National Self-Care Week: Massage Therapists, Self-Care Isn't Selfish - It's Essential!

In recent blog posts, we have had thoughts about ways to look after ourselves and the importance of setting up a selfcare programme(and steps to help you achieve that).

November 18 - 24 is National Self Care Week and we have a notation wide nudge to explore and improve our current self care practise once again.

So to start our journey into the exploration for this week (and into the future) we have a few words from our guest bloggers. We asked them how they prioritise self-care in their busy schedule as a massage therapist.

This is compiled by Leora and Darien from Hands Free Massage Training, who have a healthy obsession with all things self care and working wisely.

Leora Sharp


When I walk into town to my massage room, I am already checking in; thinking about my body and how I might need to use it differently on that day, for any particular reason. I might even then move my shoulders/arms/wrists and do some neck stretches as a form of warm up. I’m more often than not already feeling quite limber on arrival and if I am not, I will do some more stretching and movement before massaging…even if it's only 1 minute.

In my self care armoury during massage, I call upon many things, the most important of which is working Hands Free. This allows me to save my body and extend my career while also looking after my wrists and saving my thumbs. I’m constantly assessing and adjusting my posture and changing what is needed to prevent wear and tear on my body.

A 15 min gap between sessions is crucial along with sitting down as much as possible AND not working at 100% for every massage (because my 90-95% is still fabulous). Those 3 elements stand me in good stead to have something left in the tank for my personal life and help ensure a long career in massage. And of course, during massage hydration is key!

While I walk home from massage I am checking in with my body and thinking about what I could have done differently that day.And finally, for post massage (or any day) self care…I love watching TV while lying on my tennis balls and doing some self massage. Often I am stretching too at that point and even while brushing my teeth. At bed time, I do some occiput/neck massage with a yoga egg and put my heat pad wherever it might be needed.

This is not all, as there are many more non desk or massage times in my day into which I bring self care. Though as you can see, my self care intention is to have an ever-present-self-care-voice. I hope that gives you some inspiration to bring and keep yours, to the forefront of your day.

Darien Pritchard


I call upon a range of exercises such as stretching/flexibility exercises to awaken and warm my muscles, strengthening and energising exercises to get them into action but not tense, and rhythmical moving to prepare me for moving in the massage sessions.

I have routines for going through my body for a general warmup and I also check on what I need on the day - areas of stiffness that call out for attention; or if my energy needs lifting if it’s low; or gathering, calming and centering if I’m feeling scattered or ‘wired’. I call on formal sources - such as yoga, Tai Chi, the Feldenkrais Method - and lots of experience of movement from training courses.

And sometimes I just need to put on a bit of music to get me going.

Nikki Wolf

“The most important thing I’ve found is to factor spaciousness into my week.”

Having struggled with chronic fatigue in the past, I learned long-ago how important it is to look after myself so I can give my best to my clients.

Over the years, I’ve worked out the best ways (for me) of balancing my energy levels and reducing stress.

The most important thing I’ve found is to factor spaciousness into my week. I don’t see clients before 10:30am or after 5pm, and I don’t work on weekends if I can help it. From there, getting my regular doses of self-care relies on three pillars: 1) Doing something I enjoy, 2) Having accountability, and 3) Slotting it into my current routine.

I walk my dog a couple of miles every morning. I live by the sea, so the walk is my time to disconnect from whatever is stressing me out and reconnect with nature. During the walk, I try to sit for a few minutes and do some “box breathing” which helps calm the nervous system. Twice a week, my partner takes over the dog walk so I can do a yoga session instead.

Accountability helps hugely. I do exercise with a friend once a week. —lately, it’s been pickleball, in the summer, it was wild swimming. We also have a HIIT routine that we try to do 3x a week. (I hardly ever manage to do all three…it’s a work in progress!)

I go to a sound bath or another calming, more “energy balancing” activity once a month with another friend.

All that sounds like I’ve got this self-care malarkey totally sussed out. I haven’t! But I’ve learned that small, consistent efforts can make a big difference, and I keep trying to find what works for me.

Leigh-Anne

“I divide my self-care activities into two categories: “Have to Do” and “Nice to Do”. To make sure these tasks get done, I use two strategies: habit stacking and scheduling.” 

As massage therapists, we often prioritise our clients' well-being. However, to continue providing quality care, we must also prioritise our own self-care.

This is how I’ve implemented self-care into my schedule as a self-employed massage
therapist. As with almost everything you discover on the internet, you’ll need to test things out and adapt them in ways that work for you. What works for me won’t work for everyone, but hopefully, in reading this, you might get some ideas to try for yourself.

Categorisation
I divided my self-care activities into two categories: “Have to Do” and “Nice to Do”.

“Have to Do” includes things like flossing and stretching. They’re important for my overall health and are non-negotiable. “Nice to Do” are things that I enjoy that leave me feeling recharged afterwards. Some examples are reading, crafting, or meeting up with friends.

Implementation
To make sure these tasks get done, I use two strategies: habit stacking and scheduling. Habit stacking is when you add a new habit onto an existing one. If we use the flossing example, it’s quite straightforward. I took the floss out of the cabinet (where it didn’t see the light of day very much!) and put it in its new home next to my toothbrush so that when I brushed my teeth in the evening, it would be a visible reminder to floss afterwards. It took some time, but eventually flossing became second nature.

A more obscure example would be stretching. The thought of adding a 20-minute stretching session to my daily calendar filled me with dread. Where would I fit it in? What if I get a booking at that time? Does everyone else genuinely do this??

I analysed my day and noticed that when I brew my morning cup of tea, I’m just standing in the kitchen doing nothing. I would scroll on my phone, swipe through social media, check my inbox, look at the weather. Basically, I was filling my time without actually doing anything. We have a stove-top whistling kettle that takes a good few minutes to get to a boil. Plus, the tea is always too hot to drink immediately. I decided this would be the perfect spot to stack a new habit. I’d drop a teabag in my mug with a spoonful of sugar, pop the kettle on and put my phone face down on the counter so that I could do some mindful stretching.

Scheduling seems easy, as we do it daily for our clients and other appointments like doctors and haircuts. At the beginning of the week, I slot in any social plan, as well as 2 or 3 chunks of Me Time, that are typically on the same day at the same time every week.

They’re usually 30 minutes – 1 hour where I do one of my “Nice to Do” activities. Sometimes last-minute schedule changes mean that a previously allotted Me Time gets over-written. The important thing here is to not let it get forgotten. Re schedule it! Actively commit to allowing yourself this time to relax. With time, just like habit stacking, these scheduled self-care slots will be part of your normal routine.

Wishing you all a lovely and care-filled November,
Leigh-Anne

About the Authors

Compiled by Leora Sharp & Darien Pritchard

Leora Sharp from Hands Free Massage Training, has been a massage practitioner since 2008 and very early on in her career, realised the importance of needing to work as Hands Free as possible. To that end, in 2009 she trained with Darien and was so blown away with Hands Free Massage, that she offered to assist him on his 8 Day Advanced training. Her role slowly transformed into co-teacher and she then started teaching solo in 2016. She is continually bold over how amazing HFM is and the benefits it brings to practitioners to sustain their careers. Alongside teaching HFM, Leora has a private practice at Neal’s Yard in Bath and designs websites for complementary health professionals.

Darien Pritchard from Dynamic Massage and Hands Free Massage Training, has been a massage trainer since 1982, and has served on the General Council for Massage Therapy (UK). He wrote the career-maintenance book Dynamic Bodyuse for Effective Strain-Free Massage (2008), and the student text Anatomy, Physiology and Pathology for Massage (2nd ed, 2023). For three decades, Darien has pioneered a focus on how massage practitioners can protect their hands and body whilst using them most effectively, including developing Hands Free Massage - the skilful, sensitive use of the forearm and elbow to save the hands.

Nikki Wolf