7 tips to enhance wellbeing in the nail space

Your role involves supporting the self-care needs of others, but how often do you consider your own wellbeing?

While it may be the last thing on your mind during a busy day at the nail desk, it’s crucial – as Elissa Newton, Lecenté educator for Northern Ireland, notes: “If even one salon team member is not on a positive frequency, it can throw the entire running and growth of the business off course.”

Let’s not forget the importance of self-care as a solo worker. A survey of UK self-employed workers revealed that 71.9% of the demographic felt isolated ‘sometimes’ or ‘frequently’ in 2024, and 31% were unable to work for three or more days during the year due to poor mental health. So, what changes can be made in the workplace to boost wellbeing? Let’s explore…

1. Set & stick to boundaries

“To ensure a healthy work-life balance, it’s essential to set boundaries with clients,” details Isabelle Pattissier, owner of Staffordshire home salon, Drop Dead Beauty. “Make no exceptions for the rules you set regarding when you are available to clients. I designate times for contact, and do not respond outside of these.”

Scratch online columnist, Marie-Louise Coster, explains: “If a client contacts you outside of your working hours, they must wait until you reopen for a reply. They wouldn’t contact Marks & Spencer at 11pm and expect a reply, and Marks & Spencer isn’t worried because it is confident that its customers are loyal – and you should be too. You could state on your automatic replies or answerphone message that queries will be responded to within a specific time bracket.”

2. Take breaks

According to The Wellbeing Thesis, an online resource for postgraduate students, micro, lunchtime and longer breaks enhance wellbeing and productivity, and reduce stress. Social breaks, such as chatting with peers, have also been shown to have a positive impact.

The resource offers tips for ensuring you take time for yourself during the working day:

• Agree break times with peers, to help each other stick to them.
• Set an alarm for time away from work.
• Plan something fun for breaks, to encourage you to take them.
• Focus on the benefits you feel after a break, to motivate you to do this in future.

3. Know your team

“If working with colleagues, getting to know your team members, both individually and as a collective, builds a solid foundation for a positive workplace,” says Elissa Newton. “Take time to understand and discuss your business goals and progress as a group. Gatherings at the beginning of the working day can be effective, and rituals, such as imagining how the day is going to flow in a positive manner, meditations and sharing staff success stories, can give team members a boost.”

Charli Jepson, head of education at Glitterbels, shared how the brand’s education team stays united in its application for Scratch Stars Nail Team of the Year 2024: “We communicate regularly via WhatsApp and Facebook groups. We often host Zoom meetings to catch up on not just work, but life in general. It’s great to know what’s happening outside of work to better understand the team’s other commitments.”

4. Lead by example

“When you’re in a good place mentally and physically, you can show up to work with your optimal energy, creativity and focus, in turn looking after the wellbeing of your team and clients,” details Georgie Muscio, founder of brow brand, Buff Browz. “Employees and clients can tell when you’re drained or burnt out, and it can impact their experiences.”

“Model the healthy behaviour that you want to promote to others,” adds the team at employee benefit app, GoJoe. “For example, ensure your team switches off at the end of the working day by letting them know that you’re logging off as well. This also applies to weekends and annual leave: turn on out-of-office auto-replies.”

5. Switch off after each workday

Kay Kirsop, Artistic Nail Design and Famous Names brand ambassador, shares: “Nail professionals are often clients’ sounding boards, so it is imperative that we don’t carry that into our personal lives. I always take a moment once a client leaves to carry out some breathing exercises and brush off what they’ve told me, leaving it in the past.”

Wellness blog, The Mindful Stoic, offers techniques to switch off from the working day:

• Journaling: Research has shown the benefits of putting thoughts down on paper. The blog suggests writing down three things that have gone well, and three things that can be improved at the end of each day.
• Landmarking: This technique helps to create mental separation from the workplace, and involves identifying a physical landmark at a point beyond which you cannot see your place of work. Once you reach this at the end of the day, look at your workplace and acknowledge that you’re leaving it behind.

6. Think about your financial wellbeing

In a video from 2023, UK financial support provider, Money and Pensions Service, reveals: “Financial stress and its knock-on effects for mental and physical health can have severe consequences for individuals, organisations and communities. An estimated 13 million worker days are lost due to financial worries, and 59% of employees say that these concerns prevent them from performing at their best.”

Beauty business and mindset coach, Zaara King, stresses the importance of financial wellbeing for overall wellness. “Charge your worth for your services, so you are able to take time off to practice self-care,” she comments. “My Four Figure Focus membership is designed to help you boost earnings and achieve greater freedom.” Click here to sign up and use code SCRATCH for 50% off your first month’s membership.

7. Consider physical health

“Spending a huge portion of the day sitting can cause back problems and slow the body’s metabolism,” shares the GoJoe team. “To combat this, invest in ergonomic chairs to encourage better posture. Rather than sitting down for meetings, you could host stand-up or walking meetings.”

“I try to follow a wellness routine, which includes prioritising my physical health,” says Kay Kirsop. “I stretch each morning and between each appointment, then after work, I lay on a heated pad to relax my muscles and take a warm shower. I also meal prep so that during busy days, I have healthy food ready to eat.”