What exactly is Office Massage?

Ever wondered what exactly happens when you book a mobile massage therapist to visit your office? Here is an account from one of our clients in London of their whole experience. It might be helpful for you if you are wanting to book an office massage therapist but are not sure what to expect.

Pre Massage
I sit cradling my work phone between shoulder and ear, typing furiously, whilst an infuriatingly incompetent operator puts me on hold for the fourth time. I throw exasperated glances at my colleague opposite only to find her also balanced in a similar pose, although she has also skilfully added a cup of coffee and a ringing mobile into the equation (show off). Not being able to bare the horrendous call waiting music any longer I hang up, grip the edge of my desk and take a deep breath, something that seems strangely unfamiliar, and I realise I have been holding it in for far longer than my doctor would recommend.

There seems to be some commotion from the entrance to the office and as I stand up to get a better look I see a woman dressed in sage green, with white flowing trousers being introduced as our office massage therapist for the day. Meeting room 1 is transformed from it’s usual function as a stage for our office politics into her office massage haven. I am intrigued as I see anxious, buzzing colleagues disappear behind the closed doors and then 15 minutes later return smiling, with shoulders no longer hunched by their ears and heading straight in the direction of the water dispenser.

My Office Massage
Finally my turn arises and I reluctantly finish an email and take a last sip of coffee throwing my cup in the recycling en route to the door. I am greeted by a strange looking chair and a girl in her twenties who looks far more relaxed and comfortable in this room than I have ever seen even our highest executive. She introduces herself and explains what will happen. Apparently she will massage my shoulders, neck, upper back and upper arms, whilst I sit perfectly balance in the ‘ergonomic chair.’ It will be a mixture of Thai massage, Indian Head Massage and acupressure. She shows me how to get onto the chair (actually surprisingly comfortable), checks that I am ok with all the areas being massaged and promises not to mess up my hair.

I wonder if this is a joke as I am hardly sporting the latest chic hairstyle but she does not look like she is trying to insult me so I assure her she can do whatever she likes, quickly adding ‘within reason’ and instantly regretting it. But she laughs, and I am relieved to discover that I remain fully clothed as she places her hands on my shoulders. She tells me to take a deep breath (something which I have just discovered is alien to me) and then the magic begins. My shoulders start to come alive, instead of two solid lumps joining my neck to my arms, they start to relax and she finds specific points (called knots) that she massages more intensely to release tension.

She moves onto massaging the neck and I suddenly feel a headache that I had long come to accept as being part of me, easing away. I nearly fall asleep as she massages my head as every nerve ending seems to be having a wonderful party and I pray that somehow time can come to a standstill for everywhere except meeting room 1. Unfortunately it does not. After massaging my arms and my hands (oh the hands! who knew my hands needed a massage???) and some more work on my upper back, the massage finishes with a flurry of chopping movements on my back which serve to wake me up in time for her request that I take another big breath. This breath astonishes me at its depth and length – like the kind of breath you take at the end of a long holiday, overlooking a calm ocean.

Post Massage
She advises me to drink lots of water as massage releases toxins that have been stored up and so if I drink water I can use it as a detox to wash them out of me. ‘Sounds good to me’ I say, as I guiltily think of my pre-massage coffee. I shake her hand and wonder if I can return for another one if I come back in disguise. Or say I have a twin? Hmm, not sure she will be convinced.

I leave the room and head straight to the water dispenser. I take a few beautiful sips of the clear cool water and return to my desk. Everything feels different. Same desk, same piles of paper and same bulging email account. Same list of things to do and same full schedule of meetings to come. But I feel different. I feel as though I can see everything with clear perspective and I feel a new sense of confidence that I can take the right actions to move forward. I am no longer scrambling up the steep slope of an impossible mountain, with the peak growing further away with every step I take. Instead I feel as though I am looking down on the mountain and realising that it is just a mole hill that I can take in my stride. Who would have thought 15 minutes of quality pamper time could save me hours of flustered mistakes. My only question is…when can I get my next fix?