Issue link: https://www.massageandbodyworkdigital.com/i/1358392
L i s te n to T h e A B M P Po d c a s t a t a b m p.co m /p o d c a s t s o r w h e reve r yo u a cce s s yo u r favo r i te p o d c a s t s 69 CONCLUSION Attention to client well-being safeguards your practice while promoting its growth. Diligently taking a thorough health history, implementing the above guidelines, and being aware of how to skillfully apply techniques will maximize the benefits both you and your clients get from each and every massage session. This paves the way for creating a positive therapist- client relationship rooted in safety, awareness, respect, and trust. NOTE 1. Tracy Walton, "Massage Therapy Pressure Scale," in Medical Conditions and Massage Therapy: A Decision Tree Approach (2011), www.tracywalton.com/wp-content/ uploads/2015/04/Walton-Massage-Therapy- Pressure-Scale-for-WEBSITE.pdf. Ben E. Benjamin holds a PhD in sports medicine and owned and ran a massage school for more than 30 years. He has studied under James Cyriax, MD, widely known for his pioneering work in orthopedic medicine. Dr. Benjamin has been teaching therapists how to work with injuries for more than 35 years and has been in private practice for more than 50 years. He works as an expert witness in cases involving both musculoskeletal injury and sexual abuse in a massage therapy setting. He is the author of dozens of articles on working with injuries, as well as these widely used books in the field: Listen To Your Pain, Are You Tense? and Exercise Without Injury. NUTRITION I studied a lot about nutrition and believe the most important and basic advice I can give is to learn how to cook. Dining out not only cuts into your budget, but oftentimes meals are prepared with lower quality or unnecessary ingredients that can leave you feeling temporarily satisfied but less nourished in the long run. Start simple and choose quality, nutrient-dense foods when creating at-home meals. As suggested by most experts, try to avoid refined sugars and limit alcohol and caffeine intake. You may start to notice you have more energy throughout the day and also more quality sleep at night. SUPPORT One of the most important pieces of creating and maintaining a successful self-care practice is to bolster it with a supportive network within your personal and professional life. Do you have colleagues, peers, and even mentors you can call on with challenging client issues? Do you feel confident and appreciated by the people around you? Do you feel valued at home and at work? It's important to seek out and build support systems in our professional and personal lives that ultimately challenge us while offering us nonjudgmental spaces to share so we can grow as individuals. Again, take note of how you feel around friends and peers. Do you feel energized or depleted? Are you able to ask for help or guidance, and also actively listen and give back? Feeling like you are part of a community at large is just as nourishing as any other self-care practice. SELFžCARE Last, but certainly not least, take care of yourself! Your attention to your work with clients is only strengthened by the attention and care you give yourself. Take notice of how you feel within your own body, address any issues that arise, and place equal value on your own rest and recovery, as the work is physically demanding. I've written and taught extensively on creating solid self- care practices, and I find that implementing attainable goals allows for consistency and success. Here are four areas I focus on: SLEEP Sleep is one of the most powerful, restorative gifts we can give our body and mind. While sleeping 6–8 hours is optimum for most people, the actual amount of time needed varies for each person. It's more about the quality of your sleep. How do you feel upon waking? Rested or restless? Groggy or energized? Take note. Small adjustments around your bedtime routine can have a large effect. For instance, limit screen time, shift the time of your last meal to allow for proper digestion, or set aside time to stretch or unwind with relaxing music. EXERCISE There are countless studies and recommendations pointing toward the benefits of a daily exercise program. Find what works for you, your body, and your schedule. Try to include a mix of aerobic exercise along with a stretching practice. The key is finding and choosing something you actually enjoy so you can create a consistent practice. Exercise can be anything from swimming to hiking or even going for a daily walk. Aim for at least 30 minutes, and take note of what feels the best for you. Maintaining humility about what we know and what we don't know is an important and respected quality in a responsible therapist.