Sometimes I get stuck in a rut with my massage practice without even realizing it. Usually when I switch up my music, or change my routine within my sessions, I'll feel refreshed and that's when it hits me that I've been needing a shift!
I regularly change my music since I discovered years ago that it was a huge deal for me. Sometimes I change it throughout the day, even. After experiencing some of the work in Mary-Claire Fredette's FasciAshi class a few months ago, I started changing up my barefoot massage routine by starting at my client's feet occasionally. I've felt a bit revitalized with my work doing this! Speaking of continuing ed classes, taking one is always something that has helped me break out of a rut, too. I find that about once a year, I'm itching to learn something new. I haven't decided on what class will be next, but I'll probably be looking to take something in the next 6 months or so. (Do you have some suggestions on what class I should take? Let me know in the comments!)
This past week, I accidentally discovered another new way to help my work feel fresh. I changed my hours a bit. I have a lot of regulars and am usually booked out for several weeks in advance, so I've tended to keep my hours very consistent.
With the change of seasons, I decided to start opening up a few Saturdays. A lot of my clients have “Summer Hours” where they can work half days on Friday. This works out well for them to schedule their massages Friday afternoons during the Summer. But then in the Fall, it’s back to scrambling for those popular 5:30pm appointment times. So to help alleviate this, I’m working a few Saturdays for the Fall/Winter season.
And then this past week, I had a personal appointment for me (to get a facial! YAY!) in the afternoon. So I had opened up my schedule for that morning so that I could still get some work in before taking the afternoon off. I can't remember the last time I had massage clients in the morning, I typically work in the afternoon.
It was really refreshing! It's amazing how changing these kinds of things can reinvigorate my work. And it's easy to do in my schedule now that Bodywork Buddy has the ability to change open/closed business hours by the day. I can click into a day on the calendar, and choose to open or close the hours that day without affecting my usual business hours.
The change of the seasons is a perfect time to make some small changes. What adjustments in your work inspire you?
Cindy Iwlew is a licensed massage therapist who has had a private practice since 1999 and cofounder of Bodywork Buddy massage software.
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