Self Care for Therapists: What’s your work/life balance?

Self Care as a beauty therapist was so important for me. I would be completely burnt out after seeing clients back to back all day.

I wouldn't have breaks and worked extremely long hours. I ate unhealthy foods and would run to the shop between clients and snack on crisps, chocolate, energy drinks, fizzy drinks, sweets, pork pies and pasties. I had so many bad habits. 

I was good for everyone else but myself. I suffered with an uncomfortable bloated tummy for over four years. This was down to the stress I lived with in my life.

Work/life balance is a lie! It is impossible to balance everything. How many times do you think about work when it is your personal time. Do you ever have time to just be, rather then all the doings that go on?

Try this de-stressing exercise. Breathe in deeply while counting to six. Hold the breath by counting to six; this helps to calm anxiety from a busy day. Breathe out slowly...make a noise with your breathe if you have tension or stress to release. Repeat three times. How do you feel? 

We benefit more from having work integration. Imagine your right hand is your job and your left hand is your personal life. Which one is pulling you more? Close your eyes now and ask yourself.

Now take a look..

Which areas in your life are not running 100% smoothly? Business/Work. Relationships. Health. Well being – emotional and mental. Finances. Usually if one of these areas isn't going well this will be affecting another area.

What are your personal goals? This is a chance for you to have awareness right now to what is really happening in this work/life balance your striving to have. Physically, mentally and emotionally stop! What can you do every single day to help you to achieve your personal goal? 

What are the commitments you have now? Write them all down. Including your work commitments. Take a look at which ones you want and which ones you don't.

Make a commitment now to take tiny action steps towards your heart goals. You will see a ripple effect happen within the other areas in your life. What action step can you make after you have written your list?

What tone is your inner voice? Nurturing to yourself or an inner bully? Do you keep thinking of the past? Bring your focus back to your present moment.

It's really important that you pay attention to what you think. If you catch yourself thinking the words “I don't know” this can be damaging to your success. Detoxify your thoughts immediately, and break the pattern of this limited way of thinking.  

Then trade this thought with “I wonder”. You will achieve much more flow and possibilities within your life.

An example of this is: 

“I don't know how I can find clients” vs say out loud “I wonder how I can find clients” 

“I don't know how to over come self doubt” vs “I wonder how I might believe in myself” 

How do the two different ways feel to you?

If you snack on sugary foods while at work you will feel very tired in the afternoon and drained by the evening. Within your industry you need all the energy you can get. If you skip breakfast you will have sugar cravings. If you snack on protein foods like nuts, avocado, coconut milk, green leafy vegetables and much more your sugar cravings will stop.

Look after your health, and eat foods that will sustain your energy throughout the day. Try my favourite Chia coconut breakfast; it takes just three minutes.

Pour a can of Coconut Milk into a Mason or Kilner Jar. Stir with a whisk for a few seconds and add a tablespoon of Chia Seeds. Leave over night to thicken in the fridge (lasts for up to five days). This can be eaten with fruit or on its own and is delicious healthy and energising.

Later in the day try my favourite health lunch which takes just ten minutes, and consists of chopped Avocado, Orange, Spinach with salt, chilli flakes and a squeeze of lime. Toss all together for a healthy and energising lunch.

Former Beauty Salon Owner and Therapist Sarah Louisa Carswell  qualified as a Health Coach in 2018, and now offers Self Care courses via her website truthofbeauty.co.uk