Katie Lowndes has been in the beauty and wellness industry for over 20 years. With a long list of credentials, Katie has an HND in Beauty and Related Sciences and is a qualified teacher, DISC Trainer, and Wellness Coach. Her roles span across training, business development, general management, TV guest presenter, marketing and sales, and with a huge passion for health, food and creating a happy space, it felt only natural for her to help others achieve their best selves. Today Katie shares with SPA+CLINIC her 7 tips for practitioners and business owners within the beauty and wellness industries on how to improve your wellbeing at home.

You have heard the saying ‘never ASSUME as it makes an ASS out of U and Me’? Well it happened to me in relation to our wonderful industry. I assumed that all therapists and practitioners in our industry were just as passionate about wellness as I am, but I soon discovered they weren’t all as knowledgeable in this area as I once thought, and didn’t all share the same passion and drive for taking care of their own wellbeing.

Here is an example: a couple of years ago, I was with a team chatting about a new range of wellness products, and was asking about what each therapist did to look after themselves and unwind in their personal lives. I was taken aback by their answers, and the lack of awareness around what they could be doing to help themselves improve their personal wellbeing. Here they were, spending 8-9 hours a day taking care of others, but completely forgetting to take care of themselves. I have always believed strongly that unless you are taken care of first, you are unable to look after others – so then why are we neglecting ourselves? Not only is this a big loss on a personal level, but the Global Wellness Institute estimates that workforce un-wellness (chronic disease, work-related injuries and illnesses, work-related stress, and employee disengagement) may cost the global economy 10–15% of economic output every year.

And it isn’t just practitioners. I see it again and again with business owners; taking on the burden of your team’s problems, trying to make sure they are ok, and trying to ensure that clients are happy – but often, you are the last one in the queue to receive any care, or even get paid. There is a quote from Richard Branson that applies well to this situation: “Clients do not come first. Employees come first. If you take care of your employees, they will take care of the clients.” However, on reflection as I write this, I wonder about you as a business owner and where you fit in… because, before the employee is YOU. Are you taken care of? How well are you?

Your wellness can have a severe impact on your business if you are under stress, are lacking sleep, or feel mentally exhausted or overwhelmed. On the flip side, if you feel energetic, healthy, well rested, positive, in control and balanced, you will increase your productivity, morale and motivation.

So on that note, let’s look at 7 simple things you can be doing to take care of yourself and your wellbeing right now:

1. Clean – what better time to Spring Clean your home /office. The sense of accomplishment and weight off the shoulders can be incredibly motivating. Imagine reopening your business knowing that everything is tidy and in check – your paperwork, emails, and home life. Everything de-cluttered including your mind.
2. Food – it has been incredible watching people start cooking again, if you follow me on Instagram or Facebook you will see this is a passion of mine. Our diet gives us the tools to feel energised, healthy and happy. Having the time now to plan, prepare and even enjoy cooking is a positive. Can you start planning how you want your diet to be after this? Can you take this time to heal and create new habits to make you feel better now and in the future? Maybe start practising meal prep and planning so that you can have a routine for when everything starts back up again.
3. Monkey Mind – now, I know the cheeky monkey will be working overtime for you at the moment. If you can, please take the time to write down everything in your head so the thoughts stop running round and round and getting faster and bigger and more challenging! It’s amazing how cathartic it is to take the thoughts and put them in to words and release them.
4. Exercise – it feels like things have slowed down, and isn’t that a good thing? I realised that I was rushing walks and ironically even rushing relaxing! Take your time to breathe and enjoy your walks. What exercise can you incorporate now into your daily life, and what can you do on an ongoing basis that you enjoy and makes you feel stronger and happier?
5. Beauty – have you been dusting off your old wax pots and eyelash tinting kits? I know I have! What better time than to clean out the old out-of-date products and pamper yourself? Throw out any old make up products and clean those brushes. How often do you give yourself an at-home facial? How is your skin? Think of the advice you give your clients and treat YOU with that same advice.
6. Wellness – give yourself a health check. Are you up to date with health appointments, have you been doing some self-care on a regular basis? What can you do in the future to maintain and include some healthy wellness habits in your life?
7. Vision – dust off the cork board/white board and start thinking about how you want your life to be. What have your learned over these past few weeks? Is there anything that you have done in the past that no longer serves you going into the future? Do you have clarity on what is important to you, your family, and your business? Really visualise and actually feel in your body how you would like your life to be in the future and get creative! Use old magazines for images and inspiration, and of course, good old Google!

If you want more, you can find more on the above in my book ‘7 Simple Steps To A Healthier Happier You’. I am also offering SPA+CLINIC readers a complimentary ‘wellness check’ coaching session! Sign up by contacting me katie@katiesbeautykitchen.com.