The importance of self esteem

To be a good hairdresser it’s not enough to be technically strong – we also need to have plenty of self esteem! People Expert Julie Eldrett has devised a simple exercise to review what you like about yourself, so you can feel better – and make your clients feel better!

We train for years to learn to do the job we love, yet we seem to think it is not a worthwhile profession. When I am out and about meeting hairdressers they often say to me “Yes but I’m JUST a hairdresser!” I always answer by saying you are not JUST a hairdresser, you are a professional helping people to look and feel good about themselves. In fact, we have been known to help change people’s lives by boosting their confidence. So do not think of yourself as JUST a hairdresser any more.

You can’t just pull somebody off the street and ask them to do your job. It takes years to train, and that’s just the start. You also embark on a path of continuous learning as fashion and trends evolve. What lucky people we are to be in such an exciting industry.

To help demonstrate that it is acceptable for you to be proud of yourself and express self pride, ask a colleague or friend to help you and both of you individually write down two or three points you like about yourselves. After a few minutes, share these points with each other then ask yourselves:

How did I feel about writing good things about myself?
Were you honest or embarrassed?
What reaction did you receive from your friend/colleague when you told them what your good points were?
Did they agree, disagree or were they surprised?