As students of Southwest Institute of Natural Aesthetics, you have embraced your love for serving others! You are committed to helping people feel beautiful, inside and out. During this process, you have experienced personal transformations, and you may have realized your life purpose. You have embraced your education, your inspirational instructors, and the magical bonds you’ve formed with your fellow classmates! You help others feel beautiful, and therefore you are also beautiful!
However, there comes a time when learning turns into real-world application. You may have found yourself, post-graduation, looking for a job or already in it, asking yourself, “Do I have what it takes to be successful?” What if you don’t feel as confident as you thought you’d be? Do not worry! At some point, we all experience self-doubt, especially when we are feeling the pressure at the beginning of a new career. Does your self-esteem need a boost?
What is self-esteem?
Self-esteem reflects a person's emotional evaluation of his or her own worth. Self-esteem encompasses beliefs about oneself, like: "I am competent" and "I am worthy", as well as emotional states like triumph, despair, pride, and shame. Your training at SWINA has undoubtedly prepared you to help your clients minimize body shame and increase self-worth. However, when was the last time you checked in with yourself about your own feelings of worthiness? Here are a couple tips to keep you and your clients in the loop!
- Stay connected to your peers. Create social media pages, coffee groups, or regular get-togethers that will allow you to share and network. This reduces feelings of isolation. Research indicates that social networks are the biggest factor in boosting self-esteem. 1
- Practice positive self-talk. We all know how easy it is for our busy “monkey minds” to flood our thoughts. Perhaps journaling for 5 minutes a day, expressing your most pressing self-doubt messages, will help release the pressure you might be feeling. Take a minute to feel the words, breathe, and let your inner-self be your guide.
- Eat well and exercise. Are you a stress-eater? Feelings of incompetence are known to cause stress, and stress leads us to unproductive behaviors. Stay strong physically, and your mental and emotional bodies will follow suit.
- Think of your clients. Why have you chosen this path? What motivated you, and how did that belief help you to persist to this level?
- Volunteer. Experience is a gift. Ask to volunteer at a salon/spa, medical facility, private practice, or wherever is of interest to you. Trust that the universe will provide networking opportunities and lucrative supplements to support you.
- Acknowledge your own life accomplishments. Do not limit these to your education! Of what are you especially proud? Bask in all the goodness in your life, past, and present!
- Practice gratitude. Honor your lovely classmates who have shared this special aesthetics journey with you. Embrace the inspired teachers and take inventory of specific teaching moments that have stuck with you. Be grateful for this opportunity and have undying faith that Source will provide you a space in this world to share your ignited gifts and graces!
You are enough!
Remember that your clients may be anxious and are relying on your expertise to guide them to a more joyful place. It is very important to think of yourself as an expert and to have faith in your capabilities. You already have or will have the knowledge to support anyone who ends up on your table. So imagine, for a moment, if….
Your every performance surpasses all your expectations!
Learn more about how you can guide your clients to a more joyful place by helping them to ignite their gifts and graces.
