How To Balance Work and Personal Life
This is honestly one of the hardest things I have had to do in my entire career. Managing a balance between work and personal life isn't easy BUT it can be done. As a cosmetologist of almost a decade, I have had many days where I poured too much energy into my job and burnt myself out. I would frequently cover hours for others or even take up extra days each week to make more money. I'd also let my work follow me home by cutting hair for family and friends on the side. As you can imagine, this became pretty tiring fairly quickly.
Don't worry, I am here to share everything I have learned and prevent you from pushing yourself to burn out.
1. Create an outline of your "perfect day."
Give yourself an idea of what a perfect day would like in your eyes by writing it down. Understand that this isn't an itinerary in which to follow strictly. It's simply a way to keep yourself on track with the day without getting stressed out over the little things.
Make sure to create an outline for work and for home. Keeping these things separate is important so you can easily draw the line between the two. Allow yourself some grace. Remember that your outline is not to be followed strictly and is only an idea of what your day should look like.
2. Mentally clock in and out
In the beauty industry, we are trained to, "leave our problems at the door." While I understand it isn't as simple as it seems, there is a good reason for it. In customer service having a positive attitude and being focused on the customer is important. If you are upset or angry, it may reflect on your work, and the customer will sense it. Believe me, I know. I have had my fair share of hard days where I simply couldn't hide what was going on in my head. Someone always notices! The same goes for bringing your work home. Your family and friends look forward to seeing you and maybe won't mind hearing about your day. It is healthy to talk about your stress but try not to hang onto it for too long. Have you ever walked into a room and felt like everyone around you was angry or sad? Well, the people you spend the most time with outside of work can feel that too. We all have bad days and no one can expect perfection from you. However, do your best and deal with things one problem at a time and the rest will fall into place.
3. Take time for yourself!!
Everyone needs a little "me time," every now and then. Without it I think I would be somewhere in a white hospital gown with grippy socks on my feet (pause for the dark humor.) Self-care isn't just about face masks, pedicures, and bubble baths. It is about allowing yourself room to breathe. I find myself drowning in my stress all too often and use self-care as an outlet to relieve some of that stress. We tend to believe the weight of the world has to be carried on our shoulders all the time. In reality, that's not true because not everything is our responsibility. A great way to help relax and relieve some tension is to meditate or journal. I find both to be incredibly helpful! Often times I will meditate at night before bed in a dark room with candlelight and some calming music. When I don't feel like meditating, I pull out my journal and let go of all my thoughts onto the paper. These two remedies may seem cliche- and they are but, they work! When you aren't taking some "me time," don't forget to hang out with your family and friends. They can help relieve stress sometimes too. Whether it's talking about your problems or just laughing with each other. The people who care about you most can help take some of the stress of your shoulders.
As a stylist, I am always here for my clients when they need a shoulder to cry on or someone to vent to.
Come see me in Cedar Rapids, IA and let go of some stress with a relaxing scalp massage!
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