Why do all self care idea lists start with “take a bath”? I actually hate baths. I feel like human soup and at 5’10” either my torso OR my legs can be submerged - but never both.
When a fellow Massage Therapist tells me they want to increase their self care my go to isn’t “grab a bath bomb, babe!” - it’s “let’s look at your schedule”
The freedom to create a schedule that works for us might be the biggest perk a solo Massage Therapist has, and yet often we get stuck in the same routine for years - all while complaining that we wish we didn’t have other work so late.
The evolution of operating hours
We all tend to start at the same place - working whenever someone wants to come in because we have ALL THE TIME and ZERO clients. But eventually we get busier and we learn when we’re at our best.
That’s exactly what LMT Melissa Hall said this in this AMTA article - “…that boundaries evolve with self-discovery. I figured out that my natural energy cycle is best suited to early-morning administrative work, household management and going to the gym. So I cleared the morning hours and see clients between noon and 8 p.m.”
I gave up Saturdays when it started to feel like I never saw my husband, who has a traditional M-F job.
I moved my start time from 9am to 10am when I realized that feeling rushed in the morning left me feeling anxious all day.
Operating hours are meant to evolve and change.
When do YOU want to work?
Think about your schedule right now.
What days/hours do you feel you’re at your best - the most energetic and motivated to work?
What days/hours do you dread? The appointment times that make you die a little inside when you see they booked.
What other parts of your life do you feel are lacking or not getting enough of you because you’re working?
Usually when we think about these questions, we immediately think of a client that we have to accommodate. “I really hate working late on Tuesdays cause then I don’t get to have dinner with my family”
“But I can’t NOT work on Tuesday night because then Janet can’t come in.”
As you day dream about your most ideal, dreamy schedule - think of it as a clean slate. Don’t jump ahead to which clients you have to squeeze in where, just create operating hours that work best for you.
What changes can be made?
Your super dreamy sparkly schedule might look completely different than your actual operating hours. I don’t recommend a total overhaul (unless you have the courage for that) but I do want you to find one change you can make to get you closer to that ideal schedule.
Maybe you currently take a 6pm appointment 5 days a week right now. And you’d really love to NOT do that AT ALL. Eliminating that last appointment might feel too drastic. Can you reduce it to 2 nights a week? Can you alternate weeks - one week you have 6pm appointments, the next week you’re done a 4pm? Get creative - remember, you’re in charge and you make the rules.
But people will be mad
Maybe. But that’s ok. People are entitled to their reactions. You change your hours, and they can choose to make another day/time work - or they can find another Massage Therapist. That might sound harsh, but what’s the alternative? You become a prisoner to your own business and sacrifice every need and want you have so that Janet can get a massage on Tuesdays at 6pm? How is that fair?Having a capacity and limits around when you work does NOT make you a mean person.
Changes to our schedule might mean we need to have a tough conversation with a client. We might need to also raise our rates. It might mean we need to explore subleasing our space. And all of that is totally doable and reasonable for a business. Please don’t put off creating a schedule that works for you because you’re scared to talk to a client or ask for more money. This is what it looks like to grow and evolve as a business! You can do the hard things - and lucky for you I’m really good at helping with those scary situations. We can work out what to say and how to implement these changes in a compassionate way. As a member of Bolstered, I’ll walk through it with you, step by step.
Because if you’re take a bath or whatever type of self care you’re into - there’s gotta be room in your schedule for it. That’s where I can help.
