Tiny Ways to Beat June Gloom in Your Head and At Your Salon

Step into summer in style with these tips for weathering the emotional roller coaster that comes with springtime in Southern California

As spring gives way to summer, Southern Californians hunker down for a few solid weeks of what’s known as June Gloom. Cloudy, overcast skies block out the trademark California sun, and vitamin D deprivation starts to have a measurable effect on everyone’s mood. Boulevard was founded in Los Angeles, so this emotional roller coaster is near and dear to our hearts. Here are a few ways hair pros can put a little pep in their step when the clouds roll in.

Get yourself some ear candy

If the weather is blocking the light from your eyes, try thrilling your ears instead. Plugging into today’s top beauty podcasts will distract you with a combination of inspiration, camaraderie, and juicy industry goss. If your team is in the mood, you can even get a listening party together! Treat it like a book club but for podcasts. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

• Make Me Over: Karina Longworth’s series explores the history of beauty in Hollywood.

• Fat Mascara: Beauty editors Jessica Matlin & Jennifer Goldstein dish industry news.

• Naked Beauty: Brooke DeVard Ozaydinli examines beauty, wellness, culture & identity.

• Glowing Up: LOL with Esther Povitsky and Caroline Goldfarb’s beauty & comedy show.

• Science of Beauty: Learn from deep dives with Allure’s Jenny Bailly Dianna Mazzone.

• Gloss Angeles: Kirbie Johnson and Sara Tan talk about beauty and pop culture in LA.

Here’s another fun and easy option: Take a few hours to update your salon soundtrack. Make a collaborative playlist where staff can contribute their favorite tunes, let employees take over the airwaves for a day, or ask your best clients what they’re listening to lately. It’s amazing how much music can do to set the mood.

Schedule a giggle break

When it comes to the everyday blahs, there’s no medicine like a little laughter. Luckily, Instagram is a treasure trove of meme accounts that exist just to put a little snark in our day. A well-timed meme can inspire the deepest, heartiest belly laugh, and isn’t that something we all need from time to time? Scroll these accounts when you and your team need a good giggle:

• Betches: Not always beauty-related, but always the perfect balance of silly and catty.

• Makeupdotcom: Inspo, products, and cute memes, all in one L’oreal branded place.

• Beautymemes: Relatability is the foundation of a good meme; this account nails it.

• Memesandbeauty: Only loosely beauty related, which, let’s be honest, is sometimes what we need.

If you have TV or display screens in your salon, another good option is to throw on a silly movie or series. Go for goofy romcoms, animated favorites, or slapstick classics. If your waiting room is crowded, try something a little meatier like a comedy special (subtitles are a good option here). Even without the sound on, your team and your clients will pick up on the joyful vibe.

Shake up your caffeine routine

When in doubt, say yes to whipped cream on your mocha. June in SoCal might even call for a little extra whip. Or if fancy espresso drinks topped with clouds of fluffy cream don’t do it for you, consider this your blanket invitation to pick another poison. The point we’re trying to make is that when things are already feeling pretty tough, cut yourself a break wherever you can. Look for opportunities to say yes to an extra dollop of sweetness wherever you can get it (we’re focused on your coffee order, but no need to stop there).

Another good option is to switch up your usual order at the coffee shop. Go for the seasonal flavors you don’t normally have time to even think about; lavender, rose, and hibiscus lattes have been all the rage lately. Butterfly pea! Elderflower! Dandelion! The possibilities are endless and in SoCal, chances are there’s a café nearby where you can try them all. Worst case scenario, you’ll try something new. Best case, you’ll find your new favorite pick-me-up!

Want to bring some of that spice into the salon? Easy. Snag a bottle of something fun on your way into work — we’ll leave it to you to decide whether you go the route of sweet flavored syrups or something a little, ahem, harder. Tie a ribbon around the bottle and leave it in the kitchen or break room with a note for your team to partake when they pour themselves a cuppa. Or if you provide beverage service, offer your clients a spike in their coffee or tea and toast to kicking June Gloom to the curb!

Treat yourself for treats’ sake

At the end of the day, one of the best ways we know how to beat June Gloom (or any season’s doldrums, really) is to indulge. Some of the treats we’ve already looked at require a small splurge, but other indulgences are free or close to it. What qualifies as a special moment will depend on your personal interests and preferences, so take a few minutes to reflect on what you really need. Everyone’s idea of self-care is a little different, and that’s how it should be. Allow yourself to think outside the box and come up with an activity you wouldn’t do every day. Here are some ideas to get your creative juices flowing:

• Learn something new: Sign up for a class or log onto YouTube to learn a new skill, start a project, or try your hand at something you’ve never done before.

• Plan a beach trip: Take advantage of the cooler climes! Throw on an extra layer, feel the salt air, and dip in your toes, without melting. (But you should still wear sunscreen.)

• Have a movie night: Pick something cheerful (no heavy documentaries, unless that’s your jam) and grab a snack: wine and popcorn or tea and cookies are solid pairings.

• Get moving: Encourage blood flow and deep breathing to put your gloomy self-talk on pause. You can take a long walk, sign up for an exercise class, or find free videos online.

• Read a book: Instead of resisting the gloom, lean right into the season’s cozy vibes by curling up with a soft blanket and a good page-turner.

Treating yourself can be totally free if you put your mind to it, and the simple act of doing something just for you that’s outside your regular routine will hopefully feel like giving yourself a great big hug. The good news is that June Gloom doesn’t last forever, so use these tips to get yourself through the next few weeks and remember there are sunnier days ahead.