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Don't feel like working?
I am worried that I am on the verge of burning out already! I still enjoy the work I do. I don't have a problem getting up and going into work. My problem is staying "present" for each client. And having the strength and energy to get through my whole day. This doesn't happen every day. But it has happened a few times. How to get grounded on those days so I can be client-centered? And be energetic?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by elizabeth mount on
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Thanks for shareing. I like setting a time past which we can't get into discussions about what's going on. I think my ideal day would be longer but involve a break a slot of time in which i didn't schedule a client. to run an errand / eat properly. even with a half an hour between appointments i am going the whole time, check out , reschedule, change room, eat, hydrate, greet next client 15 before, put them in the steam, chores, get files, ...I think that your blood sugar is swinging back and forth too much. turning metabolism your metabolism on and off. if it goes off the body freaks out and starts trying to hold the same weight. i think about it like our body's chemistry is very sensitive to percieved food scarcity. our minds know food is abundent but our bodys still perform like we live in caves. What about a protein shake or chocolate milk between clients. Something with nutrition in it that you can drink that would be a good easy first step.
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Permalink Reply by Julie Onofrio on
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I wouldn't worry about it - it happens to everyone who is alive.
Just do the best you can. That is all anyone can ask of you. You don't have to be energetic or get grounded or whatever - just be yourself.
Julie
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Permalink Reply by Cassandra Cravens on
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i would suggest cutting way back on the energy drinks. hard on your gut and ultimately strips you of good energy. not to mention, the options are lots and lots of sugar or artificial sweeteners that act as diuretics. there are components in energy drinks that will strip you blood of nutrients and compounds you need. Even one a day every day is doing more harm than good.
Pack several small filling snacks to take to work: half a ham sandwich with some letuce and veggies, some egg salad, a quarter cup of nuts. Not having time to eat a full meal is actually better- several small meals throughout the day will keep your internal fire burning better. it's worth it to pack bite sized things that don't really need a table setting. If you can, keep a full sized bottle of fruit juice marked with your name in the work fridge. 6oz of good 100% fruit juice is a lot better for you than pop or energy drinks, even considering the sugar content. Pair your carbs with a protein and your body will absorb the carbs more slowly. I find i get along the best when I keep breakfast in the picture, but i keep in small. One egg on toast and juice or an english muffin with ham or turkey and some milk. (again, protein and carbs together)
it does take some time and effort to get this sort of routine going but it really is worth it. i was just looking back at pictures i was in from 6 months or so ago, when i first started working where I am. Dark circles under the eyes, struggling to smile, arms hanging limp. Our bodies are complex machines and nutrition is how we maintain our strength and stamina. You wouldn't expect your car to keep working without proper maintenance, don't expect it of your body.
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Permalink Reply by Jimswife on
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I do have a decent breakfast. (oatmeal, hard boiled eggs, bagel w/ peanut butter or something along those lines) I have been trying to munch on stuff when I can between clients. (banana or sliced up apple, cheese slices sometimes w/ crackers, protein/granola bar) I only have time to grab a bite or two and have a drink of water. It seems that even with mini snacks my stomach is growling (embarrasing) and I am lacking in energy. I may try a protein shake or something to see if that is more helpful. And I may tweak my hours a little bit at work. I talked w/ my boss briefly about maybe starting a half hour earlier and then blocking out a half hour mid-shift so I can take a break to eat, catch up on laundry and just sit for a few minutes. He seemed alright about it. Not thrilled but I think I would be a better therapist if I did this.
I feel so much better talking this out with people who understand what I am talking about. Thank you.
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Permalink Reply by Gael Wood on
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We work 6 hour shifts where I work. This is new for me to be booked every hour, and I feel like I am behind before I even get started! I have requested a 30min. break every 2 appointments, and they are trying to accommodate this. It makes my day SO much better. I would rather do one less appt. and have the quality I know I can give. I hope they will go back to scheduling every hour and fifteen min. since this is what I was told in my interview! Let us know how it goes.
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Quality of massage is so important. I keep thinking I need to find a chiropractor's office to work at- the salon I am at now is very much a "beauty" shop. the salon owner expects us all to be there open to close unless we're contagious. She'll do manicures and pedicures from open to close so she doesn't see a difference between that and scheduling massages for me every hour of the day. One day I had three 90 minute deep tissue massages back to back to back- 4 1/2 solid hours of work. She was very frustrated that I wanted to take the rest of the day of. I stayed for another massage and the next day I couldn't grip anything, my hands were useless.
We know our physical limitations and it's just as important to stop when you need to as it is to be professional and punctual.
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We know our physical limitations and it's just as important to stop when you need to as it is to be professional and punctual.
That is so true! It is frustrating that our employers don't understand. There are times that I wish I worked for someone who has massaged because I think that they would understand how hard we work. My boss has said that he knows how hard it is on our bodies. But in reality he has no clue what-so-ever. If he did I wouldn't have had 5 back to back deep tissue 1 hr massages in a row today. My last 1/2 hr massage wasn't what it could have been because I just didn't have much left to give. And by the end of the day my body mechanics were horrible! So needless to say I am hurting. I am sitting with ice packs on my shoulder and back at the moment. And will be icing my forearms later. I am not sure what to do at this point. Days like today make me want to work someplace else. Someplace where I am not doing deep tissue work all day long.
Cassandra, do you get paid for the time you are at the salon when you aren't massaging?
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Permalink Reply by Gordon J. Wallis on
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Nobody, not even a spouse knows how difficult our work is....Until you have done it...You cant possibly know....It can be very hard work not only on a physical level, but a mental one too. It is a challenging profession... Heal yourself. Then you can heal others.
Jimswife said:We know our physical limitations and it's just as important to stop when you need to as it is to be professional and punctual.
That is so true! It is frustrating that our employers don't understand. There are times that I wish I worked for someone who has massaged because I think that they would understand how hard we work. My boss has said that he knows how hard it is on our bodies. But in reality he has no clue what-so-ever. If he did I wouldn't have had 5 back to back deep tissue 1 hr massages in a row today. My last 1/2 hr massage wasn't what it could have been because I just didn't have much left to give. And by the end of the day my body mechanics were horrible! So needless to say I am hurting. I am sitting with ice packs on my shoulder and back at the moment. And will be icing my forearms later. I am not sure what to do at this point. Days like today make me want to work someplace else. Someplace where I am not doing deep tissue work all day long.
Cassandra, do you get paid for the time you are at the salon when you aren't massaging?
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"Cassandra, do you get paid for the time you are at the salon when you aren't massaging?"
Not at a rate. I'm at the salon 9-6, five days a week. We agreed to a comission to start with until I had regular clients and can afford a room rental fee instead- i'm still on comission, even my repeat clients don't schedule regularly yet. If I help schedule appointments, clean the tanning beds, and other odds and ends around the salon she will sometimes add a little something to my check, it's about a 50/50 shot. Generally in a week where we disagree about something or she decides I haven't ironed my cloths well enough I get my commission only.
And about a week ago she got a puppy to keep in the salon behind the counter. At which point "puppy sitter" became part of my job description, without an 'opt out'. If I leave the dog kenneled and ignore him she rags on me. If I help out with the dog she gives me an extra few bucks at the end of the week. So now I'm a massage therapist/dog poop disosposal person.
This week she got mad at me because a doctor's appointment that I scheduled a year ago is on a weekday. She wanted me to reschedule the appointment because she double booked herself and needs me to be in the salon to help her with the clients. To be frank, this i my "women's" appointment and the next available appointment is this time next month- about 2 weeks after my pill pack runs out. So now I'm faced with the option of going off my hormone medication for two weeks to keep her happy or deal with her being a bully till she forgives me for not being at the salon.
From her perspective she wants her business to be her salon "family". So she expects us all to act like that and to treat her as some sort of family matriarch- I understand this is her business, and I appreciate the opportunity to work on the platform she has built, but an extra $20 or $30 at the end of some weeks is not incentive to see this as a family. In six months she's never taken any real interest in my personal life. Never asked me and my husband over for a meal, doesn't remember my step daughter's name. But if the utility bill comes in and it's more than she planned for she acts insulted that we all don't jump to help her pay it.
The more I say about this the more ridiculous it sounds that I haven't already moved on. To clarify, when I started here she converted a tanning room to a massage room and I made a verbal committment to be at the salon for 1 year to help her recoup the cost of the remodel. And she has enough pull in the community that if I left here without setting her up with a new therapist I'm worried I could be blacklisted- it's a small town.
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