A little spot of self-care you can do for yourself between massages is to utilize a tennis ball. Simply place the ball between the wall and yourself and roll along it. This method works great for shoulder tension (trapezius, rhomboids, etc)! Raquetballs and others don't work as well, the tennis ball has just the right blend of strength and give to be effective.
You can moderate the pressure you utilize with the tennis ball so it works best for you. Remember on a pain scale of 1-10 (7 being that involuntary gasp of "OH!") you want to be around a 5 or 6 for trigger points, where it's a "good hurt." You can hold that spot until it releases, which sometimes takes quite a bit of time, or just give it a spot of affection and move on.
Tennis balls can also be helpful by laying on them on a bed or couch so your muscles can relax over the ball. The mattress or couch cushion generally give enough that the ball isn't jabbing into you.
For feet, simply roll the tennis ball between your foot and the floor. Easy-peasy to do while watching your favorite tv show or movie!
-JS
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Monday, June 25, 2012
Media Monday--eNewsletters
I signed up for the free trial at iContact and sent out my first eNewsletter in two years earlier this month.
An eNewsletter for June, matching welcome notes for those that request to be on my mailing list--whether through market or through the internet, and a sign-up form on the blog. Not a bad start, eh. I still need to sort out the Facebook app for mailing list sign-ups and see if there's an option for a Web-based copy to post here on the blog like one of their competitors has.
Added bonus? A personal phone call from customer service to see how my first mailing went, an opportunity to check out Vocus, and they have oodles of online self-help support including blog posts and how-to videos.
Return on investment? 17% of my mailing list returned the week the newsletter went out; and one with a friend! Not certain how much is coincidence, but I'll take it! And two weeks later when I sent a "postcard" to notify that I had to take a sick day, I received replies wishing me a speedy recovery--so very kind!
Do you have an eNewsletter? How often do you send it? What content do you include?
-JS
An eNewsletter for June, matching welcome notes for those that request to be on my mailing list--whether through market or through the internet, and a sign-up form on the blog. Not a bad start, eh. I still need to sort out the Facebook app for mailing list sign-ups and see if there's an option for a Web-based copy to post here on the blog like one of their competitors has.
Added bonus? A personal phone call from customer service to see how my first mailing went, an opportunity to check out Vocus, and they have oodles of online self-help support including blog posts and how-to videos.
Return on investment? 17% of my mailing list returned the week the newsletter went out; and one with a friend! Not certain how much is coincidence, but I'll take it! And two weeks later when I sent a "postcard" to notify that I had to take a sick day, I received replies wishing me a speedy recovery--so very kind!
Do you have an eNewsletter? How often do you send it? What content do you include?
-JS
Monday, June 4, 2012
Media Monday--Twitter
I had tried Twitter in 2009, but always felt redundant in posting and never grasped the Twitterverse concept. Facebook worked better with my logic; Twitter I couldn't wrap my brain around sufficiently.
After chatting with Hank at Social Post Interactive on one of his podcasts, I decided to give it another go. Especially since HootSuite makes it so much easier to handle multiple social media venues. I'm really enjoying it this go-round!
Following folks in your community (geographically, socially, and/or professionally) truly is key. Through HootSuite, it's easy to plug in an URL and have it automatically shorten--this opens opportunities to link pictures, blog posts, or other websites.
Hash-tagging can convey emotions, shades of sarcasm, or tags/labels/metatags which can further expound your point or lead others to your twitter-feed. Also, from the tiny screen, it's easier to tag others into your conversation than it is on Facebook. Tagging others can improve your social media reach by showing up in their feed (and some folks may be more inclined to retweet,or re-post, when you show them some love).
Have you tried Twitter yet? You can find me @pauseNC.
-JS
After chatting with Hank at Social Post Interactive on one of his podcasts, I decided to give it another go. Especially since HootSuite makes it so much easier to handle multiple social media venues. I'm really enjoying it this go-round!
Following folks in your community (geographically, socially, and/or professionally) truly is key. Through HootSuite, it's easy to plug in an URL and have it automatically shorten--this opens opportunities to link pictures, blog posts, or other websites.
Hash-tagging can convey emotions, shades of sarcasm, or tags/labels/metatags which can further expound your point or lead others to your twitter-feed. Also, from the tiny screen, it's easier to tag others into your conversation than it is on Facebook. Tagging others can improve your social media reach by showing up in their feed (and some folks may be more inclined to retweet,or re-post, when you show them some love).
Have you tried Twitter yet? You can find me @pauseNC.
-JS
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