7 Tips for Staying Mentally Healthy Behind the Chair

For beauty professionals, staying mentally healthy needs to be just as much of a priority as creating fresh haircuts or bold hairstyles. And that’s because too many industry experts spin their wheels focusing on the mental health of their clients but neglect themselves. 

To give barbers, stylists, nail techs, and wellness professionals the tools they need to stay mentally healthy, we spoke with a seasoned industry expert named Ivan Zoot, who offered tips to foster mental and emotional health, just in time for Mental Health Awareness month. 

For those who don’t know Ivan, he’s the Booksy Ambassador and educator who founded the $100,000 Hair Cuttery Academy. Simply put, his company was created to make absolutely sure that industry experts have the knowledge and skill sets to run successful, six figure businesses. 

And Ivan sincerely believes that being a successful professional in the world of beauty and wellness means prioritizing mental and emotional health. So, take a few moments to read the advice that Ivan has to offer. Remember that it’s designed to help provide balance and foster emotional, psychological, and social well-being that should help a person stay mental healthy.

Block Your Lunch 

The first tip Ivan offered on the subject of staying mentally healthy was for every beauty professional to take time out of their day and give themself downtime. “Block out time for yourself well in advance. And designate at least a half an hour to take a lunch break,” he said. 

Ivan added that it’s important for beauty professionals to sit down and catch their breath to get away from the service environment for at least 30 minutes each day. Go outside and get some fresh air, because you need the physical break and you need the nutrition, he added. But most importantly, service providers need the mental detachment from the demands of serving others. 

Regardless of the demands of even the most loyal client, never, never sacrifice your lunch break, he said. Remember that Booksy makes it easy to schedule time away from the chair and the business of the salon or shop. And all it takes is a few simple clicks within the software.

Never Squeeze in a Client

Another tip that’s guaranteed to help a service provider stay mentally healthy is to avoid squeezing in a client on short notice. “Never ever say yes to squeezing in a client. When you squeeze in a client you create huge amounts of stress for four people,” he said.

Ivan elaborated by stating that oftentimes, industry professionals believe that they’re doing themselves and their clients a favor. But in fact they’re actually damaging their relationships with clients and compromising their own mental health. 

Because whenever you squeeze a client, you end up rushing the client you’re getting out of the chair to accommodate the squeeze. And you end up rushing the client who’s being squeezed. You also end up inconveniencing the next client, because you are now running late, he said. 

“Most importantly and most significantly the individual who is the most damaged is you because of the stress, anxiety, and tension it creates when you work tighter than your schedule can allow,” Ivan said.  

Learn How to Say “No” 

Setting boundaries is another one of the more important steps that every professional needs to take to stay mentally healthy. Remaining mentally healthy involves retaining control on your life and your circumstances and that starts with saying “no,” he said. 

“It’s about respecting yourself, and it’s about respecting your boundaries and your limits. It’s about putting a fence up around your life. Don’t stay late, don’t come in early for people. And don’t see clients on your day off. It all falls into the larger bucket that has no written at the top of it,” Ivan said. 

Ivan has spent decades working behind the chair running his own business called Zoot Cuts. And today, he consults business owners about their salons and barbershops. “Not being able to say no is where people get burned out, wiped out. And they bust out of our industry. They do it under the guise of providing good customer service,” he said. Ivan concluded that saying no is about having boundaries and making sure others respect those boundaries.

Specialize to Stay Mentally Healthy

The world of beauty and wellness is loaded with a host of different options and choices for specific services or specializations. The industry offers different professionals a chance to showcase their talents and truly specialize in amazing services. 

Ivan said that "absolutely no one loves doing it all." And there are certain services that professionals, quite frankly, don’t enjoy. The solution and one of the keys to happiness in life and staying mental healthy is to make a conscious effort to stay happy by doing the things that make you happy, said Ivan. 

“So, if there is a service that you like to do—some people don’t like to do hair coloring or others don’t want to do pedicures—either way, don’t do what you don’t like to do. And when you figure out what you really enjoy, focus on that because every single hour that you spend doing things that bring you joy will make your life exceedingly happier,” he said.

Charge More Money (Raise Your Prices)

According to Ivan, raising the price of services has a direct connection to staying mentally healthy. So, if you’re a professional who has kept the same prices for years, start raising the prices of your services. Ivan recommends raising prices annually. He added that if a service provider does that two years in a row, clients will learn to expect the raise in prices by the third year. 

“I don’t know anyone else in any job, anywhere in the world, who doesn’t expect a raise every year. And for some reason our industry has been conditioned that it’s not okay to raise hair prices. But every single client I know expects a raise at their job. And they would quite frankly be upset if they didn’t get an annual raise. But we don’t have that culture within the beauty industry,” he said.

According to Ivan, the average price of a haircut has not kept up with the economy and with inflation. Cars, food, gas, college tuition, and housing and everything else have accelerated at a rate significantly greater than haircuts, he said. And as a result, it has compromised the earning power of beauty professionals and that needs to change.

Exercise to Stay Mentally Healthy

Staying mentally healthy is related to physical health. And it’s almost impossible to separate the mental benefits from the physical benefits of exercise. Health officials agree that exercise increases blood flow, promotes better circulation, and encourages endorphin release.

“All of the things that are good when it comes to exercising your body are good for your mind. And we are in a physically demanding business and industry. That means you cannot separate physical and mental health, especially since we are in an industry where we need to be on our feet working hard physically,” said Ivan.

Being active can mean taking regular walks, hitting the gym, or simply taking a dance class. Regardless of the activity, exercising outside of the salon or shop will increase a person’s mobility. And when that’s coupled with a good diet, a person is much more likely to stay mentally healthy, said Ivan.

Learn How to Fire a Client

The last tip that Ivan offered to help beauty and wellness professionals stay mentally healthy was one of his more important pieces of advice. "Not all business is good business," Ivan said. He elaborated by stating that there will be times when a service provider must discontinue a relationship with a client.

“Not every client is an ideal match for every professional in the beauty industry. And when we identify a circumstance or situation, in which we’re not able to satisfy a client, or when a client exhibits behaviour that is toxic to us or to our environment, we need to know how in a respectful and professional way to separate the relationship with that client,” he said. 

The same applies to an employer or an employee, Ivan added. When a beauty professional finds themselves in a situation that is toxic in one way or the other, whether you’re an employer of other individuals, or if you’re an employee working for an individual, if it’s not a healthy situation, you have to know how to extricate yourself from that in a professional manner, Ivan concluded.

Ivan Zoot welcomes professional consultations, and he may be reached via email at ivanzoot@yahoo.com.