Did you know that you spend approximately half of your waking hours at your job? Regardless of whether you work in manual labor, as a freelancer, in a service job, or in an office cubicle, your work environment is equally important to your physical and emotional well-being as anywhere else is. Work is full of occupational hazards: stress, screen-time, unhealthy habits, and (potentially) a sedentary lifestyle.

However, fear not, there are many things you can do to improve your work environment and, in this series, we will give some examples of ways you can turn your workplace from hum and drum to fab and fun.

I would like to start with a service the Amazingy HQ started using recently: Wellnow. Wellnow is a German mobile massage service. This means, within 2 hours of your order you can have a licensed massage therapist in your home or hotel room. They also offer a company discount, where a massage therapist comes to vist your office once a month, offering 10, 15, or 20 min massages per employee.

We started using Wellnow’s services around 2 months ago, and it has been a game changer. Can you think of a bigger morale booster than having your office turned into a spa?

Proven Health Benefits

In the Western world, many people still consider getting a massage a luxury—something they would only do if they received it as a gift or every once in a blue moon. It is much more normalized for people to get massages in Asian countries, no longer an experience reserved for rich. Massages for the masses!
And yes it might seem like a dream come true for someone to come and give you a massage at work, but there are many significant health benefits that justify such a special treat.

Massages not only are extremely effective at treating chronic shoulder, neck and lower back pain, they also reduce stress, muscle tension, and may even be the answer for that extra immune boost your system needs. In addition, regular massages have been shown to help you get a deeper night of sleep, meaning more hours spent in the restorative phase of the sleep cycle. This is sure to give you the rest you need when you face a long day of back to back meetings.

What’s more, massage therapy has been shown to increase productivity and alertness in adults . It’s easy to imagine your stress melting away along with those pesky knots in your shoulders and, suddenly, the answer you’ve been searching for comes into focus. Sometimes you need to clear your mind fully to see what’s always been right in front of you. I know I felt more equipped to conquer my work tasks after a 20 minute massage, returning to my desk with more confidence and clarity than before.

The benefits for employers seem clear. If you’re dealing with employees who are healthier, better slept, stress-free and more alert & productive, it seems pretty obvious that a higher functioning workplace is bound to follow. With employees taking less sick days and getting more done while they are there, the small added expense is sure to ultimately pay for itself.

So instead of thinking you are or your employer is spoiling you(rself), you’d be better off thinking of massages as essential to your mental and physical well-being.

Word Around the Amazingy Water Cooler is…

“Our Wellnow appointment is really something we all look forward to! My neck was stuck, and after the massage I could actually move again, plus I got some tips on how to avoid something similar happening in the future! Also, booking the appointment was made super easy” – Anneke

“She’s a physiotherapist and is able to read your body of where the problems actually are. She straight asked me if I hold a child and if it’s usually on the left hand side. She told me that I am in fact overworking the left side of my body and in the future that will cause a lot of pain. She gave me some other pointers and that’s the kind of advise I love and will definitely use. Plus it was an invigorating and revitalising massage. Best workplace perk!” – Alana

“I find that getting an office massage really enriches the sedentary work environment. It truly makes a difference and our massage therapist offered good tips for preventing strained backs that are only too common of our office. I would love to have this service again soon (and more often) :)” – Lu

“Our masseuse was not only a physiotherapist but an opera singer! How cool is that?” – Ruth

What do you think about getting an workplace massage? Do you find massages beneficial to your health? Let me know in the comments below.