How to Overcome Overwhelm and Beat The January Blues

It's no secret that January is a difficult month for hair professionals, thanks to cash-strapped clients and the post-holiday lull (not to mention shorter days and dreary weather). With Blue Monday, typically considered the most depressing day of the year, just around the corner, we enlisted the advice of three salon owners on how to banish the blues and conquer feelings of negativity this January – and beyond.

Natasha Grossman, HOB Salons

Feeling overwhelmed is completely normal when there’s so much negative press and noise around business. The key is to consciously block out the headlines you can’t control and keep your eye firmly on your own ball. It’s easy to slip into a doom-and-gloom mindset post-Christmas, especially when our salons are quieter, but this is actually the perfect time to refocus on your goals for 2026. I take the time to reflect on what worked well in 2025, and to build on those strengths. I'm also honest about what didn’t work so I can stop pouring energy into it and invest my time into new projects that hopefully add greater value to the business. We are far more in control of our future than the headlines allow us to believe.

Natasha’s Top Tips

1. Salon owners should focus on what directly impacts their business: their clients, their team, their numbers, and their personal goals.
2. This is the time to refine systems, strengthen client relationships, and double down on the services and strategies that already produce results.
3. At the same time, you should block out constant comparison, fear-based media, and opinions that don’t align with your vision.
4. Stress reduces when we stay focused on actions we can control and let go of external noise that adds no real value.

Sean Hanna, industry entrepreneur and founder of Sean Hanna Consultancy

The worst thing you can do is spend hours scrolling through social media. Put your phone down – remember that much of what we see on social media isn’t actually real. People will only post the good bits but that doesn’t tell the whole story. What is real is you, your team and your clients, and no one compares to what you do and what you offer.  

Sean’s Top Tips

1. Only focus on what YOU can do – ignore the government, they won’t help you so you just need to focus on what you can do to improve your business.
2. Think about how you motivate your team for the year ahead and create a positive training plan for each team member.
3. Think about your client journey – are there any ways you can improve the experience?
4. We rarely create something that is an overnight game changer so remember that lots of tiny improvements can make a huge difference overall. 

Benjamin Shipman, The Hair Movement, Sidcup

Negativity is easy to absorb but letting it enter the equation helps no one. 2026 will be a tough year for some salons and a fantastic year for others – the difference will come down to focus.

Focus on what genuinely moves the needle for your team and business, and that starts with your guests. What do they need right now? What experience are you offering? How are you communicating with them? Are you maximising your marketing to attract new guests? Are you investing in the right level of training? Are there services that you could and should be offering, but aren’t? Someone once said to me, “You think you’re always right.” And my response was simple: Of course I do. This is my business. My job is to listen, understand different viewpoints, read the market, weigh up the options and then make the call. Constantly flip-flopping because of external opinions only creates instability and stress.

Benjamin’s Top Tips

1. Distinguish between real challenges and manufactured ones. Most stress doesn’t come from genuine problems – it comes from white noise: negative headlines, team members bringing external issues into the business, lack of confidence and a constant bombardment of outside opinions.
2. Good decision-making comes from a clear process: pause, assess, seek input where needed and then act decisively.
3. What really matters – and what you can control – are your guests, your team, your numbers and your standards. Are your guests happy and returning? Is your team supported, trained and clear on expectations? Do you understand your costs, pricing and margins? These are the areas worthy of your mental energy.
4. Block out anything that doesn’t meaningfully influence your day-to-day decisions. Of course, you should keep an eye on the industry and be aware of what competitors are doing, but that’s very different from absorbing constant doom-mongering, unhealthy comparison, online experts selling fear or operating in a permanently reactive state.
5. Calm, focused businesses consistently outperform stressed ones. Reduce the noise, stay close to the fundamentals and make deliberate decisions. When you do that, stress drops and confidence returns.
6. If everything feels overwhelming, break it down – never try to fix everything at once. Take a step back, create a clear plan and tackle it piece by piece. Clarity creates momentum; momentum builds confidence; confidence brings calm, consistent growth.

Read Next: Prepare Your Salon Business for 2026