Editor's Note

A lot of our industry are feeling flat right now after over 13 million Australians were locked down across News South Wales, South Australia, and Victoria.

It’s fair to say that the excitement of finding new ways of doing business, pushing through and maintaining business during a lockdown has worn thin for so many, and after lockdown number 5 in Victoria, mental health has been at an all-time low.

During these times of uncertainty, it’s so important to check in with yourself and put your own mental health first. Taking time to lock yourself down emotionally is ok. Just like rebooting a computer, a shut down is a vital part of helping us grieve the process we find ourselves in during government lockdowns, and to help us get back up when we are able to keep going the best way we can.

Here are some ways I personally maintain my own mental health during a shutdown.

- Call, email or text every client with a future appointment scheduled during the lockdown and tell them their appointment has been put on pause. Not cancelled, not rebooked, paused. This way you don’t have to deal with a flood of calls and messages if a lockdown is extended. Tell your clients you’ll be getting back in contact with everyone when the lockdown ends to reschedule them then. This way you are able to step away and take a moment of calm for yourself and eliminates extra stress should a lockdown be extended.

- Create connection calls with your clients. These can be a group Zoom chats you host with your clients during lockdowns to connect, chat and come together as a clinic community online. You can hold it as an educational session, a Q&A about skin or a product or just a wine and catch up on a Friday night. Make these regular during extended lockdowns so you all have something to look forward to. Product companies are always happy to help out with guest speakers to take the pressure off your running the whole session on your own.

- Switch off. Nowadays we are bombarded with constant daily updates, statistics and news stories as we gauge how our daily lives might be impacted by what’s going on in the world. The overwhelm and mental fatigue is huge right now. We are worn thin and exhausted by both the information overload and the emotional roller coast it takes us on. Feel zero guilt about turning the news off, missing a daily update and just live your life in a way that brings you happiness, calm and joy without this global pandemic hanging over our heads.

If you’re reading this from a darker place right now in your own lives, please reach out and get in touch. Connecting with others in our industry and pulling through this together is how we are all going to get through these uncertain times. It’s ok to not be motivated, to be over “pivoting” and please know that I’m only an email away if you ever need someone to connect with and you don’t know where to turn.

As business owners we can feel the pressure more than any one else because we have to keep everything going for ourselves, our suppliers, our landlord our staff and our families. The pressure is huge! A burden shared is a burden halved.

Please take care of your own mental health during this time and know its ok to be exactly where you are right now in your journey. x

Clare xo

Clare Lamberth, Editor

clare@mochapublishing.com.au