As a small business owner, time out is definitely a luxury. Unlike working a normal job, we don’t get 4 weeks paid leave every year, we don’t get sick pay and we certainly don’t get any super. In a small business where your income is maximized by the amount you can charge or more to the point what your clients are willing to pay, the luxury of time off is few and far between. I chose to be a massage therapist. I chose to run a small business. I want people to know who I am and what I do in a professional manor. With that comes the overheads, loss of pay when clients don’t show or cancel and the windows for holidays to be minimized. Don’t get me wrong, I love the flexibility of this job but some days I also miss someone paying me to take time off, paying me for my retirement and leaving work without a worry in the world. As massage therapists we will never be rich. Despite the common conception, that if you have a business you must be loaded, we also live week to week like most other folk.
Last week I took a week off to spend with my partner. School holidays meant she was also off so we could actually do stuff together without dropping on the couch at the end of the day asking how each others days were, totally exhausted and literally falling asleep. We got stuff done! We planned wedding stuff and worked on our property and even took a trip over tot he big smoke to see some mates and of course the one and only P!nk who once again put on a magnificent performance. That woman is amazingly athletic, I wonder if she needs a tour massage therapist?
I returned home to Hobart yesterday after my week off and it had honestly felt like a month. This tells me one thing, I was way overdue for some time off. Although tired today from a long day yesterday, I feel refreshed and recovered. My body stopped hurting for a whole week. I had a $4 massage in the massage chairs at the DFO and could have stayed there half the day had I more coins! It was amazing and when you miss out on your fortnightly massage it sure helps take the edge off a stiff back.
I guess what I am getting at here is to make sure you are looking after you. Make sure you take those paid holidays, you earn them! If you have long service built up, use it, don’t cash it in, that is time you should be taking for you. Take a trip on a plane, in a car, on a boat. Stay in bed, stay up late, eat the yummy food. For those who have used up all their holidays and have none left in the bank then do the next best thing and book a massage! Let us take you away for an hour and pretend you are on holidays.