Acts of Self-Service
By Erin Boyle
Opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the point of view of Best Served. In furtherance of bringing more voices to the table, we are committed to sharing varied thinking throughout the industry.
This article was compiled from the CHOW Instagram Takeover. It was produced and added to by Erin Boyle.
Audre Lorde, poet and essayist, said, “Caring for myself is not self-indulgence, it is self-preservation.”
1) Besides running food and drinks and lifting heavy boxes, how does your body like to move? Move your body - dance, walk, run, skip, stretch, bike, get the blood flowing.
Yoga and then mobility classes have been a huge boost to my mental health. I started with yoga 22 years ago, loving the hot yoga that made me sweat and bend like I never had before. As I aged and had many achy spots and injuries I began mobility classes. These classes are all about chasing what feels good and making sure we move our bodies gently in odd ways so that when we do a strange bend or grab at work, we still feel good. I currently stretch for 30 minutes every morning before I start my day. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t last three hours without needing ice and some pain meds.
“Movement enhances chemicals in the brain—like dopamine, serotonin, and norepinephrine—that are associated with improved mood and decreased stress. When we boost our heart rate, our body releases endorphins, resulting in a boost of energy and improved mood,” says DR. ELLIE COBB
Find something that sounds fun, mobility class online, dancing to music, stretching, yoga, climbing, walking, biking and chase what feels good to you and then do it some more.
2) Work can get repetitive, same prep, same break down, same side work, get out of that rut and try something new. For example: a new club, a new group, a new workout, a new food, a new route home
Working in a restaurant is repetitive. I have months and years that blend together and I only distinguish when I change restaurants.
Trying something new will allow you to explore and find things you enjoy. How will you discover that you are the next Frida Kalo unless you try painting?
When you are in your routine, and days become so similar that, before you know it, years have passed. Trying new things will give you more markers for time.
Your brain and creativity will be stimulated. With each different thing, your brain has to learn to run in a new way. Your creativity will come alive with each new task.
Trying new things helps you become less afraid. The more new things you try you realize that your fears are usually exaggerated.
Start small and take a new route home. And add as you have time. Try a new workout, cuisine, restaurant, club, wellness practice and see what happens.
3) Ask for help.Ask for help with anything. Ask for directions. Ask someone to listen to your story. Ask someone for help with prep or take a shift if you need more time. Ask for time off to heal or re-energize. Start this week with asking for something small and practice. This way when you need to ask for something bigger, you have already had some practice
Our industry is very competitive and we were trained not to show weakness. But asking for help is a sign of wisdom. If you tell your supervisor that you’re not ready just as service is about to start, there’s not much that can be done to help that won’t burden the team. But knowing you need help early and asking for it, shows that you know what needs to be done and that it's undoable alone. Hopefully, your team can help and you’ll be around when someone else needs help. We also have to do a very physical job. If you can get help lifting full pots, bus pans, and cases of potatoes, you will reduce the opportunity for injury for you and your co workers. Then everyone can work healthier.
When asking for help, keep in mind:
The first step is getting over your reluctance to ask for assistance.
Then think: Who is the best person to ask?
When is the best time to ask?
Where is the best place to ask?
And remember to Show your gratitude
4) Create a playlist for your week. listen while you're prepping, doing side work or cleaning up
Music sets the mood and I remember many shifts working with music that didn’t work for me. At one restaurant we took turns, everyone got to play a CD until we went through all the employees. There was a guy that always played Emo and it would take the wind out of my sails. I would up the energy any way I could, Brittney Spears, NSYNC, and even Disney tunes. I just needed to get the vibe going again.
Music is said to enhance intelligence and focus, improve mental health, and boost the immune system as well as self-esteem and confidence. It can be used to relax, to boost and lift our mood, or to improve concentration. Music can also be used to aid in insomnia, helping to encourage and induce a deeper sleep. (from https://palladiumprivate.com/blog/6-benefits-of-music-for-your-mental-health/#:~:text=Music%20is%20said%20to%20enhance,and%20induce%20a%20deeper%20sleep.)
There’s music all around us, whether it is playing on speaker for the customer or by the prep team in the back. Create a playlist that makes you happy. The songs that calm you and the ones that amp you up. Don’t forget to throw on a clean up song that you can blast and get yourself moving at the end of the shift so you can get back out to your life.
5) Check in with yourself. What did I learn today? Where did I neglect myself? With whom did I feel the most myself?
Normalize doing a daily check in. It’s really hard to feel joy or pain if you’re too busy to check in. I worked hard for a decade and never checked in with myself. If asked how I was, I was “fine.” I was so busy trying to be the best bad-ass, hardworking chef I could that I didn’t notice a decade pass without feeling happy or noticing the physical ailments that were piling up.
You can't enjoy what you ignore. You can't heal what you don't notice. Check ins can help you troubleshoot in the moment as opposed to having to deal with what builds up over time.
Sage Grazer, LCSW recommends, "As a therapist, I believe that you should check in with yourself daily. You may even need to check in with yourself more than once in a day depending on the kind of stresses that you are facing and the emotions that you're experiencing."
Committing to daily check-ins with yourself encourages you to take breaks, which can help boost your focus and reduce fatigue. It allows for a little “me time” and let’s you keep up with what’s going on.
Try this quick check in:
Did I get enough sleep? 7-9 hours is recommended
Did I take a break from work? This could be in the walk-in, bathroom, smoke break, meal break, etc..
Did I stretch or exercise in a way that felt good? There’s no competition here. Move how it feels good. You don’t need to run like you’re being chased or get into the yoga pretzel. But find a movement that feels good and repeat.
Did I spend time with people I like? Or an animal.
Did I do something comforting? watch tv, listen to a podcast, take a bath., etc
Did I ask others for help when needed? Lifting, scheduling, running food, etc..
Did I take time to eat? Maybe you ate over a trash can, and that’s fine. But did you eat?
Did I express gratitude for something or someone? Try it. If it’s hard to find something, you probably are having a crap time. But there’s always something to be grateful for, lungs that work, closing time, dog cuddles, music...
How do I feel at this moment? Happy, sad, angry, disgusted, afraid
I am Erin Boyle, CHOW’s Executive Director, friend, sister, wife, daughter, duck and dog momma, potter, reader, crafter, walker, nanny and chef. I trained to be a chef at the Culinary Institute of America and have worked all around the country.
In 2019, I decided to dedicate my energy toward improving access to mental health and wellness resources for all. As E.D. for CHOW I am focused on outreach and aims to normalize mental health conversations in the restaurant industry. Check out CHOW’s website here.
