Covid anxiety has been running rampant across the country, especially in a profession such as yours that works so closely with the public. Add to that the pressure and worry you have been under for the past 18 months of wading through the pandemic and figuring out the “new normal”, and it is (beyond) time for a brain reboot. With long days on your feet, working your hand and arm muscles so hard they sometimes develop carpal tunnel, the creative demands of fashioning the perfect cut and style, and dealing with clientele who are not always sugar and spice and everything nice, even the rigor of your normal workday requires a brain reboot!
As a busy professional, how can you reboot your brain to make you happy and healthier and get the most out of your work and personal life? It is actually easier than you think, as long as you are willing to carve out a little time for yourself.
Spend time outside
Research proves time and again that spending time outside will create a calmer mind and a more healthy body.Business Insider reported that people who spend time outdoors have improved memory, less stress, reduced inflammation, and more robust feelings of happiness. Scientists have studied this phenomenon in many ways. One study tested the memory of people who walked in the woods as opposed to those who walked on city streets. The participants who had walked in nature as opposed to the city did 20% better on subsequent memory tests.
How to incorporate more outdoor time into your busy schedule:
Even if you are not trying to ace a test, the outdoors will offer you clarity and calm, much needed after more than a year living inside a pandemic. The good news is that being outside is also one of the safest places to be while fighting Covid-19.
Cultivate a hobby
Although you may be overwhelmed with the daily grind and think there is no possible way that you have time to add anything else to the list, taking time to develop and practice a hobby is another way to reboot your brain. The pandemic has put us all in “survival mode” and it is time to slow down and branch out and get our creative juices flowing. Having a hobby can improve your mood, give you something to look forward to, and helps create new synapses in your brain, which is good for brain health.
Every time you challenge your brain to learn something new, from quilting to puzzles to gardening, you are reducing your risk of dementia and other related problems, as well as giving yourself a fun pastime. That is certainly a win-win situation!
Prioritize relationships, even with yourself
After spending all day with clients, sometimes the last thing you want to do at the end of a busy day or week is to be with humans, but the connections you have with friends and loved ones are extremely important. And with Covid restrictions in place, you have probably been spending even more time locked in at home with yourself. Especially if you live alone, you might have a tendency to dive into social media or an online world when you get home from a busy day, but challenge yourself to reach out to a few friends or loved ones each week to create real connections. These relationships will help you in times of stress, but also fulfill you in ways that screens never can.
Here are some helpful tips on how to cultivate relationships:
When cultivating relationships, don’t forget yourself. Although often you put yourself last on the list, small gestures like taking time to enjoy a moment of silence or mindfulness when you are alone can pay big dividends. Make sure there is a space in your home that is clutter-free so that you can sit there peacefully, and take the time to unplug and simply be.
Get enough sleep
Sleep is restorative and absolutely imperative for your health. Your entire body needs time to rest and rejuvenate. Although it is true that your body is resting while you sleep, your body also has important work to do during this rest period. While you sleep, your body rids itself of toxins that build up in your body over time. If you do not take time to get a restful night’s sleep on a regular schedule, you will end up feeling groggy and unfocused. Your body’s natural circadian rhythms will help you to set your sleep and wake patterns.
How to get a more restful sleep:
As a busy salon professional, you spend a lot of time making sure that other people are relaxed and looking their best. After a difficult year with Covid-19 in tow, it is time to reboot your own brain so you can move into the fall with a calmer, clearer mindset. By tuning in to yourself, your friends, your hobbies, and your sleep, you can tune out stress and be refreshed for both your work and personal life.
