Everyone could use a little exercise anyhow, right?

It can be simple—a few minutes of walking every day—or intense—train for a dang marathon if you want. The important thing to remember is that it’s all about taking care of yourself—that should be your primary goal! 


Mental Check-Ins

Take a few moments every single day to literally check in with yourself. Pause, breathe, and ask, “am I feeling OK today? Is something bothering me?  Do I need to take a break to give myself a moment to get back on track?

This is hugely important, especially when you’re on your feet for 10 hours and never stopping for rest. The best thing you can do for yourself is to build in some mandatory breaks for a mental check-in. That way, you can evaluate how you’re feeling and where your brain is at before the stress gets to you!


Take. A. Nap.

Honey, take a dang nap. We make toddlers do this all the time to cure the grumpies—why wouldn’t this work for you?

We’re not saying you should sleep your life away, but we do think sometimes, a nap can be the ultimate self-care gift. Obvs let’s not do this while you’re at work (unless you can, then you totally should!), but make sure you’re not just taking off days, but taking advantage of your off days.


Know When to Take Vacation

Know when it’s time to take a break and take vacation.

No matter how much you love your job, you were not designed to do it all times without a break. Give yourself some grace and take advantage of your vacation days. It doesn’t mean you don’t love what you do, it doesn’t mean you’re not committed to your clients, it doesn’t mean you’re escaping—it just means you work hard and you deserve a break!


Set Limits

This is an enormously important part of self-care. Find your limits, know them, and stick to them. Your limits are unique to you, so don’t try to compete with other barbers.

If you know that you absolutely cannot handle working 6 hours straight without taking a snack break, why would you try that? 

Know when you need to schedule in breaks. Know when you need to limit your hours. Know when you need to say “no” to overtime or working weekends or covering a shift. Once you know your limits, stick to them! That’s self-care at its finest!