6 Ways to Practice Self-Care as a Lash Entrepreneur

Lashpreneurs, are you taking care of yourselves or are you running yourself ragged?! These days, we can all recognize that self-care is important, but few of us actually take the time to practice it. 

Self-care is so much more than drinking a glass of wine (or five😉) at the end of the long day or allowing yourself to sleep in on the weekends. It’s an ongoing effort to nourish ourselves so we don’t burn out. It’s recognizing that YOU yourself are worth the same love, care, and attention you give to your clients and business. 

As a lash artist, your job is to help people feel confident and beautiful – that’s hard work! 

Ask yourself: are you pouring from an empty cup? If so, maybe it’s time to give back to yourself. Here are a few ways to start: 

Set boundaries 🙅‍♀️

The first step you can take to take care of yourself is to put the right boundaries in place for your business. Here are some things to consider:

• Establish boundaries for yourself. Do you want to work at night? Do you want an open schedule? Can a client call or text you at any time of day or night, and do they have your number on speed dial? Asking these questions will help guide your boundary-setting process.
• Set rules for your business. Are clients allowed to contact you outside of business hours? Is it OK if clients wait until the last minute before asking for appointments, asking for changes, or canceling appointments with little notice (and thus disrupting other clients' schedules)? 
• Some find it helpful to separate their work and personal life.That means once you get home from work, you turn off work mode so that you can stay present with yourself and your loved ones. 

Take regular breaks ☕️

Rest breaks are not just for when you’re stressed or tired. 

👉You’re allowed to rest just because you want to!👈Schedule time after work hours to spend away from thinking about your work. If you don't know how to relax or stop working when you should, try these tips:

• Have an activity planned that is different from your normal routine (e.g., reading, journaling, going for a yoga class, or cooking).
• Give yourself grace if taking breaks doesn’t come easy to you—we’ve all been programmed to be 100% productive all the time, but that’s just. Not. Possible. 

Better yet, you can also schedule time during work to take a break – take a 10-minute walk to get fresh air between sessions, or take a full hour at lunch to eat a good meal (rather than just order delivery and eat scarf it down in the back room).You can find the time if you make time. 

Ask for help 🆘

Remember, you have only so much time and energy during the day. You don’t have to do it all alone. Ask for help, gurl. 

This can mean multiple things. It can mean delegating tasks if you have employees. If you’ve been used to doing everything yourself, delegating may be uncomfortable because your business is your baby: what if they don’t do as a good a job as me?? But trust in your employees is needed so that you don’t end up micromanaging and burning yourself out. 

Asking for help can also mean finding a strong support system, whether it’s seeking advice or a listening ear from mentors, a therapist, fellow business owners, friends, or family. Many people overlook the importance of having strong support systems in place, but if you try to keep it all in, it’ll be your health and business that will suffer eventually. 

Find space for YOUR joy 🎉

Make time to do things purely for the joy of doing them, not because they'll make your Instagram better or help you grow your business.

Life is short, so enjoy it!

You may be thinking, “Wait a minute. This person is talking about how I should make time to do things that bring me joy. But if I do that…how can I focus on my business and grow?”

That's a fair question! And the answer is: "Meet joy where you need it."

People who are successful in business don't simply work harder; they make it a point to find joy in what they do in their everyday (whether it’s the satisfaction you give your clients, learning a new lashing skill, the joy of a new positive customer review, the rewarding feeling of filling your roster, or staying organised when it comes to scheduling!) while carving time out for pleasure outside of it. 

BUT if you're working all day every day ticking off tasks — especially if it’s long hours without breaks —you will start to resent your work and lose sight of why you are doing this in the first place. 

By connecting to your joy, you keep your spark alive. 

Take care of your physical health 💪

✨Super basic, but super important.✨

You might think that taking care of yourself would only mean cutting into valuable time spent working toward success (or whatever goal you have), but actually staying healthy will make it easier for you to succeed overall. 

Your energy levels are higher, and your creativity and focus increase when you’re not constantly running on fumes. Go through the checklist below and see what’s lacking: 

• Stay hydrated during the day–for your skin, energy, digestion, and overall health. 
• Move your body regularly:  take walks, have a mini-dance party at home after work, go for weekend hikes—anything that makes sure you’re not just on your butt the whole week. 
• Eat a balanced diet. 
• Get enough sleep. 
• Listen to what your body needs! 

6. Take care of your mental health 💆‍♀️

Taking care of your mental health is an important part of running a successful business. You may have started with just a pure passion for lashes, but now you find yourself having to keep on top of admin and operations, accounting matters, marketing… it’s a lot. 

This makes it all the more vital for you to take time for yourself to fill your cup, whether it’s through going for regular therapy, establishing a journaling meditation habit, or setting weekly time aside to reflect on the direction that you’re going. As we’ve said, self-care is not just a one-off thing you do once in a while – like going to the gym, consistency is key when taking care of your mental health!   

Conclusion 

In summary, self-care is self-love in action. It can involve: 

• Setting firm boundaries with yourself and others.
• Taking regular breaks (not just an annual vacation!).
• Asking for help from your support system. 
• Doing things that make you feel joy and connection. 
• Taking care of your physical health (water, healthy diet, exercise/movement).  
• Taking care of your mental health, consistently. 

Take action on these 6 tips and unlock your full potential as the well-rested and well-hydrated lash boss you know yourself to be!