Tita Turner opens up about working with anxiety

It’s World Mental Health Day, and while our industry boasts confidence, communication and creative flair, many nail technicians deal with anxiety on their own everyday, effecting their work and personal lives.

Although mental health is being spoken about more openly in recent years thanks to charities and activists, there is still a huge stigma surrounding the issue.

Nail technician, Tita Turner of Emerson Nails, continues to challenge that stigma by being open about her journey with anxiety and has decided not to let it define her or her work. We chatted with Tita to learn more about her view on mental health in society and the nail industry, and how she deals with anxiety on an everyday basis…

Tell us a bit about you and your career…
I started my career in 2015 when I started studying and I began taking on clients in 2016. I have always worked from home but since starting my career in nails, I have expanded into nail supply, educating and producing YouTube content. It’s definitely been one crazy ride!

What symptoms of anxiety have you experienced?
Everytime I have a new enquiry or new client I am hit with anxiety. New clients are our bread and butter, which makes it hard when I panic over greeting new clients and faces. I wonder if they are going to judge me, my setup or my technique. Do they have high hopes for our appointment and will I deliver?

When are these symptoms at their worst?
No one is perfect and unfortunately I have experienced the odd client who has been unhappy with a service for whatever reason. As a non-confrontational person, I have anxiety attacks over what this client will say or do now they are unhappy. I have fears that they will get aggressive and my anxiety runs wild. There are also times after I film my YouTube videos where I cannot bring myself to watch them right away, sometimes I refuse to playback a video even weeks after shooting – all out of fear that I look ‘stupid’.

The worst moments are when I suffer an anxiety attack and I just shut down completely. I feel them coming and I can do nothing to stop them. Sometimes my body and mind shut down and this can last from six hours to three days. These moments are the hardest and unseen by everyone except my immediate family. People assume because I put myself out there the way I do, that I don’t have these issues.

How can a colleague, client, or friend help?
You can help by being understanding: has somebody suddenly gone dark, or not so talkative and open? Are they vague on details? Being non-judgemental and showing that you care and understand can mean the absolute world to somebody suffering from anxiety. We don’t mean to forget details, plans or events – sometimes we have so much going on that we don’t even realise we have ignored you. Give us a couple of days and check in again, we’ll really appreciate it. Above all, be honest – a lack of communication never helped anyone.

Are you open about your anxiety?
Somewhat, yes. Its unfortunate that there is still so much stigma surrounding anxiety. The more people who open up, the more people there are to call us out. I don’t hide the fact that I have anxiety, I am not ashamed but I also do not wear it as a badge of honour. My anxiety doesn’t define me and I don’t let anxiety become my excuse for not pushing my boundaries. I want people to know you can have severe anxiety and still be successful. I have overcome hurdles in a way I would have never thought possible five years ago. If you told me I would have been where I am now 10 years ago, I would have told you that you were crazy!

How does anxiety affect your job role and business?
I’m lucky to have a very supportive husband who is here to help with my online business. In terms of my nail clients, it does restrict how many clients I can handle in a single day. It also effects taking client enquiries over the phone. I come from a strong admin and account manager background, but my heart skips a beat at the thought of answering the phone to a stranger. I take all enquiries via Facebook for this reason.

How does anxiety affect your relationship with your clients?
I feel as though I could have twice the amount of clients if I was more outgoing and put myself out there, so I do feel like meeting new faces gets the better of me. Some may argue that I have chosen the wrong industry, but with every passing year I feel confidence growing and the anxiety of bringing new people into my home not so scary! However, I must say all of my clients at the moment are absolutely amazing. I really look forward to catching up with them over each appointment and sometimes wonder why I was so anxious to begin with.

What coping mechanisms do you use?
I take time to myself, this year I picked up photography and vlogging as a hobby. Editing these photographs and videos really helps to ease my anxiety. I also take time off when I need to, sometimes that means napping for three hours before dinner; other times it means speaking to my therapist. I never feel guilty for anything I do to make myself happy.

What advice would you offer to others?
Don’t feel bad for taking time off, if you need to take a day off to stay in bed all day – do it! Don’t compare your anxiety to others, anxiety is such a broad spectrum and my anxiety will be different to what you feel. You can push yourself to do things you never thought possible, but don’t overdo it. Write down your goals and work towards them at your own pace. It took me over a year before I felt comfortable enough to film myself speaking. Don’t use this as your own benchmark, take the time you need because only you know what’s right for you. Don’t apologise for not telling your friends every detail about life if you don’t want to, or you forget to, and never be ashamed to open up about how you feel. Sometimes other want to help, but don’t know you’re struggling.

Keep an eye out for a more detailed look at dealing with anxiety in an upcoming issue of Scratch!

Check out Tita’s work here.