BLOG SPOT By Jenni Tarrant

THE BIGGEST PSYCHOLOGICAL HURDLE

The global pandemic is obviously the greatest threat to our health and businesses than we have had to deal with in living memory. The second biggest, in my opinion, is our mental health epidemic - particularly among the generations below my own. This is a subject very close to my heart. I have significant mental health issues as do many family members and numerous salon team members, both past and present. And I know I am not alone in struggling with how to solve this challenge within the salon environment.

With 38 years in the hairdressing industry and 17 years owning my own salon, I can’t recall any period where brain health has been such a pervasive and pressing issue. The greatest challenge for me as the leader of my team is how to navigate the personal within the professional environment. Where is the line?

I can honestly say that I have often gone waaaaayyyyyy over the line in my attempts to ‘fix’ or prevent the problem. I have supported; cared for; empathised with; invested in; and provided for so many team members in the past that it has sometimes created a ‘very messy dynamic’ for all parties. So, what is the answer?

Am I an employer or a nurturer? Can I be both those things and still be effective in the way I operate my business? Am I an enabler or am I being too tough? How do I strike the right balance when dealing with such different personalities at different levels of brain health? Where can I get help when mental health resources are at maximum capacity? How do I continue to provide excellent technical and customer service when so many team members need to be away from work? There are so many questions and so few guidelines available to follow. I recently discovered a comprehensive Mental Health Strategy template from the Australian Hairdressing Council which I have amended for my own business. It has allowed me to clearly communicate my care and support to team members who have voluntarily identified themselves as having mental health issues. It has helped me discover the line because it formalises the communication process.

Having said that, a document can never be enough to deal with the seemingly daily in-salon issues ranging from heightened anxiety through to dissociative episodes - and everything in between. And I am saying that as a trained and experienced LifeLine counsellor, and accredited practitioner in various personal development techniques.

The place where I am now finding my peace is in recognising that my role is to ultimately provide a safe environment for mental health, just as it is for the physical health and safety of my team. If a crisis occurs, I can handle the situation in the best interests of those involved at the immediate time, but beyond that it is not, and should not be, my responsibility. To step in before I have been asked to, robs the individual of their opportunity to problem solve. It stunts their ability to build resilience and muddies the water between

the personal and the professional. My role is to model how to present your professional self when at work. There are times when outside help is needed but they are few and far between in the scheme of things. I no longer jump in to ‘save an impending situation’. Instead, I have on-hand contact numbers for crisis support and can direct the team member to the entry for professional treatment.

In essence, the line for me is to help my team members battling mental health issues to find their own line within the salon. Viewing things from that perspective puts the responsibility back on the individual and empowers them to make their own choices. Even the literal meaning of the word empowerment: “To make someone stronger and more confident, especially in controlling their life and claiming their rights” is a big and positive step towards a healthier brain and team.