Back in November, I was promoted to Account Manager at my job. Although I was more than excited to take the next step in my career, nothing could’ve prepared me for the whirlwind of work, responsibilities, and most of all, stress that came with my promotion.
Every morning, I found myself waking up with deadlines and deliverables on my mind. Oftentimes, I found that I couldn’t get through the day without becoming overwhelmed with all the expectations that were put on me. Simply put, burnout was looming.
Seeing firsthand how much the workload was taking out of me, my boyfriend surprised me with a therapeutic massage from Stony Point Massage, a spa in New York that specializes in therapeutic massages and self-care education.
Finding Work-Life Balance
As someone who rarely takes off, I was certainly not lacking in Personal Time Off. (In fact, it came as a major shock when I clicked through the maze of my work portal and realized I accrued over 2 weeks’ worth of PTO.)
Pivoting into my soft life era, I booked my massage appointment for a random Friday afternoon and requested the day off from work.
My First Time Getting A Therapeutic Massage
I’ve always heard that massages are one of the most popular methods of stress relief, but I had no idea what to expect from the experience.
Walking into the lobby of the massage spa, I was warmly greeted by my masseuse, Kayla, who checked me in and sat me down for a short consultation before we stepped into the massage room.
During the consultation, we had what I would call a quick mental check-in. Now she was by no means a therapist, but I really appreciated her taking the time to make the experience more personal by understanding why I booked the appointment. After our candid conversation, we headed into the massage room to begin the treatment.
The session was amazing! I can’t remember a time when I felt more at peace. As soothing music flowed throughout the room, my mind was able to relax and enjoy the moment. I wasn’t thinking about the next draft that had to be submitted to a client or what deliverables were due the next day. It was just me, Kayla, and the heated massage bed that I spent hours trying to find on Amazon. (I am determined to have one in my future home).
Incorporating Therapeutic Massages Into My Monthly Wellness Routine
Sometimes it’s hard for me to close my laptop at the end of the day because I feel guilty about not finishing a project or forgetting to respond to an email I received earlier in the day. However, this experience reminded me of the importance of giving myself grace.
I used to feel guilty that I wasn’t working hard enough for my job when I really should’ve been focused on working hard for myself to maintain my mental and physical health. I deserve it.
To maintain a work-life balance, I’ve scheduled monthly massage appointments to release the built-up tension in my body.
Friendly Reminder: It’s okay to be a hard worker, but it’s most important to balance out the stress with some much-needed peace.
