Who takes care of the caretakers?

So who takes care of you?

Today, the answer is you. If you want to show up for work at your finest, it’s time to start thinking about how you can treat yourself to a little bit of self-care that will go a long way.

Self-care before work

Tools

Part of self-care is looking ahead and setting yourself up for wins throughout the day. So before you even get to work, make sure you’ve got the right equipment. A pair of comfortable, sturdy shoes will keep your feet and back from hurting as you walk around the spa or studio and lean over clients.

Breaks

Schedule yourself wisely! Just because you can book back-to-back appointments all day doesn’t mean you should. You have the power to put busy times in your appointment system – use it.

During work

Stretch

Just because you know about healthy body mechanics doesn’t mean you’re always putting it into practice. Stretching is a great way to lengthen and realign tight muscles (and yours are probably pretty tight after a day of leaning over clients a table). Just getting in a good stretch will increase blood flow to your muscles and brain, which reduces soreness and clears out the cobwebs.

Listen and stay attuned with your body – as therapists, you already have a good understanding of this. The key isn’t learning something new, it’s about practicing what you preach! Allow yourself those breaks, and give back to your body through stretching.

Hydrate

Challenge yourself to drink half a glass of water before each client. Even if you only have four clients that day, you’re still up to two glasses a day, plus whatever you drink during your lunch break.

Minor dehydration can manifest as sluggishness, weakness and headaches – not necessarily things that will stop you from working, but they will make your day less pleasant. Why invite that into your life?

After work

Taking care of yourself in your off hours can take a lot of different forms. What kind of self-care you practice will depend on how you’re feeling that day and how much time you have, but it’s a good idea to have a list of activities you can turn to.

Massage

First of all, embrace your profession! Book yourself in for a proper massage from a colleague. Or maybe go to another spa! Don’t settle for a quick shoulder rub between clients – make it a special treat that you look forward to every week or month. You know how valuable a good massage can be. Again, it’s about practicing what you preach and giving yourself the same care you give to others.

Ice

If you’ve had a long day of working with your hands, ice baths can be a great solution to prevent swelling in your joints and muscles. Soaking your hands in a bowl of cold water for a few minutes can really help with the soreness, mainly by restricting the blood flow to the tissues. Just don’t leave them in there too long!

Baths

A warm bath can do more than just relax you. It can actually soothe away the pains of the day, especially if you add Epsom salt or essential oils. Epsom salt (not the same as table salt) can reduce inflammation, which in turn relieves aching muscles. If you don’t have a full bath, just soaking your feet in a bucket of warm water and Epsom salt will still give your feet some relief.

Lots of people also swear by essential oils to reduce stress. Your mileage may vary, but even if you don’t find physical relief from essential oils, you can’t argue that a sweet-smelling bath is its own joy. Lavender, rosemary, eucalyptus and cypress are all popular oils for reducing stress and inflammation. If you find one that pleases your nose, why not try adding a few drops to a warm bath?

With a little bit of planning, you can set up your days so that you’re receiving some of the pampering that you’re giving out. You don’t want to exhaust yourself to the point that you resent your work and the service that you provide. Self-care isn’t necessarily about taking a break – it’s about looking for ways to treat yourself throughout the day so that you come out of each week feeling good. You don’t want to exhaust yourself to the point that you resent your work and the service that you provide.

This was originally written for the November 2016 issue of Spa Elemental Magazine.