Ten clients, twelve hours on your feet and enough chatter while standing behind your chair that your face hurts from smiling. After all of that, all you can think of is a long soak in the tub and a bottle of wine, but you still have to close out the register, lock up the salon and plan for the next day. Sound familiar?
What we need is some activities or ‘rituals of renewal’ to recharge our batteries. Studies across many industries have shown that introducing ‘rituals of renewal’ into your business has many benefits for you as a leader as well as the performance of your employees. For example, a study done by the University of Bristol showed that 72% of employees that did at least 20 to 30 minutes of exercise a day reported having better time management skills and 79% felt their mental and interpersonal performance was better. What salon or spa doesn’t want those qualities at top-notch?
Exercise is one example of a ritual that can recharge one’s physical, emotional, and mental batteries. Some other examples include enjoying a hot cup of tea, ten minutes of meditation or deep breathing, fifteen minutes of yoga postures or a tai chi set, and even reading a few pages of a book by one’s favorite author. The rituals are many and varied, according to individual taste and desire. The key is to disengage completely from the task that previously occupied one’s time and focus before the beginning of the ritual. That task could have been a project, job duties, family and social responsibilities, etc.
Everyone has stresses, most of us have many, so helping your employees to renew themselves helps them to do their best while at work and it also can provide a sense of team unity when done as part of their work experience. You most likely already have some rituals that help you refocus and tackle the next hour, four hours or day ahead of you and your employees probably do, too. Start by brainstorming what everyone on the team likes to do to ‘recharge’ and share this as a group. Then you can move into brainstorming some things that are slightly more organized and have a team-building element, such as:
- Morning yoga sessions – have a quick yoga session in the salon, or at a nearby park just before opening to get everyone exercising and also focused for the day ahead.
- Book clubs – this is something that can get people escaping during their breaks, lunch hours and also helps to add depth to their work/life balance.
- Fitness challenges – Run/walks for a cause are a great way to give back as well!
- Weekly beverage samplings – teas or coffees are a nice way to relax throughout the day and rotating different flavors gives some fun to the experience. You can also take it further and get some wine for a weekly wine tasting for your team and/or clients. Plenty of this can be donated if you cross-promote (hint)!
These examples of daily rituals can help your employees focus on approaching their time at work with a balanced, healthy viewpoint so they can derive much more satisfaction from their work and their position at your company. If these aren’t your style, find something that suits your business culture and benefits everyone in the group. The key is to encourage everyone to join and partake and keep the focus on personal renewal for each employee.
Author Bio: Valorie Reavis
Social Marketer, foodie, closet geekA marketing professional who has focused primarily on the hair and beauty business for of the past decade, Valorie now runs linkup marketing, a digital marketing agency for the hair and beauty professional. Valorie works to engage clients in the marketing process and help them successfully engage with their clients and community. Energetic and passionate about the industry, Valorie focuses on blending traditional and digital media in order to bring salons closer to their clients.
