It is an exciting journey for massage therapists to go to school and graduate, pass exams and go to work. But for some massage therapists, the work can become overwhelming over time and they may experience a massage “burnout.” This can lead some therapists to abandon their careers due to fatigue and frustration. While this isn’t common, it’s important to adopt some healthy habits to stay healthy and love your career year after year! While massage therapists want to work to help their clients and advance their practice, every therapist should also take the time to relax, rejuvenate and prevent massage burnout.
Receive/exchange massages
Too often massage therapists forget to take the time to get massages because they tend to be always busy giving a massage! Burnout can be prevented by getting regular massages, and while it is sometimes difficult to make time in your busy schedule for your own well-being, getting massages as a massage therapist is critical. Not only does this keep your body looking great and feeling great, but it also reminds you of what it feels like from your clients’ perspective to receive massage and helps you grow as a massage therapist.
Some massage therapists report experiencing “massage burnout” when they don’t get massages at least once or twice a month (at least! More is always better). When massage therapists receive massages from a colleague or other massage therapist in a separate practice, it helps to refresh the reason behind the desire to become a massage therapist, helps you recognize the benefits of the therapy and gives you energy and new ideas to bring back to your own customers.
If you work in a practice with other massage therapists, it’s important to block out your schedule once a week or once every two weeks to relax, stay centered, and redeem a massage. Burnout can really be avoided, even if it’s just one or two monthly sessions! These sessions do not have to be long or intensive, but should address specific areas of concern, adhesions or tensions.
Train, eat well and rest
For many massage therapists, performing several massages per day or week is sufficient exercise! If you use the right body mechanics, you should feel like you just had a great workout after a massage session, but if you’re instead feeling drained and exhausted, things like strength training exercises can be the key to building stamina and endurance. giving a better massage . Burnout happens to many massage therapists when they start to feel tired and exhausted from work. While this isn’t common, it can be due to a combination of things: not getting enough exercise, sleep, or eating… Most therapists know they need to take care of themselves, rest, and eat right, but some people are naturally prone to be workaholics,
Burnout occurs for many massage therapists when it becomes difficult to rely on your own strength and strength to perform a massage, your immune system to keep you healthy and able to work, and your mind and emotions to keep you grounded and aware while you focus. to your customer and his or her needs. If you find yourself getting too overwhelmed with balancing work, family, errands, school, or any number of things, take a break and make sure to feed yourself a healthy balance of good food, plenty of water, rest, vacation, etc. and social time.
Too often, massage therapists remind their clients to stay hydrated, but forget to drink water themselves! It is important to stay well hydrated throughout the day to perform at your peak power and maintain the health of your body. For the same reason, it’s important to eat regularly and not jeopardize breakfast, lunch, or dinner by planning a back-to-back massage day. Burnout can also be made worse by fatigue, and whether you’re a self-proclaimed “early bird” or “night owl,” you need to maintain a consistent sleep schedule and get enough sleep each night to perform at your best.
Avoid massage burnout with holidays/downtime
One of the perks of being a massage therapist is the non-traditional work week. Many therapists only work when they have clients scheduled; others may work at a spa and must be available even during outages. But regardless of your work environment, massage therapists have the option to leave the “office” without homework, deadlines, dues, or meeting preparations. That is why it is important to take the time after work to really relax and refresh your body and mind with some relaxation and temporarily forget about massage. For some people, burnout can be prevented by taking the time to relax on the couch with a good movie or book. For other massage therapists, taking a week or two off and escaping to a nearby beach or cabin in the woods is the answer to living a stress-free life. Whatever your personal preference, it is important to always take some time to simply stop working and enjoy some time off from massage. Burnout can be prevented if you take some time off to evaluate the things in life you love, as relaxing also gives you an invaluable boost in energy and life that brings you back to your practice, your career, and your clients.
Finally, remember that burnout is an uncommon phenomenon, and especially happens when massage therapists forget to give their bodies as much attention and care as they give to massage clients! Just like you should in any job, make sure you eat right, exercise, stay fit and balance your work and your social life and well-deserved rest. If you take good care of yourself, you will find yourself among the many massage therapists who have enjoyed their rewarding career for decades and look forward to every workday for years.
Laurie Craig is a respected health scientist and was honored with the prestigious Jerome Perlinski American Massage Therapy Association National Teacher of the Year award in 2007. In 2009, she founded Georgia Massage School , with over 25 years of diverse experience in massage techniques. to her students. In addition to school, she is currently a subject matter expert and test item writer for the Federation of State Massage Therapy Boards and has written test items for the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork. Laurie combines her unique teaching skills with a comedic edge that students remember and embrace years after experiencing her classes.