Anxiety stopping me from doing nails

[Nailsgalore13]

Hi geeks
Not sure if this is ok to post but i need help from you guys. I have been diagnosed with anxiety depression and stress. I have done nails for 13 years on and off.
I really want to get back out there doing what i love but my nerves and anxiety are stopping me [emoji22][emoji22]. Im so disappointed in myself but cant find the confidence to start up again. I should be out there doing this but got into a rutt and cant get out!
Any advice or help will be much appreciated, or if there is anyone in the selby area that can help me by letting me start in their salon to get me back out there and help me with my nerves and confidence please get in touch.

I did work in a salon for 2 and half years but left as i wasn't treated very nice.
Thank you

 

[Ruby S]

Sorry to here this. Its good that you are talking about it though and can recognise why you aren't able to move forward at the moment. Are you having any counselling or speaking to a professional of any kind? I'm sure this would help you as they seem to know techniques for you to retrain the way you think... I'm definitely no expert in the area, but my very close friend is going through much the same thing after some problems at home and her doctor has referred her to a councillor which has really helped her. I bet you have lots of family and friends who would happily let you build your confidence up on their nails and then maybe you could ask them to refer friends of theirs, people that you know but not very well etc, so that they feel a bit more like 'real' clients than your mum and sister!? Then eventually you will end doing people that you don't know at all because they will have seen how fabulous their friends nails look etc! Best of luck. x

 

[Nailsgalore13]

Aww thank you ruby, i eventually did pluck up the courage to go to the doctors, thats when i was diagnosed, he then sent me to cognitive behaviour therapy, which was good and has helped abit of my anxiety plus helped my ocd. But its not fully got rid of my nerves etc.thats a great idea actually doing friends then friends of friends. I just wish i didn't get so flustered. I seem to get a sweat head on! Thanks very much for your msg xx

 

[Trinity]

Aww thank you ruby, i eventually did pluck up the courage to go to the doctors, thats when i was diagnosed, he then sent me to cognitive behaviour therapy, which was good and has helped abit of my anxiety plus helped my ocd. But its not fully got rid of my nerves etc.thats a great idea actually doing friends then friends of friends. I just wish i didn't get so flustered. I seem to get a sweat head on! Thanks very much for your msg xx

Trust me when I tell you we all get it, especially in the beginning. Even now, 15 years in a new client breaks me out in a sweat, so badly my work trousers are soaked around the waist band when I finish. It's natural, nerves are good, it means you are ready, switched on and care about what you are doing. If you didn't care you wouldn't get nervous and a tech that doesn't care is never going to work out.

I shook like a leaf for the first 6 months or so, funnily enough though the second I picked up my first tool to start work the nerves went away and the shaking stopped, until the next client arrived

Nerves are not a bad thing, how you deal with them and if you let them overtake you is when the problems start - you need to remember you are trained, you know what you're doing, so deep breath and away you go. Who knows if you do something wrong???? You might, but as much as clients are watching you, they have absolutely no idea what you are doing, they're just watching because they have nothing else to do whilst you have their hands and nowhere else to look. They are not judging or checking your work.

If you are worried you'll miss a step out of a treatment write a cheat card, I had one propped up on my side of the desk, litterally bullet points, like:
sanitise
shape
cuticle
buff
primer
product
buff
top coat

no details just a reminder of each step

You have to be brave, fake it till you make it as they say. What would you want a tech to be like if you had your nails done? would you want them being all scared and nervous or calm and confident. Be confident

 

[CFBS]

An excellent response and advice from Trinity.
I've been doing clients for nearly 30 years and I still get a bit nervy before a new client arrives!
The anxiety is because we care about doing a good service to impress our clients.
Wearing a uniform is a big help. Put it on and become a different character with a smile on your face (genuine or not!)
Just remember that you know more than your clients. They don't know the routine or the order to use products in so if you make a gaff then just carry on to finish the job as if it's normal.

Prompt cards are great. Also lay out your products in the order you are going to use them in. This makes you think through the routine calmly before your client arrives. If you then forget the routine just go for the product next in line.

We've all been there, big hug x

 

[nailspink_0]

Hey chicky.
I know exactly what your going through. Two years ago I had a breakdown as our business was going under. I had been doing nails since 1996 so to help the business I thought I would start doing it again. But I had and still have bad anxiety and depression. Went to councilling. It's hard as the only thing that is going to help you get through it is keep going. I practiced on my daughter (I ended up in tears as they weren't 'perfect')
my mum and two other people that knew what I had gone through. It's still hard, but as I keep telling myself and you need to too, is that we know what we are doing, we can do it.
So hang in there, practice a routine from when the client walks through the door and sits down, what conversation you can have, and how you will finish the service. Also anxiety and excitement are the same kind of thing, so try and think when getting anxious, I'm so excited, tell yourself that's what your really feeling. I do this.
Good luck, keep going you can do it
Liz
xxx

 

[Nailsgalore13]

Trust me when I tell you we all get it, especially in the beginning. Even now, 15 years in a new client breaks me out in a sweat, so badly my work trousers are soaked around the waist band when I finish. It's natural, nerves are good, it means you are ready, switched on and care about what you are doing. If you didn't care you wouldn't get nervous and a tech that doesn't care is never going to work out.

I shook like a leaf for the first 6 months or so, funnily enough though the second I picked up my first tool to start work the nerves went away and the shaking stopped, until the next client arrived [emoji14]

Nerves are not a bad thing, how you deal with them and if you let them overtake you is when the problems start - you need to remember you are trained, you know what you're doing, so deep breath and away you go. Who knows if you do something wrong???? You might, but as much as clients are watching you, they have absolutely no idea what you are doing, they're just watching because they have nothing else to do whilst you have their hands and nowhere else to look. They are not judging or checking your work.

If you are worried you'll miss a step out of a treatment write a cheat card, I had one propped up on my side of the desk, litterally bullet points, like:
sanitise
shape
cuticle
buff
primer
product
buff
top coat

no details just a reminder of each step

You have to be brave, fake it till you make it as they say. What would you want a tech to be like if you had your nails done? would you want them being all scared and nervous or calm and confident. Be confident

Wow thank you for this. Yes thats one thing that makes me flustered is when they are watching! But like you say i know they are only watching because they have nothing else to do! Thank you so much i know your right xx

 

[Nailsgalore13]

An excellent response and advice from Trinity.
I've been doing clients for nearly 30 years and I still get a bit nervy before a new client arrives!
The anxiety is because we care about doing a good service to impress our clients.
Wearing a uniform is a big help. Put it on and become a different character with a smile on your face (genuine or not!)
Just remember that you know more than your clients. They don't know the routine or the order to use products in so if you make a gaff then just carry on to finish the job as if it's normal.

Prompt cards are great. Also lay out your products in the order you are going to use them in. This makes you think through the routine calmly before your client arrives. If you then forget the routine just go for the product next in line.

We've all been there, big hug x

Aww thank you. I know your right i just cant seem to help getting flustered and a sweat on ha! Thank you so much xx

 

[Nailsgalore13]

Hey chicky.
I know exactly what your going through. Two years ago I had a breakdown as our business was going under. I had been doing nails since 1996 so to help the business I thought I would start doing it again. But I had and still have bad anxiety and depression. Went to councilling. It's hard as the only thing that is going to help you get through it is keep going. I practiced on my daughter (I ended up in tears as they weren't 'perfect')
my mum and two other people that knew what I had gone through. It's still hard, but as I keep telling myself and you need to too, is that we know what we are doing, we can do it.
So hang in there, practice a routine from when the client walks through the door and sits down, what conversation you can have, and how you will finish the service. Also anxiety and excitement are the same kind of thing, so try and think when getting anxious, I'm so excited, tell yourself that's what your really feeling. I do this.
Good luck, keep going you can do it
Liz
xxx

Aww thank you, im sorry to hear about what you've gone through. I keep thinking constantly that i really want to do this, if i give up iv wasted a lot of years. I just cant get over this sweaty head and flustered stage. I really want to do it but my nerves just wont let me! Thank you so much for your support xx

 

[Nailsgalore13]

Wow thank you all of you for your messages and support. It really does perk you up. I really want to get on and do nails. Stupid stupid anxiety. Thanks again means alot xx