Sophia hilton offers 8 tips for tackling mental health issues in the salon

With post-lockdown openings well underway across the country, anxiety and panic will naturally be running high. For HJ's Mental Health Awareness Week, we spoke with Sophia Hilton, Crazy Color ambassador and founder of Not Another Salon, who shared her top tips for working through mental health issues.  

1. Turn off phones when in the salon

“Having ‘no phone time’, closing down certain apps, or turning off notifications, can really help to clock in and out of ‘work mode’ when we’re not physically in and out of the salon. If you have a partner, anything important can filter through them, and if you don’t let your friends and family know you’re having some switch off time, and then do it.”  

2. Get your business onto Trello

“Trello is an app where you can make and share lists, and it’s brilliant for leaders in the hair industry as it’s super colourful and visually appealing. Sometimes having constant conversations is really tiring, so being able to share things on Trello is a great way to get it all out whilst still being organised.”  

3. Keeping daily charts

“I like to have a little colourful chart in my house to keep myself on track with certain things. If I meditate that day, if I eat well, if I do a bit of exercise etc., I get a little colourful dot on the chart. It's a small reward but it’s helpful to do each day.”  

4. Use online education

“There’s so much online education at the moment, so make the most of it. It’s not just about the education itself, it’s the feeling of human interaction, communication, and that you are growing and learning during this time. We tend to feel worse when we feel like we’re not moving forward.”  

5. Practice meditation

“I like to use an app for guided meditation called Headspace; I find it’s a practise that makes me feel really grounded and present. If you think it’s not for you, I challenge you to do it anyway for 30 days. I promise you’ll take something from it in the end!”  

6. Write it down somewhere

“You’re probably learning a lot about yourself and what you’re grateful for in your life right now, so make sure to write it down. It’s crazy to think that in 12 months time we’ll forget about all the important things we learnt now. Write them down and revisit them again and again.”  

7. Put some Crazy Color in your hair!

“Sounds so simple, but a little splash of colour really does make me feel better every time!”  

8. Do some further reading

“These are my top book recommendations: - The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F**K by Mark Manson - 10% Happier by Dan Harris - The Essential Guide For Soul Adventures by Trish Whelan, founder of Soul Adventures.”

See where Sophia Hilton falls on offering 'silent appointments' in our recent Debate feature!