Stress signals

Recognising and understanding the warning signs of stress is key to ensuring it doesn’t negatively impact the workplace, explains salon business expert Liz McKeon

A good salon owner or manager stays well ahead of the stress game because stress is counter-productive and not profitable. You don’t need stress; instead, replace it with excitement, challenge, enthusiasm, exhilaration and enjoyment.

It is important to be able to distinguish between pressure and stress. Pressure is motivating, stimulating and energising.

But, when pressure exceeds ability to cope, stress is produced.

There are a number of signals that can help you detect when your levels of stress are bordering on dangerous. Stress typically manifests itself in these four areas of our health:

■ Physical: tension in your body, headaches, muscle aches or digestive difficulties, such as stomach or ulcers.

Other signs include extreme fatigue, shortness of breath, sweating or shaking.

■ Emotional: irritability, restlessness, feeling discouraged or hopeless, wanting to isolate yourself, having difficulty concentrating, or feelings of panic or anxiety.

■ Behavioural: difficulty with sleep, inability to relax or destress, anger issues, trouble with decision-making, increased use of self-medicating approaches such as alcohol and/or other drugs, overeating, or not wanting to eat at all.

■ Relational: communication difficulties, avoiding others or withdrawing, working long hours, or avoiding interaction or communicating with people.

When you notice a couple of stress symptoms take time out to ask yourself: 1. Why am I stressed? 2. What is causing the stress? 3. What can I do about it? 4. How can I stop it recurring again?

Take a good look at your wellbeing. If you experience any number of stress symptoms on a frequent or constant basis, it is time to start looking for causes and reassess your priorities.

Stress does not respect boundaries, and stress caused from your role within the salon will eventually affect all other elements of your life. Work on rectifying the causes of your work-related stress, and not the symptoms.

Dealing with your own stress

Follow these steps to manage your own stress:

1. Take responsibility; it is you that is being affected, and so it is you that needs to resolve it.

2. Identify the source of the stress. The solution is to then rationally consider how to take down the stress wall.

3. Develop strategies and management techniques for handling stress. Consider preventing or reducing the cause of stress, or learn to accept it if it can’t be removed.

4. Learn to relax more.

5. Acknowledge stress in others.

6. Build a positive team environment. It is possible to reduce stress for others by developing good communication systems, a supportive team approach, a blame-free environment, and a clear sense of involvement and responsibility.

Staff wellbeing

Workplace stress has been defined as 'the adverse reaction people have to excessive pressures or other types of demands on them at work'. Wellbeing and stress management issues are within the overall duty of care that a salon owner owes to its employees.

If staff wellbeing is undermined, a range of negative impacts can arise. To develop wellbeing policies within your salon environments, consider the following actions:

1. Create a positive work culture – have a clear vision and purpose, where staff know they are valued.

2. Offer training and development to add value to both the salon and the staff.

3. Make sure pay and conditions reflect the responsibilities of the role.

4. Always be honest and transparent with staff. Job security can be a significant source of stress.

5. Foster a culture of trust and co-operation, with open communication – this will help to promote wellbeing.

Creating an environment that respects and encourages a healthy work-life balance will improve stress management all round.