When I was in school for massage therapy in 2016, the average work span of an LMT was 7 years. Today, it's 3 years, with more massage therapists burning out sooner and leaving the career path. Massage Therapy is a physically demanding career and is not for the faint of heart, but here's some tips on what you can do to avoid burnout and continue a long and successful career as a massage therapist. 

Take Care of Your Body

Your body is your tool, you have to take care of it. With as strenuous as massage therapy can be, body pain is one of the leading causes of burnout. 

1. Use Proper Body Mechanics- This one's number one. Always make a conscious effort to maintain proper body mechanics to avoid injury. Aside from that, proper body mechanics puts you in a power stance, engaging your muscles and awakening them. This will lead to better focus that you need when studying the clients muscles. A lazy stance leads to lazy technique and a lazy massage. 
2. Stretching- Warmup and stretch before every session. This is vital to keep your muscles and joints warmed up and ready to work. Maintaining a daily stretch routine will keep your muscles and joints healthy, helping to avoid injury and prevent pain from creeping up in your body. 
3. Resistance Training- Strength training has great benefits all around. But a weak core causes back pain which can make you use improper body mechanics, thus resulting in pain and fatigue more quickly. Strengthening your legs will allow you to hold a lunge position for longer periods, protecting your back from strain. Strengthening your core will help you to brace your core during your sessions, saving your back and improving your endurance to lengthen your daily client quota and overall your career. 
4. Healthy Diet- Eating a clean, whole foods diet while taking vitamins and supplements is important for everyone's health. Take care of your health to prevent illness, because nobody wants a massage from someone who is sick, and if we can’t work, we don’t get paid. Eating clean will naturally boost your energy, prolonging fatigue and allowing you to give your all in every session. Don’t skip meals and work through the day. Food is fuel and gives you energy. Pack your lunches and snacks and munch in between clients. 

Take Care of Your Brain

Mental health and keeping your brain stimulated is also important when it comes to avoiding burnout. 

1. Upkeep with education/modalities- Another leading cause of burnout is boredom. While it is important to niche down, you should always be educating yourself on new techniques or modalities to change up your practice and routine. Keep your brain stimulated and eager for more. 
2. Mental health- This is so important. You can’t give a good service with an unclear headspace. Take care of your mental health for yourself and your clients. Rest when you need to, and don’t overwork yourself. 
3. Grounding exercises- Massage therapy is as much an energetic practice as it is physical. There is an energetic exchange with every physical contact, and when we’re working on clients for long periods of time, we absorb their energy. Practicing grounding exercises with daily meditation will prevent us from holding onto the energies we come into contact with. 
4. Protect Your Peace- Respect your boundaries. A bad client will suck the energy out of you and have you hating your job. Don’t be afraid to fire a client that isn’t working out for you. You provide a safe space for your clients and they need to do the same for you. 

Keep Up With YOUR Bodywork

As a massage therapist, you know how important bodywork is for your body and health. Don’t neglect this. Keep up with regular massages to keep your body pain and stress free. Being a massage therapist is such an awarding career path and experience. Take care of yourself and enjoy a long and happy career as a Massage Therapist.