Caring about clients should not end when they walk out the door. Whatever the reason clients come to see you, provide them with instruction and information to manage and mitigate the effects of their condition in between visits. Doing this:
- Reinforces the value of massage
- Extends treatment benefits
- Builds trust.
Self-awareness is the first step
The first step to self-care is self-awareness. Work with your clients to help them understand the source of their problems, whether physical or mental. Awareness changes the dynamic between you and your client so that massage treatment massage becomes a collaborative process. Working together, you and clients resolve the problem for longer lasting results.
Self-care tips to feel and do your best
Review other components of a self-care plan:
Get enough sleep: A lack of sufficient and quality shuteye means you wake up exhausted the next day, unprepared to focus on work or whatever other responsibilities you have. Even worse, lack of sleep, especially on a regular basis, can lead to of chronic health conditions, such as heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and depression.
Stay hydrated: The human body is approximately 60 percent water. Your cells, organs, and tissues all need water to function properly and regulate proper temperature. Since, you lose water throughout the day by breathing, sweating and digestion, drink fluids and eat foods that contain water to rehydrate.
Try meditation and yoga: When you meditate you focus your attention and clear your mind of thoughts to give you a sense of calm and peace and achieve balance. Yoga helps improve posture. It is good for your heart because it is known to lower blood pressure and slow the heart rate. The benefits of Yoga not all physical, either. Yoga involves paying attention to your breathing, which can help you relax and help reduce stress.
Spend time with friends and family: Spend time with positive, uplifting people among your circle of friends and family. Positive people can be the best antidote when you are feeling overwhelmed, down, or negative.
Exercise. Daily exercise builds muscle strength and endurance. Recommend exercises that will help them mitigate painful areas and not exacerbate the discomfort. Also emphasize the value of stretching to target different problem areas. Demonstrate the exercises that you recommend for clients. While they are with you, have them practice so that you know they are performing exercises properly for maximum benefit and to avoid any injuries.
Individualize each plan
Client self-care means providing individualized recommendations. Talk about specific goals and work closely with clients come up with daily recommendations that are realistic and sustainable. By including the client in the development of their own self-care plan, you increase the likelihood they will stick with it.
Suggesting self-care practices will help extend your treatment benefits. Still, always be mindful that whatever you recommend falls within the scope of your practice so that you do not violate the standards of practice for massage therapy in your state.