Category: the writing life

Posted on

Massage Therapy: Top 10 Myths

Massage Therapy continues to evolve as a profession. Whether your needs include stress management, rehabilitating injury or relieving pain, it’s a modality worth your consideration. I’ve been a therapist for 24 years.

Here are the top ten myths about massage therapy:

1. “No pain, no gain.”  

We can achieve great changes without turning it into a test of anybody’s manhood. We aren’t here to torture you. We’re here to help and it doesn’t help to progress to deep tissue massage too quickly. Some people pride themselves on how tough they are but that’s really not part of the equation. Soft tissue is meant to be soft, vascular and pliable. If your muscle is like a rock, rushing into deep tissue work will only make the muscle contract. We try to coax the body toward positive change, not coerce it.

2. “Sorry! I forgot to shave my legs!”

We don’t care and it doesn’t matter. Relax. Few of the guys we treat shave their legs so you shouldn’t worry about it, either, ladies.

3. “Massage Therapy is just passive.”

Not the way I do it and that’s true for many therapists. I look at each treatment as a course correction. I’m trying to help you get your body to a more optimal state but it’s the stuff you do every day that will make a difference. To that end, I frequently suggests remedial exercise and tactics to help you along the road to recovery, rehabilitation and ease of movement.

4. “Massage is just a feel good thing.”

The research suggests it’s much more than just making you feel good. The goals and scope of practice for massage therapy include: “the assessment of the soft tissue and joints of the body and the treatment and prevention of physical dysfunction and pain of the soft tissue and joints by manipulation to develop, maintain, rehabilitate or augment physical function, or relieve pain.” (Massage Therapy Act, Ontario, 1991.)

5. “Anybody can massage.”

Professionals take extensive training to treat the body and to know when not to treat the body. If you want professional bodywork, hire a pro and you’ll soon see the difference between that and the work of an amateur.

6. “Women can’t massage as deep as men.”

Are you looking to get bruised? I tell people if you’re looking for a female therapist to prove you wrong, just tell her you don’t think she can make you say uncle. Of course, torturing you is not the point of therapy and (most) therapists won’t rise to the bait. Therapists typically use body weight and savvy techniques to avoid undue wear and tear on their bodies. They can apply all the pressure you need. Some clients think they need more pressure than they’re getting. That’s a different conversation because, typically. with an well-placed elbow and a lean, that’s plenty of pressure for most clients.

7. “Massage therapists need you to go back again and again before you get results.”

Simply untrue. I get a “before picture” of each client before they get on the table using palpation, testing, observation and subjective measures. When I’m done, I expect to see measurable changes (e.g. range of motion) after the first session and every session after that. If what I’m doing isn’t working, something serious is going on or you need a different approach to the issues treated. I’m not out to soak anybody. If you don’t feel the changes, I refer out until you get the help you need. Most clients, by far, see and feel positive changes right away when we do the “after picture” with the outtake interview.

8. “Massage isn’t for serious problems.”

I don’t cure cancer but I do provide helpful care to people with cancer and other serious conditions. I treat chronic pain and help with a number of serious musculoskeletal conditions. The most common issues I deal with are headaches, neck pain, shoulder injuries and low back pain. Those problems are very serious to anyone who suffers them.

9. “Massage is all fluff and buff.”

If your experience of bodywork is limited to a massage on a Jamaican beach on your honeymoon, I can understand that misapprehension. As detailed above, we do use multiple techniques to help patients with many conditions. That said, there’s nothing wrong with relaxation massage. Maybe a lighter, stress-relieving massage is just what you need. Approximately 20% of my colleagues work in spas and I don’t turn up my nose at giving or receiving a drool-inducing relaxation massage. It’s an hour in heaven where nothing is asked of you. Relaxation massage is a treat for the senses.

10. “Massage feels good but it doesn’t last.”

I can’t control how your body will react to treatment but how you react largely depends on the body you bring to the table. As I mentioned above, I help put the soft tissue in an optimal state. Once I’ve reduced your triggerpoints, pain and and hypertonicity, it’s up to you to keep the good feelings going. I usually suggest therapeutic exercises and self-care tips to that end. The progression of your treatment plan largely depends on what you do after you leave my clinic. (Tip: Don’t get your low back into great shape only to ruin it by digging up an acre of garden on the first day after I helped you make the pain go away!)

I’m happy to help anyone with their pain and stress management needs. If you’re in the London, Ontario area, you can book an appointment at my clinic by going to www.MassageTherapyScience.com.

For plenty of stress, time, energy and pain management tips, pick up my book, Do the Thing! (in ebook or paperback.)

To earn rewards for supporting this podcast, please visit the crowdfunding page on Patreon here.

You’ll find links to all my books up the right hand side of my author page at AllThatChazz.com. I write crime thrillers, suspense and sci-fi. Enjoy!

~ Robert Chazz Chute is a massage therapist who writes science fiction, crime thrillers, apocalyptic fiction and Do the Thing, the last stress-management book you’ll ever need.

Pick up the last stress-busting book you’ll ever need here.

 

 

Posted on

Distractions: How to Get Past Them

Distractions are everywhere. Lately, after binge watching a television show and suffering with a headache for two days, I realized I am way overstimulated. Between social media updates, screens, earbuds and everything we really need to do in a day, you’re probably distracted, too. Too much input is coming at your eyes and ears. Time to slow down and dump the distractions.

On today’s podcast:

  1. Figure out what’s important and what’s a distraction.
  2. Dump the distraction.
  3. Focus on what’s important.

Bonus: A word on what clutter does to us.

Clutter gets in the way, figuratively and literally. Since we revamped out living space, the place looks and feel cleaner and if somebody misplaces a cell phone, there are fewer places to search. It’s time to stop wasting time searching for your keys, your files and anything else. Imagine your living space is a ship. Everything has its place. Stuff gets filed. Do that and you’ll stop losing time (and be able to walk in a straight line.)

Little stresses add up

In my book, Do the Thing, I teach many stress management techniques. The irony is that we are often equipped for big stresses. We get a lot of support for the big events which challenge us. However, for the little stresses, we are often on our own. Little stresses are anything that bugs you long-term that irks you on a regular basis: the kitchen drawer that’s off its track, getting help cleaning up, shoveling the driveway, sorting the recycling. Help is on the way.

There’s lots more in Do the Thing, but first I’d suggest getting organized by doing small, regular maintenance tasks as you see them. It’s called swooping. When tasks are not allowed to build up, you don’t have to deal with too much at once. For instance, wash one plate right away instead of letting two day’s worth of plates sit in the sink. Also, get help, outsource and/or assign tasks (whatever best fits your living situation.)

Find more stress management techniques in Do the Thing by Robert Chute.

Like the book? Want to support the podcast and earn rewards?

Click here to head over to my Patreon page to find out what you could get for what you give! 

Want more fun?

Click the links at AllThatChazz.com to my books of science fiction, crime thrillers and This Plague of Days, my zombie apocalypse series.

Thanks for listening to The All That Chazz Stress Relief Podcast. Now go do the thing!

~ RCC

Posted on

Track failure to win (and how to save money on your phone bill)

Track what you’re doing to become more productive. On this podcast, I want to warn you about people who do INTENSITY wrong (by going all caps, pushing hard and never touching the brakes. We get into how I’m treating my knee injury, the benefits of saunas and heat shock proteins and how I saved a ton of cash with a phone call to my telephone company (and you can, too!)

I’ve come to a point in my life and practice where I have to focus very carefully to make sure I’m doing the right things. It’s very easy to get sucked into activities that waste time and are unproductive. (Listen to last week’s episode to delve into how we can end up focusing on the wrong things.)

Helpful Links About Saunas:

Here’s a list of health benefits using saunas.

Here’s the link to Dr. Rhonda Patrick on the science of heat shock benefits.

Note: On the show I mention that I stay in the sauna for up to 20 minutes at a time. Your mileage, tolerance and sauna temperatures may vary so follow the instructions that are posted or in the instructions on your sauna.

Here’s what I’m doing to stay on track

Netflix has new episodes of Sherlock. I’m overjoyed but when I checked my Garmin pedometer the other day, I realized I had a mere 1800 steps for the day. 10,000 steps a day is recommended (or two hours of brisk walking, depending on whom you consult.) Sherlock isn’t going anywhere. I got off the couch.

I have to make sure I’m going somewhere. I went for a long walk, listened to some strutting music and swung my arms hard. I came back refreshed and, newly energized, tackled a few things I needed to deal with instead of collapsing back to the sofa.

What to do, what to do, what to freakin’ do?

A comedian I love, Mike Schmidt, has a motto: No Zero Days. It means you have to deal with stuff you don’t necessarily want to deal with. This week, I’ve done that. Aside from the usual day to day workload, I choose one thing I don’t want to do and tackle it. For instance, I rescheduled a dentist appointment, cancelled my TV and cleaned up the house. Look, ma! I’m adulting!

Want to contact me?

Email expartepresss@gmail.com.
 

Wait. You cancelled your TV? Has there been a coup? Is this the end of the world?

I’m the only one in the house who watched television. I love Better Call Saul. I have a love/hate relationship with The Walking Dead. I like Jon Oliver and I want to see the final season of Game of Thrones. However, that stuff will eventually show up on Netflix or I’ll catch the highlights on the web. Maybe I’ll buy the GoT DVD someday. The issue is that television isn’t worth the time or money. It distracts me from reading and writing. Since that’s what I’m put on Earth to do, it was time to prioritize (and save on the budget.)

We’re getting to the stage where you’ve probably already gotten rid of your landline if you ever had one. Television is going away, too. There are alternatives but the best one for me is to focus on being a producer, not a consumer. That’s one more key to keeping me on track to success.

The Power of Spreadsheets

As I mentioned last week, I’m using Google Sheets to identify and record variables that limit my productivity. Remember this lesson from Do the Thing: that which is not measured is not changed. I’m changing. I track the times of day I write, where I work and my mood. I track progress by chapter and number of words changed in three categories: writing, revision and editing. I’m experimenting with which variables to track, what’s too little to record and what’s too much. 

I’ll get back to you with deeper results soon but I can tell you this: the act of recording alone makes me more productive. Working against the clock makes me work harder and faster and (surprise!) with greater joy. Just glancing at my Garmin and seeing only 1800 steps and 9 PM made me get out and hoof it. That’s another measure to watch (and possibly plot on a spreadsheet.)

For in depth discussions of time management and productivity, check out my book, Do the Thing. Like it? Please review it.

Toss this podcast a five star review wherever you listen in, as well. I need the money and attention.

 

Speaking of money…

Click the BECOME A PATRON link at AllThatChazz.com to get lots of nifty rewards. Special thanks to patron of the arts, reader and listener, RF Kacy for his contribution. Cheers, mate!

Last idea tonight:

Get more sleep. I’m headed to bed early so I can get up and crush it tomorrow, starting with a trip to the sauna. I’ve got deadlines and lots of stuff to do. So do you. Wanna do more? Write down what you’re going to do and write down what you did. You will do more!

Stay on track and do the thing!

~ Chazz

PS Check out all my books at AllThatChazz.com: sci-fi, crime thrillers, assorted apocalyptic scenaria.

Pick up the last stress-busting book you’ll ever need here.
Posted on

Motivation: Don’t work so hard at the wrong things.

Motivation: What’s Yours? What works?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKSWXzAnVe0

A comment about motivation being “all that matters” really got me going this week. It didn’t motivate me. It irritated me. Worse, it was in the first line of a self-help book. I suspect there are many self-help books out there that intimidate or try to shame people into fulfilling their dreams. 

I wrote a self-help book and I want to dispel a couple of ideas that are potentially dangerous. My book is called Do the Thing! It’s filled with tricks and tips to manage time and pain, cut stress and boost energy. Toward the end of the book, I include a surprise which I will boil down to the rich creamy point here: motivation is not everything. Work is not everything. To succeed, you need much more than motivation and someone hanging over your shoulder shouting at you to work harder. You need to work smarter, acquire skills, build alliances and take time off to recharge.

You see the symptoms of the rush to greatness everywhere. People are pushing so hard and trying to do too much. I see the problem on Facebook a lot. Idealized versions of our lives are on display there.

Meanwhile, a startling number of people think they’re the only ones who are working hard. They don’t want to support loafers. They don’t want their tax money going to undeserving people. I wish more people who got social assistance actually could goof off. Instead, their working as many hours at Walmart as they can. The “sharing economy” is really the “gig economy” and it seems everyone has to have a side hustle to get by.

I was reminded of this listening to one of my podcast recommendations this week. The 5 A.M. Miracle mastermind Jeff Sanders has a health scare. He’s a motivated, active and healthy guy who got a wake up call recently. A trip to the hospital in an ambulance reminded him that all work and no play makes Jack a dead boy. Listen to Mr. Sanders’ podcast here.

The other podcast recommendation I have for you this week comes from The Joe Rogan Experience. Joe interviewed journalist and documentarian Sebastian Junger. He talks about the dangers of affluence and the importance of movement and being social. (That’s where I got some of the ideas for this episode.) Go to the source at this link.

Key Question: What’s your motivation?

Is you dream to find fulfilling work? To control your time? To travel? To make enough money at what you love that you’ll still have time with your family and friends? (Don’t tell me you want to win the lottery. We all want that but, aside from buying a ticket, there’s nothing you can do to make that happen.)

Fear, anger and spite can get you going, but what will keep you motivated for the long-term? What inspires aspiration in you? What legacy do you want to leave? Are you working for security in retirement, putting off all fun until you’re old? 

I’ll tell you what motivates me. It used to be fear of failure. Once you fail enough, that’s not as scary as you might think. In fact, if I’m not careful, I could fall into resignation on that score. No, what motivates me now is that I don’t want to fear bills. I don’t want to fear for my health. I want to get paid for what I’m good at and do what I enjoy. I’m tired of being fearful. What motivates me as an entrepreneur and as an artist isn’t bravery. It’s becoming successful enough that I can do things for my family and not live in fear of the next VISA bill. 

I’m working on it. Despite that major tax bill I’ve complained about on the podcast, (Hear about that here,) I’m taking some time off from a couple of my side gigs so I can focus on writing and publishing books. That’s my long-term plan so I can retire from manual labor, anyway. That’s why I need to concentrate my energy on it. 

I hope this topic has stimulated your thinking. What motivates you? Are you doing what you need to be doing? Are you getting enough sleep and recharging with rest and information?

Let me know what motivates you in the comments at AllThatChazz.com.

Want to support this podcast by helping out with bandwidth costs? There are rewards for doing so! To earn stunning kickbacks for your generosity, click the Become a Patron link at AllThatChazz.com.

Here’s the direct link to my Patreon page.

Special thanks to RF Kacy for helping out with bandwidth costs.

~ Robert Chazz Chute is a manual therapist whose focus is stress management and rehabilitation from injury. His clinic link is MassageTherapyScience.com.

Best known for This Plague of Days, he is a writer of SFF, horror, crime thrillers and some non-fiction. His blog about writing is ChazzWrites.com and his author site for readers (with links to all his books) is AllThatChazz.com.

Posted on

Focus: How to relax in the moment, in a moment

Focus on this for ten minutes:

On today’s episode of the All That Chazz Stress Relief Podcast, we’re going back to basics with a visualization. We’ll quickly dig in on how to develop focus in the time it takes to take a breath. Be sure to hang in to the end of the podcast to get your taste and you’ll feel how quick and easy it can be to release your stress. I also have a comedy podcast recommendation and a link to a song that neuroscientists claim reduces anxiety by 65%!

Last week my focus was money. About that…

Like the podcast? If you want to support this show and earn stunning rewards for your generosity, click the  Become a Patron link at AllThatChazz.com. Here’s the link directly to my Patreon page.

Special thanks to RF Kacy for helping out with bandwidth costs.

Useful links:

Can a Song Chill You Out?

Neuroscientists claim the music at this link will reduce your stress and anxiety and slow your heartbeat. (Thanks to author Andrew F. Butters for the link.) It’s not Enya (and I swear I won’t Rick Roll you.) Click here and have a listen to the song yourself.

Do the Thing!

Do the Thing! is my stress management book. You’ll find out how to reduce stress, relieve pain and boost your energy, too. This is the perfect bathroom book. Packed with quick nuggets of information, each short chapter will motivate you to make positive changes and fix what’s not working.

Dump what doesn’t serve you and read Do the Thing! by Robert Chute. Click here to grab it now!

 

Stress Less with Comedy

Long time listeners will know that I enjoy the Scathing Atheist, the Skepticrat and the God Awful Movies podcasts. There is a new podcast in the mix: Citation Needed. Tom and Cecil from Cognitive Dissonance explore one new subject each week with the funny guys behind those three shows. Plumbing they’re pseudo-expertise through the wonder of Wikipedia, they break down weird happenings in the world and have a lot of fun doing it. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, it will become a part of you (or at least a part of every week.)

To find Citation Needed:

Make sure you find the right podcast called Citation Needed. (You’re looking for the one with Eli Bosnick, Noah Lugeons and Heath Enwright.) Here’s their link: http://citationpod.com/

~ Robert Chazz Chute is a manual therapist whose focus is stress management and rehabilitation from injury. His clinic link is MassageTherapyScience.com.

Best known for This Plague of Days, he is a writer of SFF, horror, crime thrillers and some non-fiction. His blog about writing is ChazzWrites.com and his author site for readers (with links to all his books) is AllThatChazz.com.

Posted on

Choices: the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

Choices Must be Based on Good Data

In my continuing quest to make better choices (a la Do the Thing) I need data. You probably need it, too. Let’s talk about some things you need to know to make those improved choices.

I got quite a blow last week. The tax bill came due and, after too long at the accountant’s, the hammer fell. It turns out I need to pay twice as much to the government as I expected. In the past the tax bill has been an annoyance but not that big a deal. This is a big deal. Time to alter a few things!

First, what would help? Tracking things more closely and getting the spreadsheets to the accountant earlier in the year would have helped somewhat. Here we are in mid-May and pretty far along the path to paying the next tax bill. Alarming, isn’t it?

What now?

Besides tracking income and outgo, I have to reevaluate what I’m doing and where the time goes. Aside from running a podcast about stress management, I have several income streams to cobble together an income. Some streams are better than others but that’s not all about the amount of money coming in. It’s also about the amount of time invested to get to that income, the hassles thereof and the dependability of each stream.

Tough Choices

In coming weeks, I expect I’ll need to alter my career path to reflect new goals. Inertia isn’t a choice, it’s just coasting on inertia. One of the tenets of Do the Thing is a bit of wisdom that’s no less true even though it is well-word: That which is not measured is not changed. I think my answer will be found in cutting down an income stream that takes more time but pays less. I’ll also have to cast about for office space that is less expensive. I’m not enthused about changing my office space but much of what I do feels like one step forward and two steps back. 

I’m sharing all this not to whine but to encourage you, too, to be evaluative about what’s working and what’s not. What choices are worth your time and what’s not? Time, income, energy expenditure. It’s not just about income and outgo. 

Long-term, my plan is to depend on writing full-time. Passive income is what I need to retire on. I can’t continue to do manual rehab work forever but I can write for a long time yet. 

Recommendations:

For more on the importance of financial tracking, check out my article at ChazzWrites.com: “Real” Writers Don’t Just Write.

For the comedy: The 40 Year Old Boy Podcast with comedian Mike Schmidt.

For the shout out, my love and appreciation to Driftglass and Blue Gal of The Professional Left Podcast. Thanks for buying and enjoying my time travel novel, Wallflower. 

For making the income bigger than the outgo, be an entrepreneur. Also, read Multiple Streams of Income by Robert G. Allen.

Speaking of Income Streams…

If you’d like to contribute to this podcast and get rewards, please do click the Become a Patron button on the main page at AllThatChazz.com and see what your generosity could buy!

~ Robert Chazz Chute wrote a book called Do the Thing! It’s about managing stress, time, energy and pain. He also writes about zombies, time travellers, robots, guys with guns and heroic women with swords. Grab yourself many hours of entertainment (in ebook and paperback) at AllThatChazz.com. There are no bad choices there.

Posted on

Sensory Deprivation

Sensory deprivation tanks and more


If you have ever wanted to float on your back in the Dead Sea or get out of gravity and become an astronaut, you’re going to love today’s podcast. Sensory deprivation tanks are slowly growing in popularity again. If you can get to one, or if you are Joe Rogan and are lucky enough to have one in your basement, it might help you with stress, sleep disorders or even chronic pain.

On today’s podcast I discuss my experience using sensory deprivation tanks. I also want to say little bit about stress relief, vegging out and watching old movies. Finally, I have an update on the latest addition to the SleepCycle app.

Sorry for the delay releasing this ep of the All That Chazz Stress Relief Podcast. Between some issues with technology and broadband costs, I could not publish a podcast last week. To contribute to this podcast, please click the “Become a patron” button at AllThatChazz.com. There are various rewards for sponsorship from free books to advertising.

Catch Phrase Contest

This podcast is still desperately in need of a catchphrase to finish the show. Send me your suggestions at expartepress@gmail.com. The winner will get a free paperback copy of Do the Thing!

Here is the obligatory disclaimer:

Do not take medical advice from a podcast. If you need medical attention or if you are not sure whether you need medical attention, get medical attention.

The obligatory come on:

On this podcast I discuss a variety of topics related to reducing pain and stress while better managing time and energy. For more on these topics, I suggest you pick up my book Do the Thing, available on Amazon in paperback or e-book. Do the thing and start managing your life better right away. It is the last stress busting book you will ever need.

Life management skills.
Do the Thing! Get your copy today.

~ Robert Chazz Chute is primarily a science fiction writer. He also writes crime thrillers, urban fantasy and some nonfiction. From May 4 to May 6 you can pick up his time travel novel, Wallflower, for free on Amazon.