If you hear me talking a lot about self-care around here, it’s because it’s so important to your longevity— not only for your career but to your well-being!

And since my life’s work is to support practitioners in the wellness profession, well, I gotta do this. ;)

Having been a massage therapist since 2015 and what I now lovingly call, a “recovering Massage Therapist,” I know first-hand how hard this profession is.

I don’t think people recognize and admit to themselves just how challenging it is!

We give and we give and we give, but we all need to remember:

You can’t pour from an empty cup.

I have found in my own life, when I’ve taken on too many clients, haven’t gotten a massage in too long (and more than a month’s time is way too long), or start to resent my clients when they talk about their own aches and pains, I know:

“Girl, you need some self-care time.”

That’s when I drop everything I’m doing, book myself a massage, get outside for a hike or ask my partner to draw me a bath. Sure, those are some of the standard practices.

But sometimes we need to dig in deeper!— and that’s why I created an entire self-care guide which I regularly draw from myself.

(PS, if you like what you see below, make sure you download my FREE guide, “8 Self-Care Techniques for Wellness Practitioners” over on my homepage!

Full of gems of wisdom (if I do say so myself).

Download this valuable guide today and get serious about self-care.

Here are few little-known, often overlooked, self-care tips for wellness practitioners.

1.) A super solid emotional support network

No one is an island unto themselves. As much as you may try to be strong, do everything yourself or leave work at work, we still need to lean on others. For wellness practitioners, understanding when we’re suffering from compassion fatigue is important.

Identify people in your life who *really* support and understand you, and find ways to connect with them daily. Yes, even us introverts must engage in this practice! :) Think of kind colleagues, old friends, a sweet family member, or even your dog or cat!
Connecting doesn’t have to take a ton of time, even if you’ve got a limited schedule like most of us. This could be something as silly as a quick Snapchat with your bestie, snuggling with your dog on the couch, or leaving a voice memo for your colleague who understands your struggles.
Best practices I’ve found to mitigate some of the symptoms of compassion fatigue include:
Knowing my limits & setting scheduling boundaries
Telling my partner specifically what I need when I get home from work (alone time, a snuggle, a hot shower, a walk with my dog, a delicious meal)
Play time (joyful music, a fun dance class, watching a comedy special on Netflix, playing a game with my dog or on my phone)
Scheduling self-care religiously (monthly massages, occasional trips to the spa, a date night to my favorite restaurant, girl time with friends, weekly dance class, long sessions in the steam room at the gym, a solo hike in a beautiful location)
Connect with colleagues and/or mentors that understand your work intimately. While your romantic partner or best friend might mean well, only those that work in your industry can truly understand the ins-and-outs of the grind. Find someone you can trust, who will listen to your problems without judgement, and will provide support in whatever way feels best to you.
Book a session with a therapist who can listen objectively and provide professional support & insight

2.) Get in YOUR body

Whether you’re a massage therapist, an acupuncturist or a mental health counselor, we can often find ourselves detached from our own bodies as we go about our work days.

We spend much of our time seemingly “inside” another person, which can lead us to feel like strangers in our own bodies.

It’s vital to your health and longevity as a wellness practitioner to find techniques daily that get you back inside YOU.

Find a few that work best for you:

When you wash your hands in between clients, imagine and/or say out loud, “I’m washing away this person’s experiences.”
Before you begin a session, quietly remind yourself that your client will not and cannot permeate your own personal bubble of well-being.
Imagine a forcefield or barrier around you before you begin a session that no one can penetrate.
Take a shower at the end of your work day and imagine all of your clients washing down the drain.
Mindful breathing before, during and/or after a session with a client is a powerful way to get into your own body, your own feelings and provide a sense of inner calm.
Tune into pleasant physical sensations, by doing any of the following: light a comforting candle, burn sage or palo santo, slice into an orange, snuggle with your sweetie or pet, rub your own hands or feet, get a massage from a friend or professional, make love, enjoy a warm cup of tea or coffee, savor a glass of wine or tasty bite of chocolate, wash your hands with peppermint soap, diffuse your favorite essential oil, feel sunshine on your face, smell pine needles in the air.

3.) Let it go: post-work routines

You know the feeling all too well: you’re tired, cranky and exhausted.

You just had the worst clients all day and they seemed to sap the very life blood out of you.

It’s time for some super solid post-work routines to change up that energy!

Move your body. (Seriously! Do anything! Walk, bike, run, skip, roll around on the floor, stretch, dance, swim, anything to get blood flowing.)
The big laydown. Sometimes, all we need is permission to lie TF down. This is it. Turn off your phone (no really), lie on the floor and just give yourself five minutes to do absolutely nothing. Not helping others, not listening to someone’s problems, not working out someone’s shoulder issues, just being still. Set a kitchen timer for five minutes if that’s all you have. See how different you feel after that.
Mindlessness can be good. In small doses. Sadly, we’ve defaulted to our phones being the only place we turn to for mindless scrolling.
Instead, do a “mindless” activity such as cooking, coloring, doodling, gardening, house chores that you enjoy (anybody else love vacuuming and raking for the zen of it??) or simply going for a walk without your phone.
Did I mention: WITHOUT your phone. Try it!

Dog therapy is the best kind of therapy.

These are just a few ideas to try. Mix & match as needed!

Do you have some self-care practices in your toolbox not listed here? I want to know about them! (Seriously, I can use all the help I can get!)

Shoot me a quick message and let me know what’s working well for you.

(More of an introvert?— I get it.)

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Little-known tips for taking care of yourself