Massages Are Great For My Writing Career
Every time I get writers block or can’t sell books I get a massage
Here’s a quick tip for you if you’re a writer who is blocked or not able to get sales of your book moving. Book a massage. Will it get things moving again? Well, the evidence is in favour of it making you feel much better physically, mentally and emotionally so there might be a knock-on effect for your work. I got this tip from a life coach’s webinar a while back. She said that every time she goes for a massage, she gets a new client. I decided to try it and for me, it definitely has a similar effect.
Physical benefits of massage
As a writer, some of the things I struggle most with are work-related stress injuries. Sore wrists, sore shoulders and flare ups of my sciatica are all common occurrences in my life and while they aren’t all completely caused by the work I do, sitting hunched over at a desk for hours at a time, they certainly aren’t helped by that posture.
According to the Better Health Channel’s website, massage is effective at managing subacute or chronic low back pain, delayed onset muscle soreness and soft tissue injuries as well as reducing muscle tension and reducing stress hormones. With those benefits, why wouldn’t you book a massage, even if you aren’t a writer?
Psychological benefits of massage
Physio By Design, a New Zealand based physiotherapy practice, recommend massage as a way of improving sleep quality, lowering stress levels and relieving symptoms of depression. As someone who has suffered a bout of depression over the last few weeks, I can say with certainty that it has affected my working life and decreased productivity. I feel so tired and lethargic all the time. I’m so stressed over the smallest things and just sitting down to do some writing felt like an insurmountable task.
They also recommend massage as a way to naturally increase serotonin and dopamine, two of the happy chemicals that boost mood. When I am happy, I’m more likely to be productive, so that resonates with me and I suspect other writers will feel the same. Last week, I decided to go for a basic express massage at my local beauty salon and within a few days, I was setting goals, feeling re-energized and flying through my studies.
How does that impact on business?
How do you work when you’re sore, stressed and depressed? If you’re like me, you won’t be producing your best work. You also won’t be enthused about the work you’re doing.
If you’re feeling happier and more relaxed within yourself, and if you feel well-rested and pain is managed, it stands to reason that you’ll work smarter and possibly harder, which will lead to your business getting back on track. It makes perfect sense to me, and hopefully it does to you too.
What well-being hacks do you have for increasing your productivity?