Volunteer Appreciation Event - Just 6 Days to Go!

As I'm sure you've noticed by now, the theme for this year's Volunteer Appreciation Event is self-care. In the role of Advocate on the hotline and on face-to-face calls, you are each helping and giving of yourself to another - and now we want to give back to you!

One part of the "giving back" we hope to do involves building up your toolkit of relaxing and stress relieving techniques, and with that in mind, we have invited Annie Siegel, a local massage therapist, to provide you with rejuvenating chair massages at the event. I know I am really looking forward to it!

We also want to provide you with tips you can use at home and even while you're on the hotline. So with the thought of a tension-relieving chair massage in your mind, take a look at some of these helpful massage tips you can use all on your own, whether to get yourself in the mindset for your upcoming shift or to care for yourself after a difficult call.

Massage Therapy to Relieve Tired Eyes

1. Close your eyes. Place your thumbs under your eyebrows, starting at
the inside corner of each eye socket. Press and gently move the thumbs in tiny circles, working slowly towards the outsides of your eyebrows and continuing
this movement all around your eyes, ending back at the bridge of your nose.
2. Repeat this several times, spending a little extra time at the indentation
of the inner eye socket, where the bridge of the nose meets the ridge of the eyebrows - an especially tender point on many people.

Massage Therapy to Ease Headaches and Tension

1. Start by placing your thumbs on your cheekbones close to your ears, and use your fingertips to gently apply pressure and rub the temples (the soft spot between the corner of your eye and your ear).
2. Using very firm pressure and a tiny circular motion, gradually move your fingers up along your hairline until they meet in the middle of your forehead, massaging your entire forehead and scalp as you inch along.

Massage Therapy to Relieve Neck Tension

1. Mold your hands over your shoulders. Exhale, letting your head drop back as you slowly squeeze your fingers towards your palms, gliding up the muscles of your back and shoulders towards your neck.
2. Now, rest your elbows on your desk, allowing your head to drop forward slightly. Massage your neck from your shoulders to the base of your skull using your fingertips to make small deep circles into the muscles on either side of your spine.
3. Place both hands on the back of your head, interlacing the fingers. Drop your head forward and allow the weight of your elbows to pull your head gently down, stretching the muscles of your neck and those that run down your back.

Give these a try now or on your next shift, and let us know how it goes by commenting below! Be sure to check out the full article from WebMD as well, for additional massage techniques to try out.

Now that you're feeling relaxed and ready to go, I hope you're that much more enthused about the Appreciation Event next Monday. Can't wait to get your RSVP and see you there!