Workplace Massage is On Again!

Workplace massage is a proven way to boost morale. Through our many years of experience in delivering workplace massage in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, Adelaide and around Australia, we note there is always a general excitement in the air when the therapists arrive: “it’s massage day!”
Workplace massage is not just about helping employees with their sore necks and stiff shoulders, it’s also about the connection of touch. With so much isolation and separation that employees have had since the pandemic and work-from-home requirements, it is significant to mark the return to collective workplaces with an activity that essentially is about touch, connectedness and the simple but powerful effect of being cared for.
Employees return to their workstations feeling more relaxed, more focused, and also grateful for the experience. The positivity from the experience carries on into the interactions that follow, be they customers, clients, or their team mates.
Workers tend to give more to organisations that take care of them. There is a mutual feeling of ‘going the extra mile’, that translates directly into business outcomes like increased productivity and customer satisfaction.
There are other significant benefits to workplace massage.
- Stimulate “feel good” hormones: it is well established that massage stimulates the release of “feel good” chemicals in the body, such as dopamine, seratonin and endorphins. These chemicals are associated not only with improved mood, but also increased learning and better memory. Massage is therefore a way to hack your hormones for higher performance levels.
- Energy boost: fatigue is often linked to muscle tension, this is because energy resources are often locked inside tight muscles. Having a massage at work can help to free these resources, increasing circulation in the body and boosting energy levels.
- Reduced stress and stress-related tension: Workplaces can be stressful places. Studies have found that even a brief 15-minute chair massage once a week can reduce stress symptoms. Regular massage has been shown to reduce cortisol levels in the body. High levels of cortisol have been linked to high blood pressure, supressed immune function and obesity.
- Decreased absenteeism: Regular workplace massage can reduce the need for doctor’s visits for physical complaints and stress-related issues.
- Decreased anxiety: In a study published in the Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, employees in a company took part in an on-site massage therapy program. The employees who received 15-minute massages during one work break each week showed significant reductions in anxiety, compared to the group that received 15-minute work breaks but no massage therapy.
It is a result of all these benefits that many organisations have turned towards workplace massage in recent years. It is no wonder then that many employees confide in our therapists that “massage” day is their favorite day on the calendar!