Downside of MT career - Boredom Not Burn Out

[Unixmen]

I find this topic to be interesting and different from the Burn Out topics that already exist.

This quote from a thread in the Student section prompted me to start this inquiry:

After you establish your practice, massage becomes very boring, despite how much continuing education you do. The field is just too narrow, and clients like routine. I'm being driven nuckin' futs scheduling the same bodies on the same day at the same time every week, walking around the same table in the same room...

It's something that happened to me as well after a couple of years of building a steady practice. My weeks were filled with the same people over and over. Wonderful as it was to know that people loved my style and were willing to let me skillfully massage the tension out of their bodies, I became very bored with the monotony. Even taking the CEUs that I was interested in did not help because my client base only wanted what they were already getting. After experiencing this aspect of the massage industry I realized that it wasn't something that was really talked about before as a potential downside in the business for some one who enjoys change a bit more frequently.

And I see the downside of it as well in other therapists I know who have been working with the same people for so long that they are afraid to raise their rates, or change their schedule, or do anything that might upset the "bread and butter" of their business. But I know there are long time therapists here who have changed the course of their careers and businesses and I'd love for them to add to this discussion!

What have been your experiences with any boredeom not burn out of your MT career? How did you work through it? What did you change?

 

[covduo2]

Interesting. I've only been doing this a little over three years, so maybe that's not long enough. But on the other hand, my enneagram type (7) is highly skilled at avoiding boredom.

A couple ideas...

1) Learn how to embrace routine: research and engage in first hand experience with something like sitting meditation, japanese tea ceremony, and/or martial arts that involve "forms" (routines one repeats over and over). Learn to treat your sessions as yet another meditative/ceremonial practice in which the apparent monotony actually allows you to pay more attention to and thus facilitate an ever deepening connection.

2) Take responsibility for using your new post-CEU skills by marketing them more. Market them to your current clients and, if they truly don't want them, market them to new clients. This forum does have stories of how others have done this, even of transitioning a full practice of one modality into a mixed modality practice, etc.

On the other hand, if your current clients don't want your new modalities and you're not using them to shift your client base... perhaps you were taking the wrong classes! If you don't want to upset your current client base, FIRST find out what additional services they want THEN take classes in those.

3) Set practice goals and/or career goals for yourself beyond having a stable practice. What kind of work do you want to be doing in 5, 10, 20 years? How many people do you want to be reaching? Alone or in some kind of group?

These could all be answered within the context of massage practice, or they could go beyond it.

Either way, create a vision with a trajectory that inspires and motivates you... and for example, if fear of risk is one of your challenges, you need a vision that motivates you more than that fear. Working with a coach can be invaluable.

4) Get clear on what you want and grateful for everything that takes you there.

When I find myself getting bored with clients (something I'm careful to shift ASAP), it's usually when we've reached the limit of their willingness to heal. Sometimes people are not ready. Sometimes we've reached the limit of my ability to help them and they are not interested in seeing any other practitioners. Either way, if they continue to come, the sessions shift into a kind of holding pattern or maintenance routine, which isn't the kind of work I intend to do.

At this early point in my career, I don't fire them But instead of letting myself entertain boredom, I bring myself back to gratitude. These folks value the work I do with them and support me so that I can do the other kinds of work with other clients, both now and into the future.

 

[Maggie B]

Boredom isn't something I've ever entertained, in any job or any other situation. I think maybe a lot of that is just personality differences or something, but I don't know. Even as a kid in school, I could look straight at the teacher and get high marks on attention/effort even if my mind was happily 4000 miles away. :

At any rate, I don't think it is an industry (massage/bodywork) issue as much as it is a personal issue. Each person has a niche somewhere. You have to find yours, whether it is in massage or another career path, and then make the most of it.

 

[hopefull411]

Wow, I love all three of the posts above.

I am sure I have something to add, but Ill have to think on it for a time.

Until then, thanks for this thread!

 

[cajunboy09]

Interesting.

I have been doing this for five years and haven't ever been bored.

There is so much to learn and explore in this field...it's exciting. I will be happy doing this for a long time to come!

Anyone who is bored either isn't in the right profession, the right job, or isn't taking the right ceu's. The Upledger Institute does it for me. I have taken CST, SER, Lymph Drainage, and Clinical Acupressure - and will probably continue with those as well as Zero Balancing and Visceral Manipulation.

 

[Ottawa Mike]

At any rate, I don't think it is an industry (massage/bodywork) issue as much as it is a personal issue. Each person has a niche somewhere. You have to find yours, whether it is in massage or another career path, and then make the most of it.

I agree with this 100%. I have had my moments of boredom, but they were only moments, and it totally had to do with my attitude and how I felt that day.

If you are just in it as a job, you will certainly get bored. Just like any other job. The work is slow, relaxing, and repetitive. If you are not passionate about it, it will get boring.

 

[EllenMay]

I'm so thrilled that this thread already has so many great replies! Thank you each one for tackling this topic!

I am beginning to think that I used the wrong word or interpreted Ouch's quote differently than some of you. When I say Boredom, I don't necessarily mean "not at all interested" I mean more to say "not stimulated enough"...perhaps frustrated is a better term?

Anyway it's all great to read so far, I just wanted to put in a clarification.

 

[PhoenixBird]

Downside of MT career - Boredom Not Burn Out

My weeks were filled with the same people over and over. Wonderful as it was to know that people loved my style and were willing to let me skillfully massage the tension out of their bodies, I became very bored with the monotony. Even taking the CEUs that I was interested in did not help because my client base only wanted what they were already getting.

I have been doing massage for almost 17 years now and I can honestly say that I have never been bored. I have regular clients that I have been seeing for 16 years now. I'm not bored with them yet.

Perhaps one reason is that I don't do the same kind of massage on all of my clients. A few want strictly relaxation so their massages are more routine than the rest but even then I've never felt bored or felt that my creativity was stiffled.

I have some clients that come in for strictly therapeutic but even these clients have "morphed" over the years. They don't have the exact same issues that they originally saw me for.

I have one client that sometimes gets a hot stone massage, then the next time she might want therapy on her low back and then the next time she schedules a Thai Foot massage and the next she might just do a nice relaxing massage with a couple of cold stones for the imflammation around her knees.

Also I work in a clinic surrounded by other therapists. There's always something to learn from one of them.

Variety is the spice of life and I guess in my case it's what has kept boredom out of my practice.

Angie

 

[J09]

I don't get bored either. My mind usually stays pretty active during a session. I find myself to be very good company! I know they say to concentrate on the client, but I can't do that 100% of the time, that would drive me crazy if that is all I could think about.

Luckily, I can massage and think to myself at the same time. I make lists in my head. To do lists, recipes, shopping, going over supplies I need to buy, thinking about errands I have to run, etc.

And then sometimes the client is chatty.

 

[Avondrow]

Downside of MT career - Boredom Not Burn Out

Perhaps one reason is that I don't do the same kind of massage on all of my clients.

Also I work in a clinic surrounded by other therapists. There's always something to learn from one of them.

Variety is the spice of life and I guess in my case it's what has kept boredom out of my practice.

I think these are great things to think about for people in the field who may be prone to boredom!

 

[Rachel bby:)]

When I find myself getting bored with clients (something I'm careful to shift ASAP), it's usually when we've reached the limit of their willingness to heal. Sometimes people are not ready. Sometimes we've reached the limit of my ability to help them and they are not interested in seeing any other practitioners. Either way, if they continue to come, the sessions shift into a kind of holding pattern or maintenance routine, which isn't the kind of work I intend to do.

I have found this to be very true! Thankfully, they are rare in my private practice! I saw much more of this in the spa.

I read once about "rest fatigue" meaning the more you sit the less you want to be active. I find I am very prone to this when I have large chunks of time between clients. That, for me, is when boredom will set in.

 

[preciousAngel]

I agree with all of what's been said here. I must say that I, too, can be prone to some boredom. My practice is home-based, so I rarely have any kind of change of scenery (i.e. I'm not going anywhere else, or being moved between rooms), nor do I get to interact with a whole lot of ppl (i.e. fellow therapists). Also, since my practice is fairly small with mostly longtime regulars (whom I really like) but few new clients (due to our crazy and limited schedule), I end up working on many of the same ppl for many of the same chronic issues.

That said, there are some ways I still avoid burning out totally.

I like to start simple. My setup allows for some variation, especially in music. I have a HUGE variety of music--ocean waves, piano, classical music, smooth jazz, acoustic guitar (both faster and slower), alto sax, celtic, new age, yoga/meditation, middle Eastern, south American pan flutes, Native American sounds, Oriental, Persian/Iranian pop music, thunderstorms, and even the old staples like Enigma or Enya. I even throw in some Tosca or mellower Cirque De Soleil or even Moby's Hotel Ambient. If I REALLY need a change of pace, I queue up a free (and commercial-free) internet radio station such as soma.fm or di.fm. Of course, this all depends on client taste LOL. Since music is actually transmitted to a wireless speaker system from an always-on computer in the next room that houses mp3s of all my CDs (and also has broadband internet for receiving internet radio stations), I can select literally any combo of music and never hear any repeats, even during those 2-hour sessions This works really well for staving off the boredom, and it's relatively easy and cheap to implement.

I also go to Earthbound Trading Company (an expanding chain of world-market-type goods from everywhere) and pick up something from there, if my surroundings are getting too monotonous. This store (located in a lot of malls in our area) is a HAVEN for MTs. It has everything from those doorway beads (the kind that hang down) to Putumayo world music CD collections to beautiful throw blankets/pillows to salt lamps to smelling salts to incense and aromatherapy, etc etc. It's a heck of a fun store--just make sure to take someone with you to monitor how much you're spending if you're prone to spending freely LOL. ("Friends don't let friends inside Earthbound Trading with a credit card...")

When I feel my massage is getting stale despite my best efforts, I'll take a class or read a book on a certain technique that I'm interested in (I've lately wanted to learn Tui Na and Shiatsu but I'm REALLY hard-pressed for cash right now so I got some Shiatsu books at Half Price Books and I'll learn on my fiance LOL). As others have said, this can give you a new skill set, along with the possible renewal of enthusiasm for what you do. Taking the class (versus reading the books) also gives you a chance to meet and connect with others, comparing notes and learning from each other, and experiencing each others' touch.

Or, more drastically, you can basically revamp your practice. This is what we're doing and we'll describe it in a separate thread (still to come). In short, we're changing the name, the website, the target market, the pricing, hopefully many of the draconian policies we've had to implement over the years, and the entire structure of our sessions as well. The whole model will be changing. Basically, we kinda got bored with typical Swedish/Deep tissue/integrated, and we'd like to do more medical/neuromusular/orthopedic/corrective sessions. But that's the jist of it--I'll flesh it out but save that for another thread.

Well, hope that also gives some ideas--some small and easy, some not so small. Those are just things we do; your mileage may vary

Hope that helps!
~Jyoti

 

[Oscar911]

Because I do primarily "ding and dent" repair I rarely, if ever am bored in my massge practice. Now, having said that, I will say this as well: Relaxation massages bore the snot out of me if I have to do a whole day of them. Cannot keep my eyes open or my mind in the mix. Too much repetition and sameness. Lulls me to sleep and bores me into a coma. So, I don't schedule more than 1 of those massages in any one day. Cannot do it, won't do it.

 

[Speedster]

Thinking on this thread today, I came to another realization about the boredom or frustration I've experienced in my practice and it is this:

I started my practice when I moved to the town where I live. Working and living in the same town without an existing community of friends left me feeling very lonely. Not knowing anyone meant that everyone I was meeting was meeting me as an MT and potential client of mine so I felt I couldn't actually be friends with anyone!

Eventually my practice was full of a variety of people but I had no one outside of my practice to meet my friendship needs. And so I became under stimulated outside of work which led me to feeling like my clients needed to stimulate me, give me something new to work on, or try my new modality, or tell me more about themselves or something. But even still I could only connect with them on a certain level and I became bored and frustrated at work butting up against that boundary.

Today, after a wonderful morning spent with some friends talking about an incredibly interesting subject, I went in for my afternoon appointments feeling very rejuvenated. I expected nothing from my clients and I felt more energized to meet them exactly where they are in life.

Just another thing to consider when looking at the massage business.

 

[needlewings]

A brilliant insight, Tribute! t023