What an interesting and unprecedented time.
And never before have I been so grateful to be part of the massage community.
With so many people suffering—financially, physically, mentally, emotionally—it is imperative that we focus on kindness and compassion. In the massage community, that seems to come naturally. I simply love being surrounded by grateful people. Here are some of my interactions just this week:
- Massage school owner who puts safety first and remodeled their campuses to accommodate COVID safety procedures.
- Massage practitioner who struggles with her own health crises (not COVID related) and still focuses on her clients’ needs.
- Massage educator who teaches on Zoom from the spare room in his in-law’s home because he is also the current family caretaker.
- Massage student who helps her children with online learning, in between her own massage classes.
Why are these folks grateful?
- The school owner says they are driven by the needs of their communities, and the time and financial investments that their students have made in their own futures.
- The practitioner says it helps to deal with her own issues better by helping others.
- The educator says he feels like he can make a difference, even through virtual classrooms, and he is happy to be able to help his extended family at the same time.
- The student says she is motivated by the touch-deprivation in her community, and inspired to learn skills that can help long-term.
I am so moved by the love and dedication of these folks (and countless others in our community), doing what they can in the face of very real hardships that are likely to continue for some time.
Remember to practice self-care this week with a bit of rest if you can. You deserve it.
And above all, remember to turn your kindness and compassion to your own hearts.
I am so grateful to all of you. Thank you. Thank you, all.
— Deanna Sylvester, Chief Success Muse for Sohnen-Moe Associates
[Top image courtesy of GraphicStock.com]
This seems like the time to raise my rates with all the extra work in the massage office. At the same time raising rates now does not seem like the thing to do with so many people feeling so much anxiety. Any thoughts or help with this is much appreciated.
Hey Karen,
We have discussed this quite a bit, actually. It’s a common dilemma. The sanitation protocols are taking more time, which means less time available to work on clients. But I’m wondering how many practitioners are working at capacity right now? Also, a lot of people’s finances have been diminished during this pandemic and might not be able to afford to come in as often (or at all) if the prices are raised. Maybe think about what you would like to charge – and when you tell your clients about your new price, let them know they can continue to pay the current price until the pandemic is over if they need to?