We all like to think that with enough passion, motivation and caffeine, we can take on any challenge - but we’re only human, and the burnout is real! Life as a working Permanent Makeup Artist can get extremely busy, especially once your business picks up.

Here’s how to spot the symptoms of burnout, how to look after yourself when you’re overwhelmed, and the processes you can put in place to avoid it all together.



Recognise the Signs

Burnout hits you both physically and mentally, in ways that can be hard to tell apart from normal mental health fluctuations and illnesses.

Physical symptoms might include fatigue, headaches, stomach issues, constant illnesses and changes in your sleep schedule and appetite. Emotionally and behaviorally, you might feel helplessness, loneliness, detachment, or a lack of motivation - and that can be a serious problem if you’re self-employed.

Try to keep an eye out for more subtle signs, like using food, alcohol or shopping to make you feel better.

Time Block

Time blocking is a really helpful technique that lots of people who work for themselves use to schedule their time. It’ll allow you to get your work done despite the interruptions of daily life, concentrate fully on the task at hand, and help you to feel more control over your schedule. It’s also great if you’re prone to procrastinating!

Time block planning means dividing your day into blocks of time, and concentrating on specific tasks in that time. Not every block needs to be the same size, and you’ll need to block in essential tasks like eating lunch. This way, you can dedicate yourself to answering emails for say an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening, freeing you from checking your phone every five minutes throughout the day!

There are lots of time blocking resources online, so get yourself a cute day planner (a physical one or a virtual one) and get blocking!



Rest & Reset

You work hard, and you deserve to rest too. Try to ignore the pressure that tells you that you should always be working, and book yourself a holiday. Even just a dedicated day away from your clinic and socials can help you to feel recharged when you next go into work, but make sure to book longer times off too!

Don’t forget to rest in your evenings - resist the urge to take on additional responsibilities if you know that you’re already struggling to fit everything in.

Free Time

Speaking of time off, make sure you have time for the other fun things in your life, like enjoying time with your family, going out with friends, or indulging in a hobby that’s totally unrelated to work!

It can be easy - especially when you’re already feeling burnout - to end up wasting your precious free time. We all know how easy it is to spend hours scrolling on our phones, but that time is better spent doing something you really love, so you don’t resent work when you get back to it.



Prioritise Your Health

You’re not a superhero or a saint - if you don’t allow your body to rest, it’ll force you to! Make sure that when you’re time blocking you’re leaving plenty of time to eat and sleep, keep yourself hydrated throughout the day - especially between appointments - and feed your body with the essential nutrients it needs to keep you working at your best.

Know Your Worth

You don’t always have to say yes.

Let that sink in for a moment. Is this potential client trying to negotiate on your price? Is dealing with them causing you a headache? Choose where to spend your energy wisely and don’t be afraid to say no to a bad situation – especially if there are red flags straight away.

Stay Organised

As well as time blocking you can use daily, weekly and monthly planners to organise yourself. For your business, there are lots of tools out there to take the headache out of organisation, like online booking systems or social media scheduling programmes. You can find social media assistance online if you find the pressure of regular posting too much, or hire a PA to handle your daily schedule so you can focus on your real job!



Set Boundaries

Working for yourself - and owning your own company - blurs the line between who you are as a person, and who you are at work. Try to maintain professional relationships with your clients - of course you can make friends if you hit it off, but don’t feel you owe your clients extra time or energy outside of their appointment.

You should also try to only check and reply to messages during your allotted work time (unless it is an emergency) - preferably during a time block that’s been dedicated to the task!

Price Correctly

Don’t undersell yourself! You work hard to bring out the beauty in others, but imposter syndrome tells you that your work is worth less, and this isn’t helped by negative comments and hagglers. Make sure you’re pricing your work at the appropriate level for your skill, experience and technique, and never sell yourself short!

Don’t forget that PMU is a luxury service, and there are plenty of potential clients out there who are happy to pay the right price for your services.



Be kind to yourself, stay healthy, and prevent burnout with these handy tips!