How I cope as a nail tech in a national lockdown

Scratch chats to Millie Donovan, brand ambassador for SNA Professional & owner of MBeauty, about how she’s navigating lockdowns…

This year has been a rollercoaster for everyone, with both highs and lows. There have been more highs for some and more lows for others, but the main thing is how we all got through it or are getting through it. I’m going to be sharing my journey through this year and how I coped as a nail technician, with my small business being shut for almost six months.

This time last year we had no idea what was going to happen to all businesses – big or small – and certainly not the big changes we were going to face. For myself and I’m sure many others, the first lockdown definitely came as a huge shock, with instant worry and the fear of the unknown. Little did we know this was going to last a few months.

In terms of my business, at this point I was still working part-time as I was coming towards the end of my university degree.

The first lockdown then actually meant I could fully focus on my studies, without having to make sure to fit my clients in.

Although, due to my passion and love for nails this definitely was not an easy thing to do, I missed it. However, I did find it extremely hard to motivate myself to do anything nail related. Without a reopening date it felt like there was never going to be an end to this lockdown.

I discovered SNA in this first lockdown around May and completed the Quick Tip online training, with Hannah Garbett who was amazing. This definitely gave me something to focus on and practise. Although, there were days that were harder than others.

Making sure I got fresh air and went for a walk was a key aspect in how I managed to stay quite positive throughout that lockdown. It was easier said than done though, when you just want to sit and watch Netflix all day! Talking also helps massively. Amongst my friends and family there is not  anyone else who is a nail tech, so I felt like no one fully understood, until I found a group of other nail techs or within the beauty industry in my local area.

We created a group on social media and were able to share our lockdown experiences. It was great to be able to talk to people with similar jobs to me. I am also very lucky to have a supportive family who helped me massively.

The road to reopening

It was then July 2020 and it was finally announced that the beauty industry was allowed to reopen, even though it was definitely not that straight forward! I could not wait to start work again. I had finished university by that point, so decided to take the risk and open my diary up full time doing nails.

In the middle of a global pandemic this was probably not the best risk to take, however it definitely paid off as luckily I was  busier than ever.

For about three months, work was definitely busy and it was nice to get back into a routine, even though normal life had not resumed. November then came around and another lockdown happened. It was different this time as we had all experienced this before and we did have an end date in sight. However, in my personal opinion I found this lockdown harder.

The next challenge

It was winter, the nights were cold, dark and long. Motivation was low and all I wanted to do was lay under a blanket and watch films. This is not necessarily a bad thing, we all do need to rest now and again and take time for ourselves. Especially with the pressures of social media, it is good to have a break from time to time and we might as well take advantage of this break, even if it isn’t our choice. However, if you are like me and don’t really like doing nothing then the resting did not last long.

Since having these lockdowns, I’ve found that planning really helped me to cope, such as planning nail art designs, or even making lists of anything I wanted to do that day or week.

This helped me to stay focused and always have something to concentrate on, either completing a task or thinking of new ones. I was also very lucky to be living with my family. This meant that my mum and sister were my models to practise on. I felt this kept me at ease knowing I had at least done someone’s nails other than my own, plus they can give their opinions on my designs, whether I like it or not!

Third time lucky?

Once again we were open. What I thought would be the last time. Clients were back and the Christmas designs were in full swing, which I absolutely loved! Christmas nails are always a highlight of the year as people definitely go all out, even if it’s just glitter. Then the biggest shock came. It was Saturday 19 December and I was half way through my busiest weekend of the year, like all nail techs, when I found out I had to shut again. That very next morning. If I’m honest, I really didn’t know how to feel about this, I was in such shock that this had happened days before Christmas.

I think the worst thing for me was that I felt so bad for my clients who had been waiting since before the November lockdown for their Christmas appointment which then didn’t happen. With it being Christmas I feel as though this time being shut has felt the hardest. It feels even more like uncertain times without having an end date in sight.

However, we have all done it not once but twice, so for a third and hopefully the final time we can get through it.

Top tips:

• Get fresh air and some form of exercise, whether that be home workouts or a stroll in the park.
• Write lists of tasks, no matter how little.
• Talk to family members, friends. Talking about your feelings and emotions can really help without you even knowing.

One thing to remember is ‘everyone is in the same storm but on a different boat’. Some people will have loved lockdown and had lots of positive moments. For some this will have been one of the worst years with not the best moments, but everyone is different and everyone also deals with things different, there is no right or wrong in what to do, but things will get better.

Follow Millie on Instagram here.