How do I make massage a habit?

As with all habits, massage becomes easier when it’s part of your daily routine. Once it becomes a habit, you just do it. So how do you change massage from an after-thought to a daily habit?

Here’s How

Time of Day

Decide on a time of day that works for you. The most effective way to turn your massage practice into a habit is by performing it at the same time every day. And the best way to do that is to attach it to another daily habit. For example, do it before or after breakfast, lunch or dinner, brushing your teeth, showering, bathing, or working out. Do it first thing when you wake up in the morning or massage yourself to sleep at night. You can even do it while doing something else that you do habitually, like watching TV, listening to podcasts, or checking the heavens for UFOs. Just choose one established daily habit and use it to cue your daily massage. Put a reminder on your phone if you like. Or do it while you’re watching one of our feel better fast videos. Or sign up for our daily massage email. Whatever works best for you decide on one time of day and stick to it.

Length of Time

Decide on a minimum length of time to massage that works for you. Any where from 2 minutes to 20 minutes will do you a world of good. Choose a block of time that feels right for your schedule and needs. Once you’ve decided on a time repeat it daily. But don’t be afraid to extend it and go longer if your body needs more. Learn to listen to your body. What does that mean? If you’re new to massage your body’s language will sound a lot like gibberish. But over time, with patience you will learn to understand your body’s language, and assess its needs. Until you do that it’s best to use a 1 to 10 scale (with 1 feeling bad and 10 feeling great) to judge the effectiveness of your massage. Assess how you feel before your massage and after it and write it down each day along with the time your massage took. Over time, you will discover what amount of time is most effective for you. You’ll find a hunk of time that works for your unique needs and schedule.