How to Stay Organized as a Hairdresser When You Feel Overwhelmed

9 minute read -

Here's the truth: even with systems, even as an educator, even as a salon owner, even after years behind the chair…I'm not on top of everything all the time.

I'm guessing you're not either. And that doesn't mean you're failing. It means you're human.

My entire brand is built on one core belief: client trust begins with trusting yourself.

A huge part of trusting yourself is learning how to work through the moments when you feel behind, overwhelmed, or frozen, and trusting that these moments are temporary. You will move into new moments that feel more energizing.

So today, I'm sharing how I get myself moving when I'm stuck, how I stay organized as a one-woman show, and how you can adapt these same tools to your salon life.

How to Get Unstuck When You Feel Overwhelmed as a Hairdresser

Overwhelm makes us freeze. It's not laziness. It's your nervous system stepping in to protect you. But staying in freeze mode only makes the list (and the pressure) grow.

Here's the part most productivity advice skips: Sometimes the first step isn't action. It's honoring your exhaustion.

Before I start my to-do list, I check in with myself. If I'm truly depleted, the most productive thing I can do is rest first. Not scroll. Not push through. Actual rest: Lying down, walking, eating, sleeping, stepping away.

Because when you're exhausted, even the simplest task feels impossible. Rest isn't a reward. It's an essential part of the productivity process.

Once I've taken a break and my energy has reset, even a little, I give myself one rule:

Start with one easy win.

Today, for me, that was writing my salon's bi-weekly email. I was feeling depleted and this was something simple and clear that didn't require too much emotional energy.

For you, an easy win might look like:

• Replying to 3 client messages

• Posting a story instead of a full Instagram post

• Ordering one backbar item you've been out of

• Updating client notes from last week

• Sending one consultation follow-up

That tiny accomplishment gives you a hit of momentum, and momentum builds self-trust. The next task you choose won't feel as hard. Today after I finished my salon email, I started writing this blog.

The Two-List System That Keeps Me Organized (and Works for Stylists Too)

Once I've taken a real break and given my brain space to settle, I can actually see my tasks clearly instead of feeling buried by them. Rest creates the clarity that action needs.

From there, I move into a simple system that keeps me grounded even when life feels chaotic: the two-list system.

List 1 (Urgent): "Needs to Happen Now"

These are the essentials that keep your business running and maintain client trust. For a hairdresser, this list might look like:

• Returning time-sensitive messages

• Confirming appointments

• Urgent inventory needs

• Communication that can't wait

• Client notes and review requests from last week

List 2 (Important): "This Matters, But Not Today"

This is the not-urgent but still necessary list. This list helps you remember the things that will move your business forward:

• Updating your website or booking site

• Planning future Instagram content

• Reviewing your pricing and planning an increase

• Skill and technique building

• Creating or updating client retention systems

Once it's on this list, your brain stops treating it as an emergency. You know you'll get to it, but it doesn't have to happen right now.

Rest helps you tell the difference between urgent and important.

How to Prioritize When Everything Feels Important Behind the Chair

After resting and separating my tasks, I can finally look at my week without feeling panicked.

This is where I ask myself one grounding question: "What actually matters this week, based on my real energy and real capacity?"

Rest helps me be honest with myself. Some weeks I can take on more. Some weeks I'm still recovering, and I adjust my expectations. If getting through List 1 is all you can do this week, that's enough. If you have more energy, it's a great time to begin a project from List 2.

When you protect your energy first, you make clearer decisions, and everything feels more manageable.

My Weekly Rhythm (And How You Can Create Your Own as a Stylist)

My weekly rhythm only works because it's designed around rest and real energy. Not hustle. My rhythm consists of the things that feel good for me. I encourage you to use mine as a jumping-off point, and substitute anything that feels more aligned for you.

Here's what my weekly rhythm looks like:

1. A walk or exercise daily = Mental reset

A walk is not "time wasted." It's nervous system regulation and a time where creative energy flows. As stylists, we need this more than most people.

2. A big, nutritious breakfast = Stable energy

As a hairdresser, I started this habit long ago because I never trusted that my busy day would include another full meal. It's now a daily habit that keeps my blood sugar stable and prevents mid-day exhaustion.

3. Slow mornings = Peak productivity later

I've learned that I'm most productive around 2pm. Because I know this, I don't force myself to be productive at 8am. I use my mornings for exercise, personal appointments, house chores, and catching up with friends. The greatest benefit of being a hairdresser is flexibility of schedule. Use your peak productive time to focus on your business tasks.

4. Dropping tasks = Building trust with yourself

Letting things fall off your list is not failure. Sometimes what was a good idea a while back is no longer fitting. It's okay to let things go, or to add them to List 2 to be addressed at a later date. I constantly review my lists and move things from List 1 to List 2, or drop them completely.

5. One Instagram day = More energy for real client work

This is a hard one, because Instagram gives me constant FOMO and makes me believe I need to be posting everything all the time to succeed. But I've learned that business is built on relationships, not algorithms, and therefore I purposefully limit my time obsessing over it. I spend one day creating what I want to post that week, and the rest of the days I simply engage to connect.

6. Accepting that the list will never be empty

I've learned and accepted that my business will always be a work in progress. This keeps my lists from controlling me. I understand they will never actually be empty, and I will prioritize and tackle things as my energy and time permits.

When you build a rhythm that honors your humanity, productivity becomes natural, not punishing.

The Connection Between Rest and Self-Trust

Here's what I've learned after years behind the chair and building my business: You can't trust yourself if you're running on empty.

Self-trust isn't built through perfection or getting everything done. It's built through keeping small promises to yourself:

• The promise to rest when you're depleted

• The promise to start with one manageable task

• The promise to let go of what's no longer serving you

• The promise to honor your actual energy, not your ideal energy

Every time you choose rest over pushing through, you're telling yourself: "I trust you to know what you need."

Every time you complete one small task instead of spiraling over the entire list, you're proving to yourself: "I can do this."

Every time you adjust your expectations based on reality, you're reinforcing: "I'm capable of making good decisions for my business."

And when you trust yourself more deeply, everything else shifts. Your client communication becomes clearer because you're not second-guessing every word. Your pricing decisions feel more confident because you're not operating from depletion and fear. Your boundaries hold because you believe you deserve to protect your energy.

Client trust truly does begin with trusting yourself. And trusting yourself begins with honoring your humanity.

The lists will always be there. The tasks will keep coming. But when you build your business on a foundation of self-trust, when you learn to move through overwhelm with compassion instead of punishment, you create something sustainable.

Not perfect. Not always on top of everything. But solid, and real, and yours.

About Anny VanDriel

Anny is a salon owner and hairdresser educator who has been teaching pricing strategy and business confidence since 2021. She developed a strategic pricing framework that allowed her to steadily increase her income over 10 years while maintaining client loyalty and reducing her working hours. Through her Pricing Isn't Personal course, she helps hairdressers create sustainable, profitable businesses rooted in self-trust.

Connect with Anny on Instagram @annyvandriel