When a professional massage therapist or bodyworker has been in practice for quite some time, there can be a certain level of risk when it comes to seeing the details of one’s practice clearly and objectively. Basically, practitioners may end up getting so used to their daily work and environment, they stop observing and improving.
This progression that can occur when a person does the same or similar work for a long period of time may lead to rote behavior or autopilot mode. This is not a good direction to go for a number of reasons. For starters, feeling like you could do your daily work without even thinking about it can lead to a sense of numbness and even burnout. The second reason to avoid this autopilot mode is because it can reduce the quality of your services and end up decreasing the number of clients you see on a regular basis.
One simple way to see this in action is to think about your massage cream—that’s right, your massage cream. When was the last time you thought about your massage cream or other massage lubricants? Too often, massage therapists and bodyworkers find a massage cream that works and then simply stop thinking about this key product completely. However, the fact is your massage cream is the one item that comes even closer to your clients’ skin than your own hands.
For the practitioner just starting out in his or her career as a professional massage therapist or bodyworker, finding the right massage cream usually feels important. The new touch therapist may explore all kinds of sample massage creams until he or she finds the ideal product. Unfortunately, after six months to a year of practice, this same massage therapist or bodyworker may not even give a moment’s thought to that massage cream anymore.
Continually observing and staying aware of each of the details of your daily work, including your massage cream and how well it is or is not working, is vital to lasting success in the field of massage therapy and bodywork. There is no denying things change, and if one is in autopilot mode, he or she may fail to notice the massage cream that once worked so well is no longer cutting it. A lack of awareness might also mean missing out on any new and outstanding massage creams that may be on the market, even if your current massage cream is just fine.
Staying enthusiastic about your work also means staying curious about your clients and passionate about serving them in the best possible way. This can relate to your massage cream as well, as you may notice several of your regular clients might have enhanced results if you used a different kind of massage cream. For example, a massage cream with pain-relieving ingredients or calming essential oils might bring a greater sense of satisfaction to some of your clients.