Self Care While At Work
Presented by Society Insurance
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By Heather Ransley
Many of us have been told that we cannot love anybody else until we first love ourselves. Restaurant workers have deprived themselves of being human in order to be better at their jobs. On the floor, my intention was to demonstrate that I cared for my guests in order to maximize my earnings. As an employee, my goal was to commit to teamwork and helping my coworkers with their duties when I wasn’t busy with my own. In doing this, I often put the needs of others before my own to the detriment of my physical and mental health. I would not take a minute to drink water when I was thirsty because the kitchen needed hands. I would “hold it” until I was about to pee my pants because I didn’t want a guest to even see me in the restroom or take time off the floor. I’d work hungry surrounded by food because taking a meal break during peak business hours is unheard of. I ate dinner at midnight causing heartburn and indigestion and depriving me of a good night’s sleep. Whether you work BOH or FOH I am betting you too have also suffered the same issues.
When I was first introduced to the term “self care,” it related to physical maintenance like getting my nails done or indulging in a massage. Now taking time away from work to deal with mental health issues and stress management fall into that category. Let us also include normalizing basic bodily functions on the job as self care too. Food and Beverage is not life and death; we are not working in a hospital and nobody is going to die if an employee needs to eat, hydrate, or use the restroom. We need to love ourselves enough to know that it is okay to take care of these basic needs without guilt or repercussions. We need to love our coworkers enough to let them do the same. Many of those in leadership roles worked their way up in the same trenches as me, putting others' needs first for the sake of the guest experience. It’s difficult to change that mindset. But we should. We need to be better to those in our industry than we were before.
Some may argue this concept of practicing “self care” on the job is ridiculous. Others are oblivious to the pressures workers feel. They might think acknowledging these issues makes us soft. There is a toll on our souls when we are more concerned with ticket times and 2 minute check backs than using the restroom when it’s necessary. It’s evident from restaurant nightmares to issues with substance abuse and depression that working in a restaurant has challenges that are taken for granted. While allowing workers the dignity to care for our basic bodily needs and functions won’t fix everything, it will fortify and strengthen our resolve to care for guests when we care for ourselves. We are human before we are workers.
Headquartered in Fond du Lac, Wis., Society Insurance has been a leading niche insurance carrier since 1915. As a mutual insurance company, Society focuses on the small details that make a big difference to its policyholders while offering top-notch insurance coverage, service and competitive pricing to businesses in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Tennessee, Colorado, Georgia and soon Texas.
Heather Ransley is an FOH Leader, Sommelier, Mixologist and Service Jedi with 30 years of experience working in upscale and fine dining establishments in Hawai'i Big Island and Kaua'i, New York, Chicago and Florida. Grateful to have worked for 3 James Beard awarded chef owned restaurants and proud of the teams I have been a part of!
Opinions expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Best Served. To achieve our mission of bringing more voices to the table, we are committed to sharing a variety of viewpoints across the industry.
