Spa Business Stress: Managing Exhaustion While Growing

As a spa owner, I remember dreading every December. 

Don’t get me wrong, I LOVED the sales that came in. I just didn’t love the stress and exhaustion that accompanied the season...every year.

You’ve likely heard that strong leadership is an inside game. And based on my experience as a leader in the spa industry for 25+ years, I wholeheartedly agree. 

What Got You Here, Won’t Get You There.

Every time I approached a new level of success in my business I was required to learn higher level leadership skills. The truth was, my leadership mentality & habits at each time needed an upgrade to be able to handle the bigger business strategy, implementation and revenues.

And this is 100% true in regards to managing your spa owner stress as well. 

A part of your leadership means having the ability to be objective with your thoughts, rather than being a slave to it’s reactions (in terms of stress levels, your reactions could look like having difficulting saying “no”, overthinking to the point of perfection paralysis, or being reactive and snarky when you don’t mean to). 

Practice Leadership Objectivity.

When it comes to having too much on your entrepreneurial plate, you need objectivity to problem-solve your way out of the overwhelm. 

During some of the more stressful times at your spa, it’s critical you have regular “check-ins” with yourself to assess where you’re at in terms of time, energy levels, family commitments and spa business growth initiatives because there will be times it’s the wisest decision for your business longevity to pull back your efforts short-term in order to be able to regroup with much more clarity and efficiency...which directly affects your sales and team outcomes.

When Should You Adjust Your Workload & Growth Initiatives?

I don’t advocate taking your foot off the gas of your business completely, but there will be times you need to delegate tasks to others (at the spa and at home), simplify your spa service offers or postpone growth initiatives for a better time. 

This is where objectivity needs to kick in - to discern your situation and pivot with new priorities. 

Things always change, so don’t get too hung up on sticking with an idea that truly doesn’t serve you or your business. It could be a totally kick ass growth initiative, but if you can’t commit to the time and action steps needed to roll it out...how well do you think the results will be? 

If you feel you are approaching a mental health crisis then more drastic steps need to be taken to ease your workload to prioritize your health. 

In my experience, most spa owners push themselves SO FAR PAST reasonable stress levels in the name of caring for clients family & friends they’re often surprised to hit the mental health crisis wall at all. But it happens. And it’s a long, painful road to healing at that point.

You’ve heard this before, but it’s worth repeating again, especially at this time of year - entrepreneurship isn’t a sprint...it’s a marathon. So give yourself a break if you really need it. 

Be conscious of how much energy you have to deliver to your clients, team and family and adjust your schedule, personal commitments, clients (you may need to have a break up with a few!), spa marketing, recruiting and systems organization short term until you can get back on your feet with full energy & enthusiasm for spa business.

Don’t know where to start with unpacking your spa business stress & overwhelm to know where to start prioritizing your tasks? 🙋‍♀️That’s what I do best! I’m a natural problem-solver with loads of experience in the spa business trenches and can give you solutions quickly! Connect with me here to see what my ideas for your spa biz look like!