Getting stuck in a rut can be a fairly common experience, no matter what line of work you are in or what type of lifestyle you lead. The key is recognizing when you are in one of these ruts, or heading that way, and taking steps to reinvigorate your routine.
For those who work as professional massage therapists and bodyworkers, getting stuck in a rut is a real danger, and it is often a precursor to burning out entirely. Fortunately, there are quite a few simple ways to avoid repetition and boredom, without having to overhaul your practice.
Here, we will focus on one method for using massage cream and the change of seasons to keep your sessions fresh throughout the year. Although it may seem like a minor detail, simply changing up your massage cream with each of the four seasons can serve as a great starting point for reinvigorating your massage therapy or bodywork practice.
The seasons are Mother Nature’s great reminders of change, and with each one that passes, we may naturally begin to feel ready for a bit of change ourselves. This is what makes the seasons such great “triggers” for remembering to switch up your massage cream.
Of course, quite a few massage therapists and bodyworkers may be living and working in regions where there is not much change in the weather no matter the season. Even so, there are probably cultural reminders that the calendar pages are flipping, such as Christmas in the winter, Fourth of July in the summer and so on.
Whether you use an actual change in the weather or simply a significant day on the calendar to mark the turning of the seasons, the point is to change your massage cream to reflect the season at hand. For example, in the spring you may wish to use a massage cream that contains an essential oil that will impart an aroma people might associate with this season of newly budding leaves and blooming flowers.
Once you find the massage cream that you feel suits the spring season and your massage therapy practice, you may find yourself filled with other fresh ideas for your practice. For instance, you might decide to add a spring-themed session to your practice menu, using the new massage cream.
In the summer months, you might find you wish to change not only the aroma of your massage cream but also the texture. If you happen to live and work in an area that is hot and humid during the summer, this could mean finding a massage cream that is a bit lighter and not so richly moisturizing. In terms of scents, many massage therapists and bodyworkers might find an infusion of lemon or other citrus essential oils is a great match for the summer months.
The ideas presented here should serve as jump-off points for professional massage therapists and bodyworkers who wish to explore the idea of avoiding ruts and staying excited about their practices through the simple act of switching massage creams to suit the seasons.