The Soothe Team has been hard at work implementing new features designed to make running your business easier than ever. We’ve redesigned service area preferences, updated our app navigation, and made it simpler to find the information you really need to provide great service for every client you book.

Easier App Navigation

Our new account menu is built to provide shortcuts into the areas of the app you don’t always use, but want easy access to when you need them. You’ll now be able to access your 1099, Stripe Payout, Profile Picture, Bio, and location bundles from the Account page. This is also where you’ll be able to email and chat with our support team, access the help center, and discover tutorials to help you get the most out of the provider app. The pages you use most frequently in your day to day are still conveniently available from the main menu on the left hand side of the screen.

We’ve broken the new account menu out into easy-to-understand sections to help you quickly find exactly what you’re looking for.

• Manage Profile – Here, you’ll be able to update your profile image and bio
• Offer Settings – Set your general availability, design location bundles, and choose your preferred service categories to ensure you see the offers that are most relevant to you first.
• Settings – This is where you’ll be able to manage most of the business-related aspects of your business. You can pause offers, update your mailing address, manage stripe payouts, track therapist agreement forms, update your transportation method, get verified, and view your 1099 tax forms.
• Support – Get help, as soon as you need it. In addition to chatting or emailing directly with our support staff, you’ll be able to easily tap into resources like the help center or our tutorials page.
• Legal – Here, you’ll be able to quickly and easily access the Terms and Conditions or the Privacy Policy, should you ever need them.
• Logout – We all need a break, sometimes. Just don’t forget to log back in!

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Map It Out

With our new Service Area mapping feature, you’ll be able to set exact boundaries for your service locations, just by drawing it on a map. All you have to do is go to Offers > Offer Preferences > Service Areas and then draw your preferred service area boundaries directly in the map.

When you’re ready to set a location, you can navigate the map with three simple controls:

• Pinch to zoom in and out
• Use two fingers to drag the map
• Draw with one finger to set the boundaries of your desired location

You can set multiple service locations in order to see offers that best match your needs and your schedule. You can also group these locations together into Location Bundles, making it easy to be as broad or as specific with offer preferences as you want.

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Brand New Offers “For You”

We want to make it easy to find important offer information, first. That’s why we’ve created a brand new For You section. Here, you’ll be able to find the most relevant offers to you and your business, based on the criteria you selected in Offer Preferences. Offers that are less relevant to your preferences can still be found under Other Offers.

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Know Before You Book

We want to empower you to build a business that meets your needs so that you can better meet the needs of your clients. That’s why Offers will now let you see more information before you accept the work. Key information featured in the offers will now include:

• A map of the location
• Optimal driving route
• The client’s full address
• The client’s profile picture
• Parking details
• If the client has pets
• If the client has stairs

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

 

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Upcoming Appointments

We’ve updated the Upcoming Appointments page to include larger cards designed to highlight the most relevant information you need to prep for your day. Plus, the cards feature shortcuts that allow you to change an appointment status from “On my way” to “Check in” to “Check out” with just a tap. You’ll also be able to view past appointments from this screen, allowing you to better track where you’ve been and where you’re going.

In order to make this tool as useful as possible, we’ve designed a few new icons to help you find information quickly and easily. Look for icons to indicate the type of building, available parking, accessibility considerations, and any pets you may need to be aware of before entering.

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

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The Soothe team works hard to build features that help connect Providers to clients looking to book top-tier spa services. The team is excited to share all these new updates and enhancements with all of you. Check out all these new changes available now on Android and iOS.

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SOOTHE shall have the right in its sole discretion to suspend and/or terminate PROVIDER’s participation on SOOTHE’s platform without advance notice for lateness, cancellations (both early and late) and for failure to show up for the appointment as follows:

*NOTE: The foregoing is related only to attendance. SOOTHE also reserves the right to remove any PROVIDER from the SOOTHE platform at any time for non-attendance related issues. (e.g. low quality score, customer complaints, etc.)

Effective Date: July 13, 2022

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What is “sleep hygiene”?

Simply put, sleep hygiene refers to the habits that help you get a little more rest each night. When we create a comfortable environment and build a routine designed to calm our body and brain, we’re able to fall asleep faster, allowing us to achieve more Slow-Wave Sleep and REM Sleep. Slow-Wave Sleep (or Deep Sleep) is thought to help restore and recuperate the body, while REM Sleep is essential for key brain functions like learning and memory. The more time your body and brain can spend immersed in these states, the more productively they’ll be able to function during the day. Basically: If you want to do your best, you need to get some rest!

How’d you sleep?

If it’s been a long time since you’ve had a solid sleep routine, it can be tough to know what good, regular sleep looks and feels like. Here are some things to consider:

Six to Eight: Healthy adults need somewhere between six to eight hours of sleep, every night. The exact number is a little different for everyone, but if you’re regularly sleeping less than six or waking up feeling groggy and unrested, it’s a sign that something needs to change.

Sleep, Uninterrupted: How often are you waking up each night? And if you wake up, are you able to easily fall back asleep? Waking several times a night and being unable to fall back asleep quickly means you’re not getting the full cycle of slow-wave and REM sleep that your body needs to rest.

Rested and Ready: When you wake up, you should feel ready to take on the day, not ready to crawl back into bed and hit the snooze. Check in with yourself regularly when you get up to see how you’re doing. It’s a great way to tell if you’re getting enough z’s!

Hygiene How-Tos:

There’s no better feeling than waking up refreshed and ready to go, no coffee needed. But figuring out how to achieve that feeling sleep-after-sleep? That can really keep you up at night.

Everyone’s sleep hygiene habits will look a little different, based on your specific needs. However, there are two key categories that experts say we can all spend a little extra time thinking about: environment and habit.

A good sleep environment is one that is comfortable, clean, quiet, and dark. Making sure you’ve got a great mattress, clean sheets, and a quiet, dark space can go a long way towards getting a good night’s sleep.

Once your pillows are fluffed and your noise machine is playing some soothing sounds, it’s time to take a look at your habits. Adjusting habits can be tough, so it’s great to start with changes that can happen on autopilot.

Put down the phone

Getting a notification from a friend can give us a quick and delightful boost of serotonin throughout the day. Unfortunately, constant notifications can also amp up the sympathetic nervous system and make it harder to get to sleep! Most phones have a setting that will automatically silence your notifications after a certain time of day, making it easier to get some distance so you can get some rest.

Lighten up

Light can have a major impact on our ability to regulate sleep habits. The three biggest offenders? Too little sunlight during the day. Too much bright light at night. Too much blue light all of the time.

Sunlight: Sunlight is a key driver of circadian rhythms. Opening the blinds, running outside instead of on the treadmill, or even just spending your lunch break in a nearby park can make it much, much easier to get that rhythm back on track.

Dim the lights: Once the sun starts to go down, it’s time to dim the lights so your body can wind down too. Setting up light timers or using programmable “smart lights” are easy ways to make this process automatic.

Bye, bye blues: Blue light is a particularly cold shade of light emitted by anything with a screen that may decrease melatonin production. If melatonin production is disrupted, our sleep can suffer too! Most screens have a setting that will automatically reduce blue light after dark or can permanently reduce blue light all of the time.

Schedule Some “Me” Time

A regularly scheduled massage can help you carve out precious self-care time while also working on your sleep hygiene. Setting aside an hour or so 2 to 3 times per month to get a massage can help treat stress-related insomnia. By releasing tension from our muscles, our body and brain have an easier time dropping into a deeper, more restful sleep. Plus, the benefits of improved sleep and massage can help complement each other. They both improve circulation, increase energy, and give your immune system a boost.

If you’re interested in making regular massage part of your new and improved sleep hygiene routine, Soothe can help. Our on-demand massages bring a spa-quality experience to you, making it easier than ever to incorporate it into your weekly routine. Plus, we’ve got lots of options designed to cater to your sleep goals and physical needs.

60 minutes: A 60-minute session is perfect for massage table regulars looking for self-care maintenance. This length of time allows your therapist to do a sweep of the whole body to remove day-to-day tension that might crop up between sessions.

90 minutes: The perfect monthly complement to target trouble spots. If you are someone who already sets aside time for a monthly massage, adding a 90-minute session to your routine is perfect for working on regular aches and pains that can crop up over the course of the month from things like repetitive use or poor posture.

120 minutes: If you have regular pain and stiffness or you experience frequent periods of high stress, try starting with two to three 120 minute sessions until you’re able to bring your body back down to a baseline. Once you’re back at your baseline, longer 120-minute sessions can become part of a long-term maintenance routine.

CBD add-on: CBD is a safe and effective way to add extra pain relief to any massage, no matter the length. CBD is known to have anti-inflammatory, anti-spasm properties, making recovery from strain even easier. Plus, it has a light sedative effect, perfect for helping you drift off to dreamland.

Stick To It

Once you’ve figured out what works for you, the single most important thing you can do is keep it up! Routine is one of the most important parts of good sleep hygiene. When you have a routine you stick to, it sends signals to your brain that help it release the chemicals you need to get deep, restful sleep. With an improved sleep routine, you’ll wake up refreshed and ready to take on the day!

Metadata 
National Sleep Awareness Month – Soothe
Rest, Relaxation, and REM Cycles: How to get your best night’s sleep and keep it that way.

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What Happens During a Massage? 

If you’ve never gotten a professional massage before, it can be intimidating. During a session, the massage therapist uses different techniques to apply pressure and manipulate the tissues around specific areas of the body. These techniques, usually circles, long strokes, and percussive movements can help relax the muscles and work out tension throughout the body. The pressure ranges from light to deep into muscles and tissues depending on the style of massage. 

Benefits of Regular Massage

Massage is more than just a way to feel good. In fact, massage therapy is a recognized form of integrative medicine, especially for treating chronic pain. Some of the most commonly experienced benefits of massage therapy include: 

• Reduced stress
• Reduced pain and chronic pain
• Relief from muscle soreness
• Relieved tension 
• Improved mood

Beyond relaxation, studies have shown that even just one massage session can improve circulation, boost energy and alertness, and help people sleep. Many of these common massage benefits result from lower heart rate and blood pressure during the treatment. It’s important to note that many people feel sore for a day or two following massage therapy. This is totally normal, and the benefits listed above can last up to a full week after each massage appointment. 

How Often Should You Get A Massage? 

One massage every year may feel good, but it’s likely not enough to produce lasting effects. Especially for those that suffer from chronic conditions, or physically active people, regular massage therapy treatment can be a great addition to wellness routines. According to recent research on the effectiveness of massage therapy, regular massage has proven effective for patients undergoing treatment for cancer, skin conditions, prenatal depression, osteoporosis, and chronic pain conditions. People new to massage therapy should start slow, and work their way up to more frequent appointments. 

Getting massages weekly or twice a month can be a great way to assist in minimizing the symptoms of conditions such as:

• Chronic low back pain 
• Neck and shoulder pain 
• Recurring headaches
• Sports injuries 
• PMS
• Fibromyalgia
• Breast cancer and lymphoma
• Stress-induced insomnia 
• Digestive conditions
• Nerve pain 
• Autoimmune disorders

While not a replacement for traditional medicine or medical care, massage therapy can be a helpful addition to a care treatment plan. A doctor should always be consulted before starting massage therapy to treat any medical condition.

Massage for Mental Wellbeing

Massage therapy has also proven an effective method for improving mental health. Studies comparing levels of cortisol, also known as the stress hormone, have found a correlation between massage and lower cortisol levels. Getting a massage relaxes the body and mind, which allows many people to practice mindfulness and gratitude. In addition, the element of human touch during a massage session fosters feelings of connection, which can aid in building meaningful relationships. As a form of self-care, regular massage treatments can help with: 

• Anxiety
• Depression
• Chronic and acute stress
• Boosting confidence 
• Improved focus 
• Better sleep 
• Increased energy 

Where to Get Regular Massage Therapy 

For the best results in regular massage treatment, always work with the same therapist or practitioner. This helps the therapist measure progress, and make adjustments to treatment based on specific needs or changes over time. 

It’s important to always book massage therapy appointments with a certified and licensed professional. There is a small risk of injury with massage, so proper training is essential to preventing unwanted pain. Professional massage therapy is usually available at spas, chiropractic facilities, through alternative medical offices, and at home with mobile massage therapy. Companies like Soothe make massage therapy more accessible by pairing clients with licensed therapists; and having the therapist come directly to the client for their treatment. 

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Want to get more booking requests, and book faster? Then Instant Confirm is the Soothe feature for you! With Instant Confirm, Providers on the Soothe Network can automatically book sessions that fit their availability and preferences. Using Instant Confirm is a great way to fill your schedule with less management on your part! If you’re interested in earning more with Soothe, read on to learn the benefits of using Instant Confirm. Plus, we’ll answer the most common Instant Confirm questions. 

How does Instant Confirm benefit Providers?

One of the benefits of Instant Confirm is the ability to book more appointments with Soothe. As a result, you can earn more money. For example, Providers with Instant Confirm availability get an average of 2x more appointments than those only accepting general offers. With Instant Confirm, you will be able to bypass general offers and be assigned onto appointments that match the criteria you set. 

Keep in mind, you can still accept any general offer outside of the Instant Confirm schedule! Just make sure to remove any Instant Confirm availability that conflicts with the general offers you have accepted.

Instant Confirm FAQs

What are the Instant Confirm preferences? 

Providers shared their preferences for this feature, and Soothe listened! With our latest update, we added new Appointment Duration, Minimum Advanced Notice, and Couples Massage toggles. 

To set up your desired Appointment Duration, specify the desired Minimum Length and Maximum Length of assigned appointments. Next, set the Minimum Advance Notice you need before the appointment start time. This setting determines the length of time between appointments, so you never worry about being late! You can also toggle if you are willing to take couples massages. 

Is there a specific amount of time/hours I need to commit to? 

As always with Soothe, you are in control of your schedule. So, there is no minimum amount of hours or days you need to commit to Instant Confirm. This feature helps you more easily manage your schedule, and get more appointments with Soothe. Since you will see more earning opportunities the more you use Instant Confirm, we recommend starting small and adding more availability later. 

Can I still accept general offers? What about offers in other areas? 

Yes! With Instant Confirm you can still accept any general offer outside of the availability set on Instant Confirm. If you do accept an offer in a different area or zip code, make sure to update your Instant Confirm availability. You want to avoid any conflicts or double-bookings. You can choose to update the area or the time frame within the Instant Confirm settings at any time.

How do I set up my Instant Confirm bundles and neighborhoods? 

Location bundles are the selected areas you choose to use for Instant Confirm. You can have multiple different bundles depending on where you would like to work and your current area code. To set your neighborhood bundles, click on “locations” in the menu. Next, click on the orange plus sign in the bottom right. All of your available neighborhoods will be listed. Add a bundle name and icon correlating with the neighborhood(s) you choose. The default location should be the neighborhood(s) you use most often. To select the neighborhood, slide the toggle to the right. Orange toggles indicate selected neighborhoods. Scroll to the bottom of the page and select “create” to save. Congrats, you created a bundle!

Can I edit or delete a bundle? 

Yes, adjusting your Instant Confirm settings is easy! Your current bundles are under locations. To make changes, click on the bundle you want to edit or delete. On that page you can change the name, the icon used, un-toggle a neighborhood, or delete the bundle.

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While booking an at-home massage is a great way to help manage your anxiety, we know our therapists can’t be there every time you start to feel anxious. At Soothe, it’s our goal to help you relax and feel your best, so we’ve outlined some simple steps that can help you cope with any anxiety at any time.

Mental Wellness: Have to stay connected.

Loneliness can commonly lead to heightened anxiety. If you feel stuck and alone because you’re adhering to social distancing or stay-at-home orders, there are still plenty of ways to be social with your friends and family. Checking in via FaceTime, group chats, and even good old-fashioned phone calls with loved ones can help. Schedule family check-ins, have a virtual game night, or just vent to each other. Technology is a wonderful thing! 

Self-care is key.

When tough situations become overwhelming, step away from the cycle of bad news and anxiety-inducing interactions that are causing your anxiety. Instead, focus on taking care of yourself in fun, relaxing ways, too. A self-care routine is a great way to cope with anxiety, as it reminds you to love yourself without trying to change who you are. Maybe try starting a daily meditation or yoga nidra practice, or treat yourself to an extra-long bath or fun face mask. Do something that makes you feel more relaxed, and do it as often as you need to!

Make a schedule.

It can be tempting to just lounge on the couch and binge an entire Netflix series when you’re feeling down. But psychology has shown that we are less likely to succumb to anxious feelings if we have tasks or a daily routine to keep our minds busy. It can be as simple as a daily to-do list: make a healthy breakfast, work out in the living room, send that email you’ve been putting off, finally clean out that overflowing closet. Crossing items off your to-do’s will help you feel a sense of accomplishment, and distract your mind from anxious thoughts!

Your mental health should be a priority

Anxiety has been shown to contribute to hypochondria – the thought that we are sick when we are not. Now more than ever, it’s important to be aware of your physical wellbeing as it relates to your mental state. Taking care of yourself in small, simple ways can make a big impact. Make sure you’re eating well, drinking plenty of fluids, and maybe even catching up on your sleep — it can make all the difference in helping you cope with anxiety. 

Seek additional help.

It’s normal to feel a little bit anxious every once in a while. But if intense distress impacts your daily life for several days or weeks, you should consider talking to a therapist, counselor, or doctor. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health or maintaining positive thoughts, you can also contact the SAMHSA helpline at 1-800-985-5990, and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.

Massage and Coping with Anxiety

Massage is a great tool for managing anxiety! Massage helps you relax and relieves tension associated with anxiety. In addition, therapeutic massage lowers cortisol levels, the hormone our bodies produce in response to stress. Booking a 60-minute massage at home is a great way to release your stress and anxiety, and regular massage can be a powerful tool in managing ongoing symptoms.

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