Showing posts with label mobile massage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mobile massage. Show all posts

Thursday, November 20, 2014

University Students Achieve Better With Chair Massage

University campuses have long sought ways to make their students better absorb the information presented to them in their classes. They have tried everything, from creating student lounges and quiet areas, to giving them fun parties to help them de-stress and forget their worries. Universities know that pressure is not conducive to learning in most cases, but the reality is that exams must be administered to evaluate knowledge. Thus a balance has been sought between helping students to learn and helping them to relax so that the learning can sink in.


This is where chair massage can help. At many universities around the country, a policy has been adopted. Offer the students chair massage in a central location. Some universities have tried this with great success, while others have been unable to afford to pay for this service for their students. A new idea has burgeoned in the industry: offer chair massage to students at their own expense, on campus. This is a perfect match for those universities who have a smaller student body but want to offer them something special.

Having chair massage in a campus lounge would actually be the perfect setting. The students are used to being quiet in that space, having the lights dimmed for napping or relaxing reading, and it is usually visited often enough that most students would know that chair massage was available to them. Most campuses will make an announcement on their website, allowing students to register and pay for their own massages with the massage company directly. This makes it easy for students to learn about and schedule massage sessions on the day that they are available. Email blasts often accompany such an event, since the university will want as many students as possible to take advantage of this opportunity for rest and relaxation.


What would be the best time to offer this type of service, you might ask? Some colleges offer it during finals week, or the week before. Perhaps midterms are more crucial at your school, so you can offer it then. At other colleges, the program is so popular that the school will offer it every month for their students.

If you expect that your student body would be receptive to this idea, the every month program is highly recommended. This way, every student that wants to have a chair massage is sure to be able to get one at least once in the semester. And since the school is simply providing the space, there is no difficulty in hosting this type of event every month. It would be occurring in a room the students use anyway, and little is required of the faculty aside from showing the massage therapists where they will be setting up. Everything else will be taken care of, including collecting the consent forms prior to each person’s session.


If you are the coordinator for student life at your campus, and looking for new and innovative ways to help your students feel that they made the right choice in coming to your college, this might be just what your school needs. The students feel appreciated and, more importantly, relaxed and better able to learn and retain what they have learned. (A successful chair massage event was held recently at Rutgers University - check out our blog by clicking here) Studies have shown that after chair massage, math and computation learning and retention is improved. This also undoubtedly applies to other subjects. This may well be just the worthwhile activity your school needs to bring everyone’s averages up and improve your school’s standing in the university community.

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

How To Turn Your Year End Health Fair Into A Success For Your Business

Nowadays, many companies have a health fair at the end of year. Many reasons exist for the popularity of the year end health fair. For many, it is a way to give their employees the opportunity to get their annual flu shot in advance of the cold winter season. For others, it is simply a way to give the employees something fun and relaxing to do at the end of the year.

Having been to many health fairs providing chair massage for employees, I can tell you that massage therapy is always the most popular offering among the members of the staff. Even when there are no lines for other providers, there is a long line for massage therapy. Thus if you will be having a health fair, the most important station for you to have is chair massage, and the more therapists the better.



The most popular offering after chair massage is, of course, the free flu shots for your staff. Flu shots have become very popular in recent years, as companies have begun to use them in an attempt to keep their employees’ sick time down. For some people, the flu shot works, while for others it does not work. Before you spend money bringing in a nurse to administer the flu shot (and paying for all the shots administered), a survey would be helpful to determine if most of your employees benefit from the flu shot, or if offering it would be a waste. Since every company and employee is different, the only way to know is to ask.

One of the most interesting offerings that I have seen at other health fairs is an iridologist. An iridologist can actually provide a personalized report for each employee based upon their very own iris. This practitioner will bring a special camera to take a photo of each person’s eye, and then they will show that person what the condition of their iris can tell them about their health. For example they can see high blood pressure, cholesterol conditions, injuries both recent and old, as well as areas of good health. A good iridologist will always talk about the positive as well as the negative, rather than just the negative.

In addition to massage therapists, flu shots, and iridologists, there are an endless number of other businesses that can be hired for your health fair. However, many of these other health care providers are not nearly as popular among staff as are massage and flu shots. But if you are trying to create a well-rounded experience for your staff, other providers may be necessary depending on the size of your company.

To that end, you can bring in a chiropractor, a physical therapist, healthy food manufacturers, and any other health care providers that regularly attend health fairs. However, unlike massage therapists and iridologists, most of these other health care providers will not actually provide your staff with samples of what they do, but will offer them a free consultation or diagnostic appointment. Since you know your staff best, only you can decide if this will work for them.

As health fairs become more and more popular, and more employers offer them to their staff as a way to show their appreciation, you as the owner of a small or large business may wish to incorporate this type of event into your company’s regular staff perks. Hopefully, this article has given you some ideas for vendors to bring to your company’s health fair. Now you can create your own unique take on the health fair experience.

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Do I Really Need A Wellness Program For My Small Business?

What possible need does my small business have for a wellness program, you might ask. My business is very small, and such programs are better suited to large corporations.


While it is true that wellness programs are popular among large businesses, there is good reason for their popularity. Research and experience have shown that corporate wellness programs can benefit the companies as much as or more than the employees receiving the services.

Such benefits include less sick time, more work output and productivity, and an ease in meeting deadlines that may never have been experienced at that company.

So it would seem that wellness programs are more than just a new fad that will pass with time. Perhaps you have noticed your staff has been taking sick leave more often, or that their attention in things has been lagging, or that they are simply unable to complete the work assigned to them.
As a small business owner, you are undoubtedly very busy. But you may find that the benefits are greater than the costs when it comes to implementing a corporate wellness program at your company.

A couple of ideas that can help get you going are:
-Weekly chair massage at your location
-A weekly yoga program taught by a local instructor
-Games such as basketball or baseball played either at your company’s outdoor area or at a community field
-Exercise programs such as Zumba classes weekly or monthly
-Access to an area outside for free play and community


Some of these ideas listed have costs associated with them, while others can be implemented at little to no cost. Keep in mind, though, that a complete wellness program that has the listed benefits needs to include at least one activity that is outside of free play, such as a yoga class or a massage therapist. Free time to play will help with such things as morale and employee teamwork, but is not likely to substantially effect sick time and overall employee wellness.

So while your company may be small, a wellness program will be a worthwhile investment in the overall health and well-being of your company by helping your staff’s overall health and well-being. You can implement changes that will help your small business to thrive, and a wellness program is one large step on that path.

Monday, June 9, 2014

Chair Massage Can Help Workers With Stress and Joint Flexibility

One of the most common complaints that we see as massage therapists is a restricted range of motion, along with pain, especially in the neck and shoulders. This applies to people in almost every profession, but especially those professions where primarily computer based work is performed. So, office workers, executives, managers, and designers are all sufferers from this problem, although even others who don’t do primarily computer work also have this issue. These would include people such as nurses, physical therapists, and other caregivers who almost invariably do not take proper care of themselves.
So, for such a universal problem, one ought to wonder if there is also an effective and almost universal solution. One such solution, according to a study published Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, is to offer individuals chair massage at work. Chair massage was demonstrated in the study to have a beneficial effect on joint range of motion and pain, especially in the neck area, which is where a great number of office workers complain of pain and restriction.

When we consider the damaging effects of this type of restriction and pain, it can be realized that this would contribute a great deal to employee sick time and down time. When a person has restrictions in their neck and back, they are more likely to take more frequent sick days to try to restore their range of motion and to give the pain time to heal. More sick time means less productivity for the employer.

By institution of a simple chair massage program on site at the office, employers can head this problem off before it becomes more intense. Other studies have shown that massage at work enhances productivity and decreases the number of sick days employees take, and the current study explored in this article is describing some of the likely reasons for that reduction in sick time. When staff members are in less pain, they are more likely to come in to work. And when there is the promise or possibility of receiving chair massage on any given day, then it is less likely workers will take a sick day.

For these reasons, along with others that have been explored in prior articles, it would seem that Chair Massage is an excellent practice to institute at most businesses. Wellness programs are also a great place to bring in chair massage for the employees. Whatever is right for your business, chair massage can help your employees.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Corporate Chair Massage: Successful Companies Secret Productivity Booster

All managers seek to increase the productivity of their staff. This is usually accomplished by keeping strict deadlines, making sure lateness isn't an issue, and making certain everyone is doing what they're supposed to.

But there are also more positive means, such as making sure everyone on your team is communicating well, making certain that the best person for each task is doing that task, and making sure the staff is healthy, calm, and having a positive work experience.

Corporate Chair Massage falls into the latter, more positive, reinforcements for keeping an office at peak productivity. Not only are workers feeling calmer and less stressed after a corporate chair massage session, they are also more productive. Studies prove this fact.

A good manager or company owner uses both forms of incentive to keep the staff working at its best. But without a good set of positive reinforcements, the work environment will be tense and nervous. Some companies choose to maintain a more rigid and tense work environment.

But in most instances, companies and managers wish to have the staff feel calm and collected, so that they can work at a higher rate of productivity. After even ten minutes, it's been demonstrated that employees will be more focused and relaxed, ready to carry out their responsibilities with more clarity and presence of mind.

Corporate Chair Massage is inherently a productivity-booster, in that it can improve workers' focus and output. Additionally, workers begin to realize that management does care, and therefore a conscious effort to work harder may also come into play.

Employer need not worry about how employees perceive management; with Corporate Chair Massage, as well as other proven steps like a fitness program or on-site workout center, can help your employees to feel calmer, and is usually a sort of secret factor that many successful companies are now exploring to set their staff apart from the competition.

In reality, if both companies have hired the best in the field, with all else being equal, having a more motivated, more calm and poised staff would likely create a significant difference with implications that would be apparent after a short while.


And, Corporate Chair Massage can help achieve that aim for your company, along with sound business practice, creativity and flexibility in execution and thinking, as well as being mindful that your staff is your company's asset with a value that is difficult to calculate, but is often integral to functioning. Whether staff chooses to stay or leave says a lot about a company. Chair Massage is a good way of communicating concern to employees.
(C) Copyright 2013 H Miller, All Rights Reserved.

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Chair Massage At Your Next Corporate Event

Trade shows, health fairs, product launches… there is no shortage of corporate events where bringing in chair massage would be appropriate. Chair massage has been shown in a number of studies to have beneficial effects, even when the massages are brief.
Studies done with nurses in a busy hospital showed that when they were given brief ten minute massages once a week, their stress levels decreased. Post traumatic stress disorder suffered by veterans was also helped by a healthcare modality similar to massage and offered by some massage therapists called CranioSacral Therapy.

Perhaps you are planning your company’s annual health fair. Chair massage is always one of the most popular offerings at such fairs. Trade shows are an excellent place to have massage, since there are always so many things to see at these shows, and people can often become exhausted from walking around for so many hours.

Perhaps the very best place for corporate on site chair massage is at a product launch. This is because many of the people in attendance are potential purchasers, as well as members of the media. Think of what excellent PR your company will receive for having offered massage to clients at your product launch. It can even help to improve your company’s media image if such is necessary in your business.
Chair massage is an excellent offering for potential clients, for partners, and for employees, in every type of corporate event that there is. If you would like more information about chair massage at your next corporate or office event, please visit our chair massage page by clicking here.

Monday, August 19, 2013

On Site Chair Massage: Motivating Employees To Come In on Even a Rainy Friday Before a Three-Day-Weekend

Most companies are structured similarly, in that their are tiered levels of management, and then the teams of workers, whether advertising professionals, nurses, or truck drivers. And as management, we often find that employees are not quite as motivated as our own superiors would like to believe possible.



Maybe the bosses of bosses are unrealistic. Let them deal with the team of thirty seven men and women you manage - and then let them expect more! Oftentimes, upper management does not understand just how unmotivated the workers can get, especially when they perceive the owners or bosses as not caring about their welfare or needs.



Management is left with the task of administering austerities and chastisements, while at the same time required to keep workers involved, punctual, and free of undue absenteeism. On Site Chair Massage can help, in this regard.



Considering that studies have shown that absenteeism dropped when a regularly scheduled wellness program including chair massage was instituted, we can pretty much state this as fact. Anecdotally, as well, our own observations with clients' feedback shows that employees really love Chair Massage!



How can you make sure the entire crew comes in on Fridays? Have random Chair Massage. No one wants to pass up the chance to chill out at work. Chair Massage is performed fully clothed, usually off to the side in a spare office, cafeteria, or even a less-trafficked hallway. The chairs have a small footprint and can basically be set up anywhere.



I know already what you, the reader, must be thinking at this point: "Chair Massage may well be effective, but try telling the Big Boss to spend more money, after I just left his office with him complaining to tighten the reigns on spending!" Typical scenario, and probably quite predicable. But the fact remains: Chair Massage can help deal with employees feeling like work is "hell on Earth" or some Sisyphean horror they must drag themselves to every day.



How can one convince their boss that this is worth the time and, more importantly, money? Studies have been done regarding chair massage in the workplace and absenteeism. Nothing beats evidence-based science. If your boss is intelligent enough to run a successful firm, then he is probably adept enough to put together the clues and realize that although not free, the benefits far outweigh the costs.



Present ALL the studies, with live links, that show that chair massage at work, and therapeutic massage in general, is helpful. (This blog previously posted may be helpful in getting you started. Click here to link)And of course, scheduling even one session and gauging the reactions of the staff might be the most prudent way to proceed. There is no commitment in this case, and if the upper management doesn’t like the results, it was a cheap experiment to run, in any event.




Owners and managers at many companies realize that chair massage is a profoundly cost effective, therapeutically effective, and socially motivating force that keeps the workers enjoying their jobs - something some companies do not care much about, leading to higher turnover rates and less overall company loyalty. As with anything else, the best way to go would be to try it and see. Watch your staff. Notice any changes. See for yourself if Chair Massage is really so fundamentally beneficial.



And of course, there are options where employees and the company split the bill, along whatever lines you specify, or even have the employees pay themselves, but able to receive therapeutic massage during work time. The idea of not having to spend anything is initially very appealing to most company owners, however, the most successful programs seem to be those where the company pays, with the highest rates of participation, and likely the best impression made on employees by the company itself. Click here for more information about chair massage in the office.


Monday, July 29, 2013

Workplace Chair Massage For High Stress Jobs

I have often wondered many times, what are the most stressful jobs out there? And how can people at these jobs be helped to handle the extreme amounts of stress their jobs entail? So, today I did a search for the most stressful jobs in every industry, and came across an interesting list on the website smartplanet.com.

According to this list, the most stressful jobs are enlisted military personnel, general military, firefighter, commercial airline pilot, and public relations executive. These were at the top of the top ten list of most stressful jobs. Of all of the people working every type of job, these people could most certainly benefit from massage therapy, and not necessarily just chair massage. They really need to de-stress!



I have given mobile massage to people in the fourth and fifth most stressful jobs many times, and been told about the high stresses that their jobs entail. If you think about it, being an airline pilot is definitely stressful, since you are in control of a huge airplane, and you have to keep it flying right and not crashing. Since airline crashes are a pretty rare thing, these airline pilots are definitely doing a very good job at their work.



Since many airports already have an on the go chair massage place, a regular mobile massage would probably be best for these people. Although, some of those airport massage places basically have no private rooms and give chair and table massage in a public area with windows all around so that passersby can see what is going on. I can imagine that many pilots would not be comfortable with having people walking by seeing them getting a massage in uniform. Maybe pilots can instead be offered chair massage in the private pilot’s lounge, with our mobile massage therapists serving several pilots in one day, or offering longer massage in their lounge, using a small room that might be available in the lounge.



For people working in public relations, the high stress often comes from meeting extremely difficult quotas, and dealing with clientele. Often the clients who use public relations firms can be very demanding. These types of businesspeople would do very well with short duration chair massages in the office, since most of them don’t have the time to receive a full length massage session.



Although these jobs that have been mentioned in this article are considered very high stress, most people have jobs that can be considered high stress, especially if they work for someone else. Demanding work hours, nearly impossible deadlines, and difficult clients are the most common complaints associated with nearly all jobs. For this reason, everyone can benefit from chair massage in their office or workplace, whether paid for by the employer or by themselves.


If you are interested in learning more about workplace massage, or to book a session of massage in your office, please visit our website for more information by clicking here.

Thursday, July 25, 2013

Regular Chair Massages and the Modern Workplace

While chair massage in the workplace is a relatively new idea, gaining in popularity in recent years, it is certainly an idea whose time has come. There have been a few studies into this area of workplace benefits, i.e. weekly chair massage sessions, but the few there have been have shown large benefits both to the employees and to their employer.


There has been evidence that receiving workplace chair massages on a regular basis can reduce employee stress, as well as reducing their required sick time. Reduced stress improves the employer’s bottom line by causing productivity to increase, thus increasing profits. Also, the less sick time that employees take, the better it is for their employer’s bottom line. If you think about it, it makes perfect sense. Less sick days mean that there is more work getting done, and when there is more work getting done, the employer’s profits will increase.



This seems like a win win situation that nearly every office manager and owner would be aware of and implement into their business. All types of businesses have had and would be great candidates to begin a program of office chair massage on a regular basis. From small real estate companies to large hospitals, small accounting firms to large multi billion dollar trans-national corporations like Google and Yahoo (who offer such programs to their employees), every type of business large and small can benefit from chair massage at their location. Whether it is a one time appreciation event or a monthly visit from a local massage therapist, chair massage is a great idea for everyone.



Even with all of the information on possible benefits above, some businesses still see it as an unnecessary expense. However, many employers provide the therapist and allow their employees to pay for their own massages, especially when it is going to be a regular occurrence. Other employers have split the cost with their staff members, paying for half or more of the cost. Most chair massage therapists charge a very reasonable price, often times around half of what a regular table massage session would cost.





If you are interested in learning more about chair massage at your location, or if you would like to book a session, please visit our website by clicking here.

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

Chair Massage in NJ: The Possibilities Are Endless!

Chair Massage. Something that most non-Massage Therapists I speak with have never come closer than ten feet of, usually at the local New Jersey mall, walking by to get somewhere ELSE. The chairs do look a bit strange, at first glance. Chair Massage itself, however, is not strange at all. The seated position is comfortable for clients receiving Therapeutic massage, and is also a great position for the therapist to be able to work on the client's back and shoulders.


Now, Chair Massage is often found in the office. Corporate Wellness programs, as well as Health Fairs, are some instances. There are many companies that have regularly scheduled chair massage sessions for employees. Because the chairs are portable and lightweight, they can be set up in under a minute, anywhere that's convenient for the company. We've worked in offices, hallways, cafeterias, on the lawn...anywhere that there was a little space.



Another place most New Jerseyans will end up seeing a Chair massage in use is at an event, maybe a party, or event a corporate event. Chair Massage just lends itself to these sorts of gatherings, and whether for work, or friends and family, a few therapists with portable chairs can add a much-appreciated aura of calm and relaxation. Chair massage has been proven, in controlled studies, to promote relaxation for most people. (Click here to view studies related to massage therapy's benefits)



So, if you've seen a Chair Massage in progress at the Mall but were sort of weirded out by the whole thing, but really wanted to try, don't worry: Sooner or later, you'll have an opportunity for a chair massage at your next company health fair, or maybe your niece's Bat Mitzvah. It could be at your local USO fund-raiser, or even at your own parents' wedding anniversary party. There's really no telling, honestly, as Chair Massage finds its way into an ever-increasing number of sorts of venues, covering all situations: public, private, professional, family.



Or, you can be proactive and book a Chair Massage for your next event! (click here for details) Remember to discuss how many therapists will be necessary when booking, as a shortage of therapists is never a good thing. Also, another consideration is how long each session should be. Each person receiving a massage can go for anywhere from five to twenty minutes, depending upon the number of guests, and how long the event will be.



Even a ten minute session of Chair Massage, done just once, can have positive effects At most events, recipients of Chair Massage often wish to go a second, or even third time! Of course, there's usually a line, and so this is often not possible. But still, they try! If you happen to attend a gathering or celebration, and there's a Massage Therapist present with one of those oddly-shaped portable chairs...by all means, have a seat and learn firsthand why this is so popular among so many different groups of people.





©Copyright 2013 H Miller

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Chair Massage for Employee Appreciation Day: A Closer Staff, a Stronger Team

Chair Massage on site is not a new phenomenon, however, the popularity that chair massage has recently gained is, in itself, a novel occurrence. More and more companies realize that the manner in which the employees are treated will directly impact their loyalty, effort, and dedication to being their best.



Think about it. Workers often feel slighted. They see management, making far greater salaries, entitled to more perks, and respond to what they see by harboring negativity. Management is in the delicate position of representing the owners' wishes, yet keeping themselves from being alienated from the workers.



Employee Appreciation programs are a great way to cement close bonds between workers, and between workers and management. ( For an article offering a more in-depth look at Employee Appreciation Programs, click here.)



Chair Massage is uniquely suited to this purpose; everyone participating undergoes the process of having their stress alleviated to some degree, and the shared experience afterwards, of reflecting on the session, discussing how the massage actually helped, all help to make the experience one that will help keep your team together.



And when management gets involved and decides to have a massage, it's usually a much respected act, and the workers notice that the managers do not feel ‘above' the workers. Even at the more staid and conservative companies, the effects are positive, and in no way is participation perceived as being excessively familiar with the workers.

Employee Appreciation Day is the ideal time for the company to show that it really does care about its workers. It's a great way to reward a team for ‘going the extra mile', and completing projects in a manner that is better than expected.

Keeping workers happy, letting them know they're appreciated, and allowing them the chance to have a day to celebrate their own dedication to the company, are all worthy goals that can be attained with a sound Employee Appreciation program.

©Copyright 2013 H Miller

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Chair Massage For A Fun and Relaxing Day At The Office

Everyone has heard of casual Fridays at work, where everyone gets to dress casually since it is Friday and the last day of the week. What about Chair Massage Mondays? This could be an excellent new trend for companies to start for their workers.

If every company brought in a chair massage therapist on Mondays, this could definitely become the hottest new trend. Word of mouth would spread quickly in every industry, and employers who have implemented it would become the hottest companies to work for . Everyone would want to be employed by them.

Just think, with Chair Massage Mondays, your employees would get to start their work week off on the right foot, with relaxation and stress relief, leading to increased productivity. Many studies have shown that when employees receive chair massages at work, the opposite of the expected effect is engendered. Their productivity is increased rather than decreased!

So, if your company already has a high level of productivity, and the boss brought in chair massages on Mondays, just imagine how high your productivity level could become! Then, in the alternative sense, if your company has been struggling with low productivity, and you brought in chair massage, imagine how the productivity would soar. Your employees would have fewer sick days, greater productivity, and more employer loyalty. They would never want to leave your company, and others would be envious and want to work there too.

So if you really think about it, Chair Massage Mondays really should become a new trend in the business world. Employees would be happier, more productive, less stressed and anxious, perhaps even have fewer depression symptoms, along with other benefits that have yet to be discovered.

Your company could be the one starting this new trend right now, by implementing Chair Massage Mondays. What about this Monday coming up? It would be a great day to start!

© Copyright 2013 H Miller

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Corporate Chair Massage - Rest Improves Performance and Play Is Important

Today, many employees and employers feel that they must push as hard as they can, as continuously as they can, until they collapse from sheer exhaustion. New evidence is actually contradicting this belief, making the case that rest periods, breaks, and vacations from work will actually have the opposite of expected result: greater productivity!


When looking at studies that have been performed on workers in the workplace, some interesting facts have been found. Studies have shown that worker performance actually increases when staff members are allowed to take naps or otherwise relax without an expectation of performance during the time they are given.


This increase in work performance and productivity reported by the articles in the foot of this blog are generally overall, and over the course of the year. For example, a study spoken of in the New York Times article referenced below showed that when air traffic controllers were allowed to take a 40 minute nap, their response time and vigilance were markedly improved.


A similar study in a laboratory environment found that taking a short nap of an hour to an hour and a half improved memory test results as much as a full night's sleep. These studies and many others are turning the traditional beliefs about work and rest, vacations and relaxation, upside down. However, it may take a long time before many companies start adopting policies based upon them.


There are a number of large companies that everyone can recognize who are leading the way in encouraging napping (and thus increasing their own productivity). According to an article posted on guycodeblog.mtv.com, such companies as British Airways, Time Warner, Nike, Google, Zappos, and AOL, among many others, have adopted a napping policy. Some allow employees to nap in a lounge full of nap pods, while others allow employees to nap on couches or at their posts.


As a mobile massage therapist specializing in corporate chair massage, this is very encouraging news. It means to me that employers are coming to understand the value of relaxation with regard to job performance. When you take it to another level, such as encouraging employees to get a chair massage during work time, whether on a staff appreciation day, a health fair, or simply for no occasion at all, the results may be surprising.


In previous articles, I have referenced studies demonstrating that chair massage, even brief sessions, show a marked increase in productivity and a decrease in anxiety. These increases are actually statistically significant, making them worthy of mention by the study authors. What that means is, it was not just one or two people who had an increase in their productivity, but many of the employees receiving chair massage had such an increase.


Any company who is looking at their bottom line in terms of costs for productivity in their employees will find that chair massage is actually a low cost and extremely effective way to accomplish their goals. In these studies, it is not known why chair massage has such an effect. In some staff members, it may be that they want to feel appreciated, and having chair massage at work makes them feel that their employer truly does appreciate them. Everyone wants to feel accepted, understood, and cared for, and this is one of the most cost effective and extremely appreciated ways to do that.


As therapists, it has amazed us time and time again how many of the staff members whose employers have brought in chair massage express incredible gratitude. It is also amazing to us how very much each of these individuals already accomplish in their work day. And when they receive a massage, they always return to work and work even harder. This is probably a big factor in why the productivity for the whole company goes up.


From large multinational corporations to the small business down the street, we have had clients in every type of business and from all walks of life, and they all see the same result. When they bring in chair massage, their staff members work harder. And I don't think that it is just to encourage the boss to bring in chair massage again. It seems to be a genuine appreciation, and a recognition of the acknowledgment that the boss is showing by bringing in the chair massage.

For more information, and to learn if chair massage might be right for your company, please check out our webpage at chair-massage-nj.njmassage.info. Also, take a look at the articles and studies referenced just below to get a better idea of everything that has been spoken about in this blog.

References:

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2869.2008.00702.x/full
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/10/opinion/Sunday/relax-youll-be-more-productive.html?pagew anted=all&_r=0
http://guycodeblog.mtv.com/2013/02/19/napping-at-work/
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/european-technology/ban-social-media-as-a-distraction-no-it-b oosts-productivity/1610
http://www.sparringmind.com/productivity-science/

© Copyright 2013 H Miller

Monday, March 18, 2013

Corporate Chair Massage - Reducing Anxiety and Enhancing Productivity In The Office

Corporate chair massage has gained in popularity in recent years, however, many employers are still unaware of the many benefits that this modality can offer to their staff members. Corporate chair massage has been shown in many studies to reduce anxiety and overall stress levels in recipients, as well as to increase alertness and speed and accuracy of math computations.

As anxiety and stress reduction are the most well known effects of chair massage, it will be the first benefit discussed here. One study published in The Complimentary Therapies in Clinical Practice Journal provided nurses with on site chair massages at a hospital during their shifts. Each nurse received 15 minute massages weekly. At the end of the study, the nurses reported lowered anxiety and stress levels using a self-assessment questionnaire.

Another study published in the Journal of Applied Behavioral Science correlates these results with a similar study. In this study, one group received chair massages while a control group of individuals received a break instead of massage therapy, and they were both tested for anxiety levels after the study. The results of this study showed a significant decrease in anxiety and stress levels for the massage group, whereas the control group did not experience a similar reduction in stress.

One of the lesser known effects of massage therapy is its ability to enhance alertness and sharpen mental faculties. One study, published in the International Journal of Neuroscience set out to determine whether massage therapy enhanced alertness and the ability to do math computations.

Two groups of adults participated in the study. The first group was given chair massage twice a week for five weeks, while the control group was allowed to relax in the massage chair for fifteen minutes at the same frequency. The two groups were given math computations to do both before and after their respective sessions. Both groups were tested for EEG patterns of mental alertness, speed and accuracy of math computations, as well as depression, anxiety, and stress levels.

The results of the study showed that the massage group had enhanced alertness and increased speed and accuracy on math computations. The control group remained the same for math computations. The massage group experienced reduced anxiety levels, reduced cortisol levels, as well as reduced job stress on self reported questionnaires while the control group did not experience these effects.

As an employer of a large or small staff of people, you may be wondering what these studies mean for you. Employers and the public at large have become aware in recent years that stress and anxiety lead to lower productivity. This applies both in home life as well as in work life.

Thus, employees with less stress have higher work output, as well as greater accuracy in their work output. As these studies have shown, even short duration chair massage sessions significantly decrease stress and anxiety levels. Employees who are less stressed are more productive, and they are also more accurate and less prone to errors in their work.

The last study that I discussed shows this even more clearly. Math computations can be a reflection of any type of work that requires thought and care, from entering data on a computer to creating spreadsheets and performing bookkeeping tasks, among other activities.

Since this study showed that accuracy and speed of math computations was increased following chair massage, these results can be extrapolated and applied to the workplace, where employees who receive regular chair massages are likely to be much more productive and accurate in addition to being less stressed. Every business should be concerned about their bottom line, and the studies and results shown here should help employers to realize that the addition of a chair massage program at work is a cost effective way to increase the capacity of their staff members, as well as boost morale and reduce stress and anxiety levels.

For more information, click here to view a chair massage blog posted on our website

You can view the details of the studies by visiting the studies page on our website. Click here to be directed to that page


© Copyright 2013 H Miller