Mental Burnout in Massage

You’ll hear it repeated in every U.S. massage program: body mechanics, body mechanics, body mechanics. As massage therapists, we’re often cautioned about posture, pull, and force coming from the right place. The goal of this is to preserve our bodies for longevity, instead of the normal career lifespan of 5 to 7 years. However, there’s a secondary, subtler danger that threatens to shorten a massage therapy career. Along with body mechanics, therapists must be aware of the prevalence of mental burnout in massage.

How to stay motivated and prevent mental burnout in massage

Most massage therapists who’ve left the field do so because of the physical toll it has taken on their bodies. Chronic pain conditions and overuse injuries also contribute to this attrition rate. What most LMTs aren’t prepared for is mental fatigue.

Being silent for 4-8 hours requires a very well-trained mind. LMTs must learn how to hold boundaries and take emotional space for themselves after a day of holding space for other people’s energy and emotions. Just like stretching post sessions and keeping up with physical fitness, massage therapists also need mental rest and training to stay sharp in this field.

Music

Depending on your work setting, you may not have control over your playlist. However, if you can, get a new Spotify set going. Ambient relaxation music is the usual choice in a high-end spa setting or corporate chain. Listen to that pan flute for eight hours a day, however, and you might end up feeling like you’re in a relaxation elevator.

For those who can, explore your music streaming service and see what you can find. Be careful about songs with words, or anything too upbeat, but there are hundreds of other relaxing options besides constant “crashing waves.” This can help keep things interesting as you work.

Meditation

Meditation is an excellent tool that can help therapists balance their emotions and center themselves before or after treatment. According to a National Health Survey, the popularity of meditation has almost doubled in the last twenty years, outranking both yoga and massage therapy in popularity.

Even in the most clinical settings, working as a massage therapist requires balancing a lot of energy. Meditation can be an excellent way to center yourself and prepare for that day or give yourself some self-care time at the end of the day. It can also help train your mind and keep you focused on the client throughout the session.

Most therapists end up daydreaming during a massage (especially in those 120-minute sessions), but training your mind to stay present can help you really become attuned to the physical and energetic feedback your client gives you. If you find that you simply cannot spend any more time in silence during your day, using a guided meditation can help you navigate your meditation time.

Continuing education for massage therapists

Massage therapy continuing education courses are a great way to stay mentally stimulated in our work. It can be tempting to just check the boxes, but it’s worth taking time to invest in CE that genuinely interests you. Look for courses you can apply to your practice daily.

New modalities, certifications, or research articles can help you grow as a therapist while keeping your routine fresh and innovative. Earning certifications in additional modalities is not only an incredible way to augment your physical practice, but also an excellent way to increase your salary.

Related CE course for LMTs: Chill out! Stress and Burnout in the Healthcare Professional

Support within the massage therapy community

For many LMTs, massage therapy can be a very solitary profession. There are exceptions, of course. Think couples' massages, sports event massage, or office chair massages. In general, however, even though you have your hands on another person all day, therapists end up working without much verbal interaction. This can be intensely isolating. It can also make it hard to stay motivated, receive peer review, or engage in simple workplace social interaction.

It is important to form connections with other therapists and complementary healthcare providers that can support you in your work and understand what you’re going through. Finding a mentor you can go to with career specific questions will help encourage you along your career journey.

Additionally, being open to sharing techniques or trading massages with fellow LMTs can help you connect with colleagues in a safe and supportive atmosphere. Those relationships will help you dissolve or dilute competitive tension. Additionally, these professional relationships allow you to take what you’ve learned and use that experience to mentor newer therapists in the future.

Combating mental burnout in massage therapy

Remember: You can’t pour from an empty cup. The field of massage therapy is all about helping clients, but remember to give yourself the space, stimulation, and support you need to thrive. Just as massage therapists treat both the physical and emotional needs of our clients, acknowledge that same balance within yourself as a therapist.

This article was written by Mehreen Rizvi

Mental Burnout in Massage