Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1037165
You don't have to be working in an absolute state of social isolation for stress, anxiety, and depression to manifest. Limited social interaction, or social separation, can have the same effects. Also, you don't have to be in a deep state of depression to experience the negative effects of the lack of a close community. It's not all or nothing; there are degrees of affliction. Diagnosed depression rates are simply a measurable yardstick that indicate an increase in the larger societal problem that individuals are feeling disconnected. And with depression rates on the rise, we MTs need to be cognizant of, and proactive about, our own mental health more than ever. In January 2008, I was a single therapist with a home office who overnight had gone from being around other massage therapists every day to working solo. I was everything these studies warn us about: isolated, anxious, and on the verge of depression. I had made the decision to build the part- time massage practice that I had always maintained into a full-time practice. I had a lot of work to do, and my support system was missing in action. I felt like I was all alone. In retrospect, I had been really lucky in my job as an instructor/administrator. I was surrounded by colleagues who interacted with one another, listened to each other, and genuinely cared about helping each other be our best. Most jobs in the massage field don't allow for that amount of in- depth interaction; everyone's in their own individual treatment rooms doing their own work. But as wonderful as that environment was, having that readily available support team didn't give me the tools I needed to know what to do now that I was on my own. I had to learn how to identify what—and who—I needed personally and professionally. I had to learn how to proactively reach out to others. I had to 68 m a s s a g e & b o d y w o r k n o v e m b e r / d e c e m b e r 2 0 1 8 What About Employees? We often think that an employee setting equals instant community. We're wrong. I've been an employee in several different settings— including a massage clinic and hospital—and they're inherently just as lonely a setup as a solo practice. You've got other people in the same building, but the majority of the time you're still alone in a room with a client. The exciting difference, though, is that there's the potential for community. If you're not lucky enough to work for a forward- thinking clinic owner who incorporates team building into their ongoing management strategy, you may need to proactively take steps to create a community. And, no, saying hello to them when they walk past your room as you're changing the sheets between clients doesn't count.