How can hairdressers protect their mental health throughout the coronavirus lockdown?

With the world as we know it constantly changing because of the Coronavirus outbreak, it's no surprise that many hairdressers are feeling anxious about the impact the situation is having on mental health. On top of the worry that is induced by the virus spread, there is the uncertainty surrounding finance and jobs (especially in the hair and beauty industries) for the employed and the self-employed. Teaming this with the inability to socialise is a recipe for mental health disaster. Here's how you can protect your own and your employees mental health during this time.

Connect with others

"This may seem like a bit of a weird tip to give when you are in a time of social distancing, lockdown and isolation. However, this is more important than ever before. Loneliness and isolation are big killers and hugely damaging to our mental health. If you’re at home with family try to make the most of it as we are all normally too busy to spend any quality time together with work, school and various social events. Also use the amazing tech we have to speak to people face to face with video calls, set up group chats and take time to call an elderly relative that may be stuck at home alone, that may make their day bearable." Tom Chapman, founder Lions Barber Collective

Be mindful

"This could be a really good time to take up meditation or practise mindfulness activities, if you don’t already. There are some amazing virtual support groups and meditations happening and this is such an amazing practise which you can use forever. Begin the habit with small steps and a little bit of time to then build up to really switching off and allowing your nervous system to relax. I personally practise Vedic Meditation which includes a mantra, but there are plenty of great guided meditations available for beginners." - Emily Wysock-Wright, wellbeing expert

Dive into e-learning

"Non-stop learning is definitely something we associate with the fantastic hair industry and there shouldn’t be any reason to stop now. Take this time to watch some of the millions of hours of hair tutorials online and maybe you have an old mannequin head under the bed or in the attic you’d forgotten about? Know all there is when it comes to hair? Learn a language, read a book, hell you could even write a book. Learning gives you a sense of self-worth and accomplishment that will no doubt keep you in mental fitness in this time." Tom

Physical activity

"The gyms may be closed but we can still get outside as long as we stay 2 metres away from others we can go for a run or if we have a garden then even better. I read an article about a man who ran a marathon on his balcony while in lockdown in France - it can be done! Failing that we have access to loads of free online exercise videos you can complete daily on streaming services. Getting some form of exercise in most days over this time of isolation will hugely improve your mental health and energy levels." Tom

If you feel alone, remember...

"...this is going to be a challenging time, for everyone, so you are not alone. Spending time inside and either on your own or with your family, can feel quite isolating. Our normal distractions will mostly be gone, so don’t be alarmed if any uncomfortable feelings come to the surface. Journalling can be a good way to make sense of these and I always encourage my clients to talk about how they are feeling. This is a really good time to allow some vulnerability to surface and reconnect with those closer to you." Emily

Helping your team updated through uncertainty

Headmasters work across the year to help protect the minds of their staff with their trained Mental Health First Aiders so we asked them what their tips are for helping staff now that their mental health may be more frail than ever. - If you don’t already have one try setting up a closed Facebook page or Whats app group. It will give your teams an easy, free platform to contact you and each other during this difficult time when interaction at a safe distance is so necessary."