Massage Therapy Journal Spring 2025

18 • Massage Therapy Journal

“Adopting the right attitude can convert a negative stress into a positive one.” —HANS SELYE Stress Is Not the Enemy: Using Challenges to Your Advantage In the 1990s, researchers explored how to create contained ecosystems and assess their viability for purposes such as building colonies on other planets. Within these biospheres, they noticed something interesting about tree growth: trees grew much faster than they would in normal conditions but started to fall over after reaching a certain size. What they found was that the trees’ weakness was largely caused by a lack of stress wood, which in natural conditions is developed in response to wind. One of the oldest trees in the world, a 5,000 year old bristlecone pine named Methuselah, is just an eight-hour drive east from San Francisco. I

think of this idea of strength born from challenge when I see the contortions of the trunk, the adjustments this tree has been forced to make while enduring varying wind speeds over the millenia. Then I ask myself: Have the unique stressors I’ve encountered in my life made me stronger and more aware? In many ways, the answer is “yes.” When you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed, consider the following: 1. When you think about the challenges you’ve faced, both personally and professionally, what stands out to you most? Have you, like Methuselah, been able to adjust? What have the challenges you’ve faced taught you about your own resilience? How can those lessons be used to endure—perhaps even welcome!—future challenges? 2. Be conscious of how you’re thinking about stress and try to remember the notion of healthy stress or “eustress,” where stressors are viewed as positive opportunities for growth rather than adversities to be avoided. When we take an active role in stress, we take responsibility for it. When we take ownership of our stress, we also take control of its effect on us. Consequently, we can both protect and enrich ourselves at the same time.

“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s mind

there are few.” —SHUNRYU SUZUKI

The Beginner’s Mindset: How to Stay Inspired

Burnout is common in most professions, but may be particularly prevalent in hands-on practices like massage therapy, where the work is often physically and emotionally demanding. Think back to when you first went to massage school

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