Do You Schedule Your Time Off From Being A Massage Business Owner?
New Year = New opportunity to take control of your schedule.
Welcome back to another Monday with the Mavens. We created the Massage Mavens blog to connect with and educate self-employed massage therapists working to grow as business owners.
It can be lonely working for yourself – and we’re here to remind you that while you’re in business for yourself, you don’t have to be in business by yourself.
While we cater our content to independent MTs, all massage therapists are welcome here; whether you run your own independent massage therapy studio, you contract in a clinic, work in spa, or you are still in school.
Vacations don’t just happen. You have to plan them.
I’ll be the first to admit it: I tell myself I’ll take a long weekend, go play in the mountains, even just make time to sit on the patio “when I’m done with my to-do list” (and then I keep adding things to the to-do list…)
See where I’m going, here? The to-do list will never truly end.
As long as you are on this earth, you will continue to grow and evolve – this means that your to-do list will continue to grow and evolve as well. Especially if you’re an entrepreneur.
Being intentional about taking time away from work to enjoy your life is important. No one has ever said “I wish I’d made more time to work” on their death bed…and research has shown that play, dance, laughter, and relaxation are all incredibly important factors not only for happiness and mental health, but for resilience, creativity, and productivity.
Play is defined as “doing things that have no real purpose.”
It is not “Sitting in the patio in the sun while working. “
It is also not “Relaxing with a glass of wine while watching a CEU video.”
It is time for You, about You, that You enjoy and that You do not want to end.
After three years of telling myself I would Make time when I Had time, akin to how I’d Rest when I was Dead (yep, definitely said that one a time or two) I finally started to schedule time into my week, every week, not just for work tasks like Clients, Admin, and Continuing Education, but for resting relaxing and having fun.
Sometimes it’s a an afternoon hike with a friend.
Sometimes it’s a long weekend in the mountains to unplug.
And sometimes the best I can do is an hour here or there to play with the dogs or get a massage for myself, and that’s okay.
All of these breaks are built into my schedule, and respected as such.
As it is January, this is an excellent opportunity to sit down and program some recurring breaks for yourself - before the year slips away and we wonder where it went.
Now, some weeks are more hectic than others, and life will happen. No one is perfect. The point is to make conscious decisions about what I’m spending my time doing - and what you’re spending Your time doing - and ensuring that we are taking care of ourselves alongside our business.
Drop a comment below to let me know: How are you intentional about your time off?
Thanks for stopping by!
As always, we’d love to hear how our content has helped you improve either your studio, your mindset, or your revenue as a self-employed massage therapist.
Rachel Martin, LMT, is an independent massage therapist living in Denver Colorado. Having built her solo massage studio to capacity, she now spends her free time helping other massage therapists do the same. Check out Six Figure Studios, Queen Street Marketplace, and The Techy MT to learn more.
