self-care – Wellness Focus

How Much Time Should You Make For Yourself?

There’s a better-than-average chance that you have completely forgotten about “me time”. You know, the time you actually set aside for doing something you enjoy, or sitting by yourself, or treating yourself to a relaxing massage? Today’s always-connected life makes it easy to forget “me time”. There’s just stuff to do EVERYWHERE. Work stuff. School stuff. Family stuff. Car stuff. Home stuff. Medical stuff. Financial stuff. See?

Humans are hard-wired to need recharge time. That means more than just the 6-8 hours you’re actually (hopefully) sleeping each night. It means that the human brain needs periods of down-time to recharge, especially in the face of stress or strain. Just like the battery in your smartphone, most of us need at least 30 minutes each day to disconnect from deep thought and rest the brain cells. Physically we need breaks too. If you are in a high-stress job that requires lots of manual labor, at least two 30 minute breaks a day are in order, or you’ll quickly burn out.

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Self-care for Massage Therapists

Like any profession, the day to day cycle of helping clients with expert massage therapy can take a toll on massage therapists. Since our hands, forearms and elbows are primary tools, those tend to be the trouble spots.

If you’re not a therapist, you might be surprised to learn that during your year+ school time, we learn proper form and body mechanics that allow us to work “smarter” (not harder) and protect ourselves from injury. By the time we’re through with more than 700 hours of class, internships, and other practice, we’ve built up the stamina to do a full day’s work with no problem.

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Sensory Motor Amnesia: Hidden Pain Wearing You Down

The ability for us to consciously sense the tension and release in our muscles describes a state known as sensory motor awareness. That ability’s functionality depends on how actively we engage it. Humans tend be creatures of habit, forming routines in the way we relate to both our internal and external worlds. As we put ourselves on “auto-pilot”, especially when it comes to posture and movement patterns, the relationship between our conscious minds and the parts of bodies that may need attention can enter a state of sensory motor amnesia, where the internal sense of awareness becomes muted.

Pain Free Isn’t Problem Free

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Three Glute Stretches That Work

The Gluteus Maximus is the largest muscle in your body, yet it is often overlooked in pre- and post-workout stretching.

The Gluteal muscles work hard. Tightness in the “glutes” often causes pain by altering the position of the leg, causing uneven distribution of forces in the knee. They can also cause back pain and stiffness. Try these three simple stretches to keep your Glutes happy:

1. Pretzel. Lie flat on your back and bend both knees. Cross one leg over the other so your foot is on the opposite knee.Bring both knees towards your chest and gently pull the uncrossed leg towards you until you feel a stretch in your buttock. Hold for 30 secs. Repeat 3 times before and after exercise. Continue reading “Three Glute Stretches That Work”