You may remember we wrote a piece about the horrible effects that working in the beauty industry can have on your body. An image from massage therapist Hitesh Patel who used the technique “Gua sha” on a hairdresser client of his – made it’s way around the internet shocking users. We contacted Hitesh for tips on how to make sure we look after our bodies during a stressful work day.
Top 5 tips for looking after yourself at work
1. Take a break! As simple as it sounds, most therapists and hairdressers work long hours without hydrating and eating properly – running down your bodies immune system will result in you feeling tired and you end up getting tighter and tighter, leading to more pain.
2. Cut out coffee and tea – replace it with water. When you hydrate from the inside your muscles stay fully hydrated and allow them to function properly. Caffeine may stimulate your body but it’s also a diuretic, which will flush out all the water in your body, leaving you feeling more tired later on.
3. Stretching! Whenever you get a couple of minutes, stretch your whole body as much as you can in every single direction. A great, simple stretch can be done using a towel – an easy to find item in a hairdressing salon! Roll the towel into one long roll, whilst grabbing both ends raise it over your head, stretching your arms apart you should feel the stretch in the back of your shoulder blades. It will feel really good! You can then rotate one arm as far back as it goes. Swapping arms will stretch out your pecs individually, leaving your upper-body feeling more loose and relaxed.
4. Take time to relax. Whether you’re doing a yoga class, pilates, dance swimming or zumba – it doesn’t matter what it is you do as long as you get your body moving! Flushing out your lymphatic system you will feel so much better and you will be surprised how much more energy you have.
5. Get a massage – whether it’s a professional massage or getting your partner to rub some oil on your back! As long as you’re getting some kind of soothing, healing touch, your body will calm down and relax – this will boost your nervous system as well as your immune system whilst gently relaxing your mind. This all aids in getting a good night sleep where your deepest recovery session will take place. When you have a good, deep sleep, you wake up feeling refreshed and your body feels vibrant full of energy – you will just function so much better!
Do a little bit of these every day and you’ll feel amazing!
Thanks to Hitesh Patel for the incredible tips!
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