SHC Life in Lockdown Series, #2:
Looking After Yourself

In this series of short interviews, we will talk to a range of club members to find out what they’ve been up to during lockdown. Over the next few weeks we will cover work, hobbies and life in general… if you have a story to tell, or if you know of another club member who does, Beckie would love to hear from you.

SHC Life in Lockdown Series: Looking After Yourself with Nina Dunn

Ladies 6s captain Nina Dunn has been furloughed from her usual part-time role during lockdown, so has focused on developing her own business as a beauty and massage consultant. She talks to us about how her business has changed, together with some simple ways we can look after our bodies and minds while we adjust to new ways of living and working.

"Lockdown can be really tough on your working life, your mental health and how you feel, so it's really important to take the time to look after yourself.

For most people, working from home means sitting on a kitchen chair in front of a laptop at a table that was not designed as a desk. Our bodies were not built to sit in front of any kind of screen all day and when you add in the increase in exercise that people are doing, it’s resulted in a lot of sore bodies (necks and shoulders in particular). I’ve found it been really helpful to ensure I take the time to stretch or do some yoga.

I also make a point of putting make-up on, maybe not every day but at least a couple of times a week, just because it makes me feel good about myself. I also treat myself to a pamper evening once a week, popping on a facemask while I change the bedsheets or at the end of the day while I'm sat watching TV. You know what they say: ‘if you look good you feel good!’

I have a bit of a hybrid career and work part-time for Edwin Doran Sports Tours while also running my own business as a sport and remedial massage therapist and beauty consultant. My normal daily routine is to work mornings in the office for Edwin Doran and use afternoons and evenings to work for myself.

I have been furloughed from Edwin Doran and obviously haven’t been allowed to see my massage clients. However, I chose to take it as a positive and use the time to really work on my business and what it looks like after lockdown. I have focused on building the beauty side of my business by taking all my skincare consultations and make-up lessons online as well as spending time on my social media content to grow my brand awareness. 

Aside from the financial impact, the biggest professional challenge has been the fact that traditionally all my services are face to face, so I have had to completely adapt and come up with new ways of working. I really miss all my massage clients and it's frustrating not being able to help people when they overdo it on Joe Wicks’ PE lessons(!) or forget that they also need to stretch after adding all the new exercise into their daily routines. 

I am hoping that I will be able to start seeing massage clients again soon, but that will come with a whole new set of challenges since I will have to wear a mask and ensure my business is as safe as possible for my clients.

In addition to make-up lessons and skincare consultations, I have also been offering free online spa nights. The format is simple – I send three or four friends a selection of products tailored to their individual needs and then I take them through it all together online as a little virtual pamper night. It's really great fun and people love that it's something different when they’ve had enough of Zoom quiz nights!

Lockdown has been tough but I've actually really enjoyed having the time to focus solely on building my business. It's shown me that moving forward I can offer online options as well as face to face, which will mean I can reach a wider market. Perhaps most importantly, it's given me the opportunity to taste what it would be like working for myself full time."