The Dogs are ok but are you???

Dogs' well-being is so important. But what about us?

We all want our four-legged clients to be happy and relaxed in our care. We want them to trot to the salon enthusiastically, wagging their tail happily, all excited to spend the next hour or two with us. 

And we do all we can to make that happen. We use the calming spray; we put few drops of calming essential oils in our defuser... many of us implement Reiki, T-touch.. use licki mat, treats, you name it. 

But what about you? Are you always happy, stress-free, discomfort-free, pain-free, and relaxed? I don't think so. We all have good days and bad days. And to be honest, how would you know you are having a good day if you haven't experienced a bad day? 

What can you do in the salon to relieve stress and discomfort? 

Here are three tips that work for me:

1/ Take a deep breath 

Deep breathing is one of the best ways to lower the stress we feel. Because when you breathe deeply, it sends a message to your brain to calm down and relax. And then, the brain sends this message to your body.

To enhance this, inhale relaxing essential oil directly from the bottle (don't touch your nose or mouth) or put a few drops on a tissue, cotton wool, or a napkin ( again, don't touch your nose or mouth) 

Essential oils to reduce irritability and relieve headache: bergamot, Roman chamomile, lavender, clary sage, frankincense, rosewood, sweet orange, sweet marjoram, sandalwood 

Essential oils to help relieve tiredness and aches and pain: basil, ginger, black pepper, lemon, lime, geranium, peppermint, pine 

Essential oils to help overcome helplessness and depression: bergamot, mandarine, melissa, neroli, rose, jasmine

All the above-mentioned essential oils are suitable to use in a diffuser around dogs. Just put 4 to maximum 10 drops in water in your favourite oil burner or vaporiser. 

2/ Gratitude 

While you are breathing deeply and inhaling the lovely aromas, think of 5 things, you are grateful for today. It can be something little like your morning coffee was super delicious, or your colleague cleaned your table and swept the floor while you went to the loo, or that your customer came on time and the dog didn't have any knots. You see, when we feel gratitude, we can't be angry and stressed at the same time. Why? 

When we feel gratitude, our brain releases dopamine and serotonin, the two important neurotransmitters responsible for our emotions. They enhance our mood immediately, making us feel happy. And you can't be happy and stressed at the same time!

3/ Watch your posture.

Have you noticed when you are stressed or sad, you kind of shrink? Your head is down; your shoulders are rounded forward and tense, and actually, all your muscles feel pretty tight; your breathing is shallow... 

By changing your posture, your physiology, you will feel an immediate change in your emotions because of the incredible connection between the mind and body. 

Put a song on that makes you happy, or sing yourself Happy Birthday; jump up and down, wave your arms, do a happy dance... stretch and smile. Straighten your back, hold your head high, smile, pick up a dog and carry on to do your magic. 

Jitka xx