One young woman needed to be heard by someone. I was that someone.
What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
How Corporate Massage impacts Mental Health
She was having a pretty tough day, feeling the weight of the world on her shoulders. Things had been a little tough lately in her personal life and at work. I was there to provide our corporate massage for Seated Massage. To help the people of this company feel that much better about themselves and the world around them. Sensing her need to unburden, I simply listened.
She wasn’t planning to share with me in this way. Presented with the opportunity, however, she grabbed it and let go. I could feel and see her body relax as she talked through her worries. She started to look like a different woman to the one I’d met only a few minutes before. I commented on how much more relaxed she seemed, thanking her for trusting me enough to open up as she had. She thanked me in return for providing her with space and time to do so.
She expressed to me how important it is for her to feel safe before being able to unburden and also how amazing it is to be able to do so whilst at work. So many of her stressors were work-related or compounded by work pressures. So it made sense to do so right there and then.
I was so impressed with this woman’s courage to talk it out, moving from unburdening to resolve – determined to find a course of action that will benefit her and those around her.
After just 15 minutes together, she was a changed person. She’d trusted me enough to share her feelings and all I needed to do was let her. Yes, I gave her the attention she and we all deserve. Respectful listening. Simply making it about her, not me. That is often all it takes. She sat with a smile, quietly thinking for 30 seconds before getting off my massage chair. She turned, looked me in the eye and simply said “I feel amazing. Thank you. I can’t wait for my next chair massage! When are you back again?”