Here at USTA we believe incorporating mind, body and soul is an essential part of daily life. Now that the holiday season is in full swing, staying on top of taking care of yourself is necessary. While thinking of others as the holiday’s approach might be your top priority, it’s also important to consider your own physical and mental health.

Here are a few ways to manage stress brought on by the holidays.

1. Exercise. Sometimes, the holiday season can throw us off of our usual schedule. Do your best to maintain your regular fitness routine.

2. Watch what you’re eating. While most of us love holiday food, it’s important that we don’t over-indulge. Choose options high in Vitamin C to keep your immune system thriving.

3. Take a breather. There’s nothing wrong with taking a “time out” from a gathering when you need it.

4. Reflect with gratitude. Often times we can become too consumed with the hustle and bustle of the holidays. While it is nice to stack up gifts for loved ones (and even yourself) take some time to reflect with gratitude. Be grateful for the year and its challenges as well as wins.

5. Embrace every moment. Be present with family and loves ones. Embrace and enjoy every moment!

6. Meditate. Research published in the Health Psychology journal stated that meditation is not only associated with feeling less stressed, it’s also linked with decreased levels of the stress hormone cortisol.

Interested in becoming a massage therapist or aesthetics professional? Here at USTA, we are always up to date with recent trends in aesthetics and massage therapy. We look forward to helping train and guide you into a successful career in either massage therapy or aesthetics. To learn more, contact us at 630-968-6800, option 1 to speak with an admissions representative today.

Here at USTA, you will benefit from FREE business classes, included with every program! We help you prepare yourself for life after school. Marketing your business is a year round must, but what about marketing your beauty business to push for the year end? In this article, we want to cover some tools and strategies that you can implement today to generate more sales and overall gear up your business marketing into the New Year!

Strategies to market your beauty business

Advertising on a budget

As a business owner, expenses can be tight. How to you effectively market your business on a budget? Allocate a certain dollar amount to marketing and stick to it!

Create discounts on products/services

Offer a sale on services and products. For example, offer a 10% off a certain product for the month or period of time. With the holidays approaching, customers are more prone to buying products and services for a discount price. Be careful to not give away too much, but just enough for it to be a win win!

Host a ‘How To’ workshop

Stand out by positioning yourself as an expert in your field. For example, host a workshop for application to turn a natural makeup look into a night time holiday party look. Theme them to get a clear message to your audience about what you will be offering and the value.

Build an email list

Don’t really know who to market to? Building an email list of clients who want to be in the know of what specials, promotions, events

Get Social!

Promoting your business online is an absolute must! Use tools such as Hootsuite or Postplanner to schedule your posts for the week or month.

USTA is a leader in this type of career preparation for its students. Classes are taught by the owners; who hold medical and business degrees and built a successful day spa from the ground-up. Learn more here!

Starting a career in massage therapy is not only rewarding but finding a school to enroll can be one of the toughest decisions! Researching and reviewing massage therapy schools and programs is the first step in deciding where you will attend. The next step is to consider your career intentions. Making sure the topics that are offered in the curriculum and the style(s) of massage taught match what you want to learn. The final step is to meet with an admissions counselor. Discuss time frames of the massage therapy program. Will you attend full time or part time? These are some questions you can ask immediately. Below are some other ways to choose the right school for you.

Ways you can choose the right massage school

• Collect information
• Attend an open house or orientation
• Interview former students
• Read catalogues or audit a class
• Read gainful employment stats
• Tutoring options and supplies needed
• Do they offer continuing education?
• Learn the different types of financial aid
• Consider overall quality of the school

Choosing the massage therapy program at USTA

• At Universal Spa Training Academy, our massage therapy program is divided into 3 core areas; MIND – BODY – SPIRIT. After this program, students will be well versed in clinical massage as well as the energies of the Eastern approach and techniques of the West. We do not just teach how to address the body but incorporate the mind and spirit as well. Upon completion, students may sit for the MBLEx exam. We are approved by the Division of Private Business and Vocational Schools of the Illinois Board of Higher Education and we are a nationally accredited school. We also offer financial services as well as a free massage table to all of our students! To learn more about our massage therapy program, call an admissions representative TODAY at (630) 968-6800.