As a floral design educator, I’ve shared my top tips and recommendations on a lot of different floral-related subjects over the years. Yet, something I’ve been thinking about lately is how self-care tips for florists are incredibly important but aren’t talked about very often. 

Personally, focusing on a few, key self-care tips for florists has made all the difference in my career!

I fell in love with being a florist and realized how hard it was

Confession: I am terrible at most sports. I don’t consider myself outdoorsy. In fact, the comedian Jim Gaffigan once said in a stand-up routine that he is “indoorsy,” and I’ve never related to anything more in my life, lol. 

Ironically, I somehow fell in love with the wild AND (sometimes) grueling world of designing special event flowers. 

This gorgeous and exciting industry is also HARD. WORK. I don’t know if we realize how intense our jobs actually are. For a long time, I didn’t think about this aspect of floristry; self-care tips for florists definitely weren’t on my radar.

Why self-care tips for florists are important

Not convinced yet that self-care tips for florists are important? Here are some examples of how crazy our workload can be:

• We work overtime sourcing amazing products, often from a dozen or more vendors or farms. That’s a lot to manage! 
• We spend lots of time going over details, organizing staffing, and preparing the perfect custom combination of containers and mechanics for each event and floral installation.
• We lug around really heavy materials all day to build the most amazing, gravity-defying works of art.
• We often work in crazy weather conditions whilst likely dehydrated and malnourished. Keeping perishable, fragile florals alive in these conditions is no easy feat! (Hot weather states: I’m looking at you!)
• We always have to keep in mind that everything may not go as planned. With so many moving parts, the likelihood of something going off-plan is pretty high. So, we utilize our mad improvisation skills to “MAKE IT WORK” as Tim Gunn says.
• Then, we tear it all down, put everything away, and start all over again! (Can you see why self-care tips for florists just might be needed?!)

The bottom line: we work like crazy to make magic for our clients and their guests to enjoy for 6-10 hours. While I couldn’t imagine myself doing any other type of work, I’ve learned the hard way that if I don’t prioritize self-care, I will burn out. 

This is where the self-care tips for florists come in. Our schedules are insanely busy and always changing (hello wedding season!), and I don’t want to add to the stress of that. Self-care tips for florists aren’t about being trendy or using a feel-good buzzword. Rather, it’s about taking care of ourselves, so we’re in the physical and mental space to kill it in the productivity department. 

These are the top self-care tips for florists

Not sure what to focus on? These are my top recommendations on self-care tips for florists, tailored to our unique industry

1. Eat nourishing food and drink lots of water

On busy event days, remembering to feed ourselves and drink water tends to be one of the first things to go. Unfortunately, doing this is actually counter-productive. Without proper nutrition and hydration, we’re less likely to function at our best, and our event days become that much harder. This is a crucial, extremely practical self-care tip for florists: invest in a good-sized water bottle (and don’t forget to bring it with you!) Also, I like to keep some healthy protein bars in my car, so I always have an energy-boosting snack with me.

2. Move your body

My next self-care tip for florists is about not underestimating the toll floral installations take on our bodies. After a long work day, treat your body gently. It just went through a lot! So, spend some time doing yoga or stretching. Take an epsom salt bath. Your body deserves some recovery time!

3. Give yourself time to relax and recover

Speaking of that, recovery time isn’t just about the physical aspects. Event days can be mentally and emotionally draining, because you have to be “on” all day, not to mention all the prep work that you put in beforehand. So, pencil some time into your schedule for decompressing and relaxing, especially during busy times like wedding season. Meditate, go for a walk, watch your favorite movie…whatever will help you recharge. You deserve some time to treat yo’ self!

All of these self-care tips for florists boil down to this: if you are out there, in the grind, I SEE you. I am cheering you on. You are using your talent, time, and energy to make unique beauty for others, and that matters. 

A LOT. More than ever.

So, well done.

Now, GO EAT something, and drink some WATER, STAT!

Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or licenses health care provider. The information and other content provided in this blog, or in any linked materials, are not intended nor otherwise implied to be medical advice or a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the guidance of your doctor or other qualified health professional with any questions you may have regarding your health or a medical condition.

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