Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1037165
full-time practice could easily take all of my time and energy and leave me isolated if I let it. And that it wasn't healthy to let that happen. That I needed to do better. 5. Benefit The benefits of belonging to a supportive tribe are boundless. They give you the opportunity to brainstorm, troubleshoot, problem solve, and reenergize. Feeling connected to others affords the reassurance that you're not in it alone. You can flourish because you have allies on the journey who fill your needs for connection and support. MY TRIBE Looking back over the past 10 years since I found myself alone in my massage room and started actively rebuilding my tribe, I'm overwhelmed to think of all the experiences we've helped each other through: inappropriate behavior from clients, office moves, practice-halting injuries, kids, Resources Fábrega, Marelisa. "How To Build Your Tribe—Finding 'Your People.'" Accessed September 2018. www.marcandangel.com/2010/08/16/how-to-build-your-tribe-finding-your-people. Fox, Maggie. "Major Depression on the Rise Among Everyone, New Data Shows." Accessed September 2018. www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/major-depression-rise-among-everyone-new-data-shows-n873146. Ilardi, Stephen. "Social Isolation: A Modern Plague." Accessed September 2018. www.psychologytoday.com/ us/blog/the-depression-cure/200907/social-isolation-modern-plague. Junger, Sebastian. Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging. New York: Twelve, 2016. Lambert, N. M. et al. "To Belong is to Matter: Sense of Belonging Enhances Meaning in Life." Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 39, no. 11 (2013): 1,418–27. Pogosyan, Marianna. "On Belonging: What is Behind Our Psychological Need to Belong?" Accessed September 2018. www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/between-cultures/201704/belonging. Steffens, Niklas et al. "A Meta-Analytic Review of Social Identification and Health in Organizational Contexts." Personality and Social Psychology Review 21, no. 4 (July 7, 2016): 303–35. Walton, Alice. "Why Work Relationships Affect Our Mental And Physical Health." Accessed September 2018. www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2016/10/13/why-work-relationships-affect-our-mental-and-physical- health-so-strongly/#2f2d94a20755. divorce, and the loss of a parents. All of these and thousands more major and minor conversations over the years make up the fabric of my tribe. We share the joy of our successes and help each other through the challenges and disappointments. I'm grateful for every single member of my tribe. I don't take them for granted. From one member of this (sometimes) lonely profession and society to another, I wish you all the best on your journey to find your tribe! Kristin Coverly, LMT, is the manager of professional education at ABMP. She's a massage therapist with a business degree who cares about you and your practice and loves providing tools and education to help you succeed. Watch her webinars at www.abmp.com/ce and contact her at kristin@abmp.com. massage school friends and colleagues and rekindle the relationships that were naturally lost when we were no longer working in the same building together. The key here is not to give up if your tribe isn't preexisting and readily available. Let's not sugarcoat it: the taking action portion of "Research and Act" is often the hardest step, isn't it? It's pretty easy to identify groups you want to connect with, but showing up in person and putting yourself out there can be a palm-sweat- inducing, pit-of-the-stomach experience. Getting a friend to go with you—even if he's not a small business owner and has no interest in the chamber of commerce speaker series—and reminding yourself of all the potential rewards (over and over like a mantra) can often give you the courage to take that first step. 4. Engage The journey isn't over when you find or create your tribe. You need to actively engage with them. To show up. To participate to make time for them. And when you do show up, you need to give as much as you get. A tribe is founded on mutually beneficial relationships. It's different than a group of acquaintances that you see in person a few times a year. They're people you see regularly so you can offer ongoing support to each other. And the act of giving and supporting will have as many positive repercussions as receiving. I joined that cycling group, but then I didn't make time for them. I didn't attend a single group ride or social event. Partially because of my fear of the group rides on the busy roads, sure, but mostly because I was letting my practice consume me. And then I realized that I needed to prioritize making time for other people. That running my Yo u r M & B i s w o r t h 2 C E s ! G o t o w w w. a b m p . c o m / c e t o l e a r n m o r e . 73