Navigating feelings of burn out/being compensated fairly
So I’ve been a LMT practically for one year and I was very fortunate enough to have my first job (still current) as an independent contractor at a local practice rather than a franchise or chain. I enjoy where I work but sometimes I question if the pay is fair and I feel like I’m stuck in a cycle that I don’t have as much say so or power in changing.
I currently work 4-5 days a week because we are opened only two Saturdays a month. I usually am doing 5 massages those days with 30 mins in between each massage and only averaging about 5 hours massage time. I know that’s better than the franchise or chain style of operations but I’m still feeling burnt out. Also it’s never a true 30 in between with doing my outtake with the client and getting set up for my next one. I like the idea of 5 massages a day cause financially that is good for my paychecks but I know tips are really what’s fueling me forward in that area. I make $27.50/hr and I get paid twice a month and my paychecks with my workload average around $1050-1400 depending on various factors. That is without tips. I did the math and I only make about $41 for a 90 minute massage and I have some clients who do not tip and are difficult to work on or just tire me out by time it’s my 4th or 5th massage. I feel like I am being robbed of my time and my body and energy and my skills are not being compensated fairly. I don’t expect clients to tip but it’s nice when they do because it actually makes up for a lot of my salary but it’s obviously weird and unprofessional to bring that up if I’m constantly working on a regular who is hard to work on and doesn’t tip. I should mention to I do a lot of deep tissue and corrective style work so I feel like my brain and body are constantly going and to add onto that I have some yappers and it really messes with my focus and energy. I don’t mind the conversation all the time or the connection but I just feel like a shell of a person somedays after working.
I do what to mention despite what I mentioned above, I truly enjoy this career and I enjoy helping people feel better. I also have enjoyed discovering a skill I am good at and it’s exciting to see how much I’ve grown in that regard in such a short amount of time. I know I need to practice better boundaries when it comes to my timing and cutting it off at the designated time and maybe stop going so hard on every single massage but I take pride in the service and want people to feel their best.
I mainly made this post because I’m feeling burnt out and feel like my skills are not actually being compensated fairly, get my thoughts and feelings out, and just advice for better boundaries on how to navigate situations to avoid burn out. Thank you for reading