National Stress Awareness Day: A Tech’s Perspective
By Kat Hill | 07 November 2018 | Expert Advice, Feature
November 7 sees National Stress Awareness Day. “We all know what it’s like to feel stressed – being under pressure is a normal part of life. But becoming overwhelmed by stress can lead to mental health problems or make existing problems worse,” states Mind, the registered mental health charity.
“National Stress Awareness Day is a great opportunity to take a moment to think about our wellbeing and find advice or support on managing stress.”
Why does it matter for our industry? The pressures of social media, fretting about busy schedules, wanting to please every client, isolation from lone-working, the fear of complaints, worrying about no shows – any of those sound familiar? Balancing all these worries is no easy feat.
Laura Easby, of Laura’s Beauty, shares her experiences of balancing life and work with anxiety and the importance of opening up…
“My anxiety started when I was working as an apprentice,” Laura explains. “The first time I had an attack was when there was a male client due in for a massage. I didn’t feel comfortable with the situation and ran down the back of the salon. I remember feeling so claustrophobic I had to rip off the tie from around my tunic, take my hair band out and take my make up off in a blind panic. I honestly had no idea what was happening.
“Some days I wake up and I’m completely fine, while some days I’m crippled the whole day with chronic chest pains and breathlessness. Sometimes I can’t think straight and I feel fuzzy from head to toe. I can never judge how my day is going to go.
“I used to be so embarrassed of having anxiety and it took me a really long time to accept it myself. I try to use my social media as a platform to be open about it. Working alone in this industry isn’t always nice; it can become very lonely, very quickly. I try to use social media to support others and talk. If I can help just one person realise they aren’t alone then I’ve done something good.
“My advice from anyone suffering from anxiety is talk about it, get help, seek advice and never be embarrassed. You can live with it and you will be okay.”
“A client once taught me a trick to help calm down,” states Laura. “Focus on:
- Five things you can see
- Four things you can touch
- Three things you can hear
- Two things you can smell
- One thing you can taste.”
For help and support, visit www.mind.org.uk
