PREVENTING PROFESSIONAL BURNOUT
by Robert Sachs
Reprinted with permission from Skin Inc., all rights reserved
A few months ago, I hosted a training session attended by several estheticians and massage therapists from a well-known spa. In conversation, they commented that six of their therapists had been injured and were receiving disability pay.
Although this seemed excessive for one facility, it really was not surprising. Countless estheticians and massage therapists suffer from repetitive motion injuries, bad backs, blown-out knees or exhaustion.
Four burnout blunders
Therapists experience burnout for many different reasons. Following are the top four triggers.
1. A negligent lifestyle. A poor diet, too little personal exercise and relaxation, and irregular or
insufficient sleep.
2. Environmental toxicity and poor treatment room ergonomics. Improper table heights, stress-
creating stances and incorrect body posturing.
3. Personal life stress. Child-care issues, spouse or partner problems, and financial woes.
4. An inexperienced spa managerial team. Those with little therapy experience - whether as a
therapist or a recipient of treatments - who create overly demanding schedules.
A negligent lifestyle
This is the No. 1 issue because it is the most controllable. It's all about you, and how you nurture your body, beginning with what often is considered to be the most important aspect of a person's lifestyle-diet.
Diet. To start, eat a decent breakfast that contains lasting nutritional value. If time permits during your day, eat a light, but nourishing, meal. Try to take a break to replenish your system. Perhaps your spa can make a large pot of soup that therapists can enjoy during breaks. If you only have time for a quick snack, a protein power bar may have to do-although this offers only a stopgap solution. Try to schedule a proper time to sit, breathe and eat. In the evening, avoid eating when you are exhausted. Do some stretching or yoga, or take a shower to shake off the day and ease your body out of a tiredness that can make your meal indigestible. Also, give yourself a few hours between dinner and bedtime.
General and relaxation exercise. Not everyone was born to jog or do aerobics. The discipline of ayurveda suggests that knowing your body type will allow you to select a type of exercise that is most beneficial for you. Each form has its own merits and payoffs.
Hygiene. Between appointments, rinse your hands with cold water, and periodically splash your face. When you get home from the spa, remove all of your work uniform, shower or bathe, and change into fresh clothes.
Sleep. Last but not least is sleep. Organize your life to ensure that you get whatever amount seems to benefit your body and mind sufficiently. An average of eight hours is recommended. Some people can make do with less, and others may need more.
Environment and ergonomics
The three most challenging environmental factors that can impact a therapist's daily well-being in the spa include smells, product contact and lighting.
Smell. Fresh air contains prana, or the life force, according to ayurvedic teachings. Poor ventilation always decreases this life force. Because of this, it always is advisable that spas have quality air-filtration systems and air purifiers in each treatment room. Air out the room in between clients.
Product contact. Because contact with products usually cannot be avoided, always rinse off residues thoroughly. You may react to some products more than others. In this case, minimize your contact with these items. If you cannot change brands, try wearing gloves or washing your hands with white vinegar to reestablish the pH level of your skin.
Lighting. If you work in a highly illuminated area, encourage your spa to invest in full-spectrum lighting. Standard fluorescent lighting can aggravate fatigue and even may induce headaches.
Ergonomics. You may have a beautiful spa room that is a delight to your clients, but unless the space is designed so that treatments can be performed easily and efficiently, you will experience personal discomfort.
Management and scheduling
As a spa owner or manager, you need to realize that estheticians and massage therapists are the main assets of your facility. They can make or break your reputation.
The top factor that makes any company more successful and profitable than another is the treatment of its staff by management. The logic is simple: If you train your team well and give them what they need to be healthy and happy at work, they will, in turn, pass it on to their clients.
People most often leave places of work when they feel undervalued and believe that their suggestions and contributions are not being acknowledged.
A rewarding experience
Spa team member burnout ceases to be a critical problem when estheticians and massage therapists take better care of themselves, and spa owners and managers take better care of them. In that way, a deeper, more rewarding work experience will translate into satisfied and loyal clients for years to come.
Robert Sachs is the co-director of Diamond Way Ayurveda. He also is the author of Tibetan Ayurveda: Health Secrets From the Roof of the World (Healing Arts Press, 2001) and coauthor of Ayurvedic Spa, to be released by Lotus Press in 2006.
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