I was chatting with a client during a treatment the other day. They were telling me about the benefit they get from their remedial massage with me compared to other massages they’d had elsewhere. This particular client doesn’t see much value in a straight relaxation massage. They find it enjoyable enough at the time but they like the longer lasting benefits of remedial massage.  To them, remedial massage has a better return on investment.

Which is totally fine.

And you’ve probably heard me discussing before how some people steer clear from remedial massage and only enjoy relaxation massage, or vice versa for different people. I offer both types of massage treatment (and sometimes a combination of the two if that’s what works for you).

But it got me thinking…

As a society, do we undervalue the long-term benefits of taking time out to slow down?

We are living in a culture that seems to increasingly value the idea that being busy is best. How busy you are can be a status symbol. Being busy doesn’t measure how productive you are and being busy can sometimes be the kryptonite of productivity. I remember many days in my years working in a corporate industry where my calendar was full with compulsory back to back meetings with low value. At the end of these busy days I was mentally exhausted and didn’t have the energy to address my important tasks with the enthusiasm they deserved. On these days I was very busy, but unproductive. It didn’t matter that I worked long hours; I was still frustrated I wasn’t further ahead on my projects. And then I was tired. So very tired. All the time.

When we are switched on in busy mode for long periods of time, it can be hard to turn off. I’ve seen people who can’t wait for 30 seconds for the little green man to cross the road without the external stimulation of checking their phone. How often when you finally get to sit down on the couch at the end of the day do you feel restless and uncomfortable that you are not “doing something”? How easy do you find it to relax?

What about the benefits of actually relaxing?

In our increasingly busy lives, it gets harder and harder to rest. Between running my own business, juggling 3 young children and renovating our house, I can be guilty of not switching off. However, when I do switch off properly, I sleep better, I’m calmer, my thoughts are clearer and I have greater energy and more creative ideas. When I get back to “on” mode afterwards, I tend to be more efficient.

If you are not used to it, it can be quite challenging to stop and relax. I now lock in my down time and feel the benefits.  I book my own massage in advance (which also gives me something positive to look forward to) and allow a few times a week for some “nothing time” where I can do what I want without guilt. Sometimes it is to sit outside in the sunshine and absorb some beautiful vitamin D. Occasionally I will catch a quick nap or go out and browse the shops. Other times I will read and every so often I will put my alarm on (so I don’t go too long), shut my eyes and just breathe deeply.

There are proven health benefits of a relaxation massage.

Studies have shown the positive impact on lowering blood pressure, reducing feelings of anxiety and depression, and improved quality of sleep. I have also used traditional relaxation techniques to help within a remedial massage to gently help people move more freely. In our increasingly distant society where we use our online profiles to keep physical distance, I believe even the element of human connection within a massage has immense benefit.

But one of the greatest benefits of massage is to have time where you officially permit yourself to stop. To relax. To unwind and let your mind and body be still and refreshed. These benefits last long after your massage appointment has ended.

If it’s time you allowed yourself to unwind, get in touch to book your massage. The return on your one hour investment might help your productivity, create in you a feeling of calmness and improve the quality of the rest of your week.

You know you need to ?

If you have never had a massage before, it can feel a bit daunting. Everyone keeps telling you how good they feel after a massage, but what really happens behind that closed door? While every therapist does things slightly differently, there are some common things that should always happen; such as protecting your privacy, practicing hygiene, ensuring your treatment is safe, and informed consent to treatment. Read on to answer my top questions about having a massage to find out what really to expect.

Why do I have to complete a Medical History Form?

I will ask you to complete a Medical History Form primarily to ensure that whatever happens in the treatment room will be safe and appropriate for you individually. The other reason is sometimes a random event in your past can have implications to what’s happening today. That broken ankle you had years ago could be a factor in why you experience hip pain recently. ALL your information is kept private. There is a reason I won’t ask you publicly later on how your specific health concern is going; I’m not unfeeling or have forgotten, I’m just not prepared to discuss your details if others can overhear.

I’m not sure if I want Relaxation or Remedial. How do I know what to ask for?

We will talk about what you are hoping to achieve from your massage. Sometimes people are hobbling in but don’t want their pain helped, they just want to relax. That’s fine, we can plan a Relaxation Massage. Other times if it is something that needs help resolving like a sore back or headaches, then we look at a Remedial Massage. The main thing is that we talk about what YOU want. And just as importantly, what you don’t want.

Do we get straight into it? I don’t know you that well yet!

Before we start massaging, I will invite you to take a seat so we can chat privately about your medical history. This is in order to clarify any details or we even can add to it (you’d be surprised how many people forget major life events until we start chatting).

We will usually do some quick check-in’s with your body. It’s official term is an assessment but I’m not much of a fan of that as there is no actual pass or fail. It is a check-in that efficiently gives me a lot of muscle information in a short amount of time. We might look at how far you can and can’t move in specific directions with or without pain or restriction. We may have a look at how your body is balanced. It is about information gathering so we can plan the most effective massage to give you the longest possible benefits.

After our little chat and check-in / assessment I will suggest what I think we should do to help you reach your goals; the massage treatment plan. This is a negotiation; if I suggest we treat your shoulders so they can move more freely but you’d rather work on your lower back pain, then that is what we will plan for. To be honest, this usually doesn’t require very much tweaking as our initial chat has usually given clear direction.

I have to take my clothes off and lay down, right?

People usually expect they will lie down on a massage table to receive a massage. Most of the time they do but massage can also happen when seated or using a combination of laying on your front, back, side or seated. I usually ask you to remove some clothing for a massage where you are laying on the massage table, but only within your comfort level and only after I have left the room. Undies always stay on and if we are only working a part of your body, it may be appropriate to leave some of your other clothes on.

I provide you with fresh towels to cover yourself. I always knock on the door to ensure it is OK before I re-enter the room. We use bolsters and a pillow to keep you supported and will adjust the height of the massage table so I can reach you effectively (and without hurting me). On cooler days I use an electric blanket to help keep you warm during your massage. Only then will I move a portion of towel to uncover the section of your body being worked on before covering you up nice and snug again.

Will it hurt?

Before and during your massage we discuss pressure levels to ensure you remain comfortable and are enjoying your treatment. Depending on your treatment goals you may receive a combination of gentle flowing massage techniques, firmer treatment, stretching, muscle activation’s or more. I will talk to you about what will happen before it happens and if you change your mind about what we planned together before, we change the treatment accordingly.

A massage should never hurt. It might sometimes be a little uncomfortable if that fits in with you and your goals, but never actually hurt. I want you to feel better not worse! (Read my blog on ‘Why Jane Fonda Had It Wrong’ to find out more.)

What happens afterwards?

Besides feeling great? I will leave the room so you can get up and dressed and I always  knock on the door to make sure you are OK before returning.  We will have a brief chat and possibly complete some re-assessments to check on your level of improvement. I may give you some home-care tips to help you feel better for longer. We will discuss if another massage would be beneficial and can reserve your preferred time if that suits.

It sounds like we do a lot of talking. And we do, but rather than firing questions off at you, it is more of a conversational discussion. I am passionate about making you feel comfortable, protecting your privacy, and you being in charge of what happens to your body. If you still have any questions about what to expect, please get in touch here. If you are ready to experience a massage for yourself, get in touch or book an appointment on line.

Some say it is their partner.

Wise kids say it is their parents. Brave kids like to say it is them over their parents. (Occasionally kids even appear like it too)

I’m guessing your employer probably has an opinion on this as well.

But who really is the boss of you?

I was wondering if this following scenario sound familiar to you?

You have a health concern. You chat to your friends and family and they all have an opinion on what it is and what you should do about it. Eventually you organise yourself to visit your GP who uses their years of study to give you their diagnosis / opinion. They refer you to a specialist who has even more years of study and an even firmer opinion on what is going on and what you should do about it. You follow their advice. Treatment done. Sounds familiar?

But when do you actually get involved in the decision-making process about what is happening to you?

How much do you know about what is happening to you?

For many years some health professionals (and I stress SOME not ALL) have kept the rationale behind their diagnoses a secret and then dictate without negotiation what steps are to happen when and take full control to make it happen. And partially due to our uneducated state, partially out of respect to the mammoth amount of study they have done to get to their qualifications and partially because sometimes we are just over it and want not to think about it anymore, we blindly do as we are told like our well-behaved inner child tells us we have to. We do this without understanding what we are doing, why it is good for us and what any side effects could to be.

Now I am not suggesting that the experts are not experts and have an incredible amount of knowledge at their fingertips. I am not suggesting that their advice isn’t of quality. We all know there are both good and bad eggs in every profession.

I am referring to the high number of people who are having procedures and taking medication without knowing why and what the side effects are. I’ve watched people get bumped around from expert to expert and blindly following the latest “thing” without being involved in the conversation. I’ve seen people taking the blue, white, brown and yellow pills without knowing what any of them are for. The blue, white, brown and yellow pills might all be very important, but wouldn’t it be nice to be empowered enough to know why you even take them? And also to know that they aren’t counteracting each other’s hard work in the battle ground of your body?

A positive shift

I have been hearing about a shift in health care I am really excited about; using health professionals to support your health care rather than blind puppeteering. You are entitled to ask questions and have all the information before you agree to treatment. Generally speaking, nobody knows your body better than you; you usually know when something is not quite right, if not exactly what. The experts are there to be listened to and respected including listening when they say “no”. However, you are entitled to ask “why” that answer is “no” and to a second opinion. By being informed you know if you are reacting to a treatment in an expected or an unhealthy way. You are entitled to know why one course of action is more appropriate for you specifically over other options available.

So let’s negotiate

I got really cross a little while ago when I had an emergency massage treatment from a different therapist. I was particularly clear on what I wanted assistance with and was also specifically clear about a technique I did NOT want to happen (hey, I’m a massage therapist – I should have the inside scoop here!). They then proceeded to do exactly what I didn’t want to happen and then afterwards told me about expected side effects (which I was specifically wanting to avoid at that time).

I’m not sharing this experience to rant. I am a passionate believer in the importance of informed consent. That experience has reinforced my own values about ensuring a massage treatment plan is negotiated; that my clients know what I am suggesting we do, why and what any side effects are likely to be. And if they ever don’t agree for any particular reason, that’s OK, we simply re-renegotiate. Once the massage has started, if our treatment needs to change for any reason or you simply change your mind, that’s OK too! Together we will modify our plan.

I will provide recommendations and there may be reasons why what you originally ask for is not appropriate. But most importantly it all starts with a conversation. It’s your body. You get to enjoy the benefits. Let’s make sure they actually benefit you in the way you want them to.

In my treatment room, you get to be the final boss of you.

Have a question about massage or to would like to book an appointment? Click here

Ah Valentine’s Day. Love is in the air. And at the shops. We are encouraged to have a date night and buy an expensive gift or flowers to use this one day a year to tell someone they are important to us. I believe that one day a year of showing you care is not enough to sustain a healthy relationship and it should be much more regular than that. But I am also a realist and if Valentine’s Day helps remind people to be kind and spend some quality time together, then bring it on.

My young kids still have the purity of love in their hearts (no pun intended) that they often make cards and little notes to show how much they love us. Everybody join in…”aawwe”. Yep, I’m enjoying it while it lasts. I’ve seen enough families with teenagers to know what is in my future. It is a sweet lesson in how easy it can be to show you care all the time, not just on Valentine’s Day. But back to the grown-ups again.

I hear people talk about giving themselves completely to another as expressing their love for one another. I wonder if you appreciate what you are giving. Not the expensive, beautifully wrapped gift or witty or beautifully written card.  If you are offering yourself to your nearest and dearest, do you value the gift? Do you truly value yourself?

If you are a gift, how good a gift are you? If you are worthy of offering yourself as a gift (and I’ll let you in on a secret…the answer is YES, YOU ARE!!) then you should manage that gift (yourself) to make it the best gift it can be. Think about it. Tiffany’s wouldn’t be Tiffany’s if it didn’t come in that blue box all shiny and new. In the same way, if you spend time looking after the ones you love, you need to look after yourself so you can be presented beautifully too! We are often happy enough to splash the big bucks to show we care with the best of the best “things”, but how about splashing some time to make that gift of yourself a quality one rather than the left-over dregs of energy levels at the end of a long day?

By looking after yourself, your offering of you will be better. I am not suggesting that you need to change who you are to be valued. But by focusing some time on your mental and physical wellbeing, you will be in a better position to bring the best of you to the most important people in your life. I know that when I have some self-care going on, I have more energy, greater patience and a better sense of humour. When I neglect my self-care, I get a bit cranky, impatient, I feel selfish and my naggy side comes out.

According to the ABS* in 2017-2018 4.8 million people in Australia suffer from mental and behavioural health conditions and the numbers have been rising. That’s a lot of people. 20.5% or around 1 in every five of us. When we look further at these recent statistics, as a nation most of us are not eating properly or moving enough. We are overall not in great shape mentally and physically.

So, what are we to do about it? Most of us have really busy lives and our days are already pretty full. But if you are as important as we both know you are, it takes a little bit of juggling or re-prioritising to make it happen.  What is that thing you know you really should do to look after yourself but don’t? Is it exercise more, get a haircut, address that niggling health concern, or just regularly get an hour of peace and quiet to help your brain reset? Where oh where in your busy week could you possibly fit in anything else?

If you are a morning person, perhaps getting up ½ an hour earlier means you can fit in a leisurely uninterrupted coffee, morning run, or meditation. If you are a night owl, then make the most of those evening hours instead of wasting them on the couch. If you are one of those people that aren’t great early or late (you have that great window of energy from about 3.00 – 3.15pm), you really need to make the most of your self-care to extend that little window to a bigger one. Test it out. If you nurture that window it will grow. You probably have a friend or neighbour that would happily babysit for a couple of hours on a weekend so you could have the freedom to go out for coffee, see a movie, get a massage or go to the gym. You don’t need to feel guilty about it. That day to day grind that keeps you too busy for yourself, how much will it really suffer if you escaped for a little bit of time? You will most likely get back to it with greater efficiency if you have a break from your mundane anyway.

This Valentine’s Day, please show your most loved one you care and continue to show it throughout the year. But please also love yourself enough to show that you care about being a happier healthier version of you too.

*Source ABS, (2018) “National Health Survey: First Results, 2017-18” at http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4364.0.55.001