Professional Development Begins With You

The first step toward professional development is supporting a healthy body and mind. Beauty professionals spend long hours standing, bending, reaching, concentrating, and caring for others. Rest, relaxation, nutritious food, regular movement, and emotional well-being help us bring our best selves to our work.

Rest and relaxation help reduce fatigue and support overall well-being. Exercise can improve circulation, strengthen muscles, support heart and organ health, improve mood, and make everyday movement easier.

Older teaching materials sometimes identify worry and fear as emotions that can be harmful to health. A more compassionate and accurate way to teach this is: persistent stress, worry, and fear can affect sleep, concentration, mood, and physical well-being. Experiencing these emotions is human; the goal is to recognize them and use healthy coping strategies or seek support when needed.

Nutrition basics

A balanced eating pattern provides energy and essential nutrients, supports tissue growth and repair, and contributes to the health of the skin, hair, and nails. The body uses energy from food to maintain body temperature, build and repair tissue, support internal functions, and power movement.

RDA stands for Recommended Dietary Allowance. It is the average daily intake level of a nutrient that is sufficient to meet the needs of nearly all healthy people in a particular age and sex group.

There is no single calorie amount that is appropriate for everyone. Calorie needs vary with age, sex, body size, activity level, health, and individual goals. Therefore, the original answer of 1,500 calories should not be taught as a universal daily recommendation.