How to Manage Stress in The Hospitality Industry
In 2022, a report found that hospitality was the most stressful industry in the UK, with 57% of employees suffering from workplace stress. With April marking Stress Awareness Month and as a business that operates almost exclusively in the hospitality sector, we wanted to bring awareness to our industry, the experiences of our Team Members and what can help.
One of our core values is that we’re honest, and we believe that if you choose to work in an industry, you should know all about it, the good, the bad and the ugly. You can read about the good aspects of working in the industry in our blog: 5 Reasons You Should Work in Hospitality This Summer. However, for now, we’ll delve into what makes hospitality a stressful industry.
Why is Hospitality a Stressful Industry?
Why would an industry that provides so many people with so much joy in the world’s hotels, bars, and restaurants be so stressful to work in? Well, it’s not easy making an estimated £71.3 billion industry come to life; it takes a huge operation and a workforce of 2.5 million. It’s a 24-hour, 7-day-a week, 365-day-a-year operation that is continuously scrutinised under the watchful eye of consumers. Let’s take a look at some of the most common reasons listed:
The People
You’ll meet all kinds of people when you work in hospitality, the majority of whom are friendly, kind, and thankful for your service; however, you’ll also experience the other end of the spectrum: those who are rude, aggressive, and demeaning.
This can happen anywhere and everywhere, whether it’s a high-end restaurant that caters for the rich and famous or a matchday bar with the average football-loving Brit. Let’s not beat around the bush: working with customers, many of whom seem to be overly familiar with the phrase “the customer is always right” and have consumed enough alcohol to believe it’s the gospel truth, can be a very stressful experience.
Unfortunately, the requirement as a professional to remain cool, calm, and collected while dealing with unpleasant people is not something that comes naturally to most people, and suppressing emotions can inevitably lead to stress.
The Working Conditions
There’s one thing that hospitality lacks in comparison to other industries and that’s desks and chairs. For some, this is the best thing about it, after all, being chained to a desk for eight hours a day isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
However, it doesn’t matter whether you’re 18 or 80; working on your feet all day, come rain or shine, freezing temperatures or oppressive heatwaves is bound to take its toll.
It’s a fast-paced, demanding world where the days are long and tiring. A 2021 survey found that the impact of working on your feet for extended periods led to 37% of people suffering from poor mental health. The research also showed that after four hours, workers begin to feel physical pain whereas after 8 hours on their feet, it starts to affect their mental wellbeing.
Work-Life Balance
Working in an industry built upon most people having fun and enjoying themselves often means that you’re working whilst everyone else is…having fun and enjoying themselves.
This is largely on evenings and weekends, with just 12% of the population working unsociable hours, meaning that it’s highly likely your friends and family will have the opposite social schedule as you.
This can inevitably cause strain on relationships and make it difficult to spend time with those who are beneficial to your overall happiness and wellbeing.
How to Deal With Stress in the Hospitality Industry
The theme for this year’s Stress Awareness Month is #LittleByLittle and focuses on how small but consistent actions towards our wellbeing can make a huge difference. We’ve looked at each of the main causes of stress working in the hospitality industry and below we’ll share some small but regular actions that you can take to help.
The People
Apart from staying indoors for the foreseeable, it’s a certainty that you’re going to encounter some unpleasant people at some point during your career. Let’s face it, no matter how thick-skinned you may be, it can be hurtful when a customer is rude or aggressive when you’re just simply trying to do your job.
1 – Practice Mindfulness
Mindful defines it as “the basic human ability to be fully present, aware of where we are and what we’re doing, and not overly reactive or overwhelmed by what’s going on around us”
You only need to have done a short stint in the hospitality industry to understand how beneficial this ability would be. When you’re bang in the middle of a busy bar shift with a baying crowd of customers, each as thirst-quenched for your immediate attention as they are for their pints and Proseccos, it can easily be an overwhelming experience even for the best of us.
Mindfulness isn’t a quick fix; it takes time to truly master, but once you have, it is one of the most powerful techniques that can have such a positive impact on your life, never more so than when you’re face-to-face with a confrontational customer.
According to the American Psychological Association, researchers found over 200 studies in which mindfulness was shown to be an effective treatment for reducing stress, anxiety and depression.
2 – Debrief
If you’ve had a confrontation with a customer or have found a shift very stressful for whatever reason, perhaps you made a mistake or you just had too many things to do, take time to debrief. It’s completely natural to feel upset, unnerved, or stressed after an unpleasant experience. Even if others around you may respond differently to you, your feelings are still valid, and it’s important to address these emotions to bring yourself back to a calm and peaceful state.
Talking can be a great resource in dealing with stress, some people prefer chatting with their colleagues, others with their family. For those who don’t have a support system around them or simply don’t feel comfortable opening up, why not write your thoughts and feelings down on paper? It may help provide that feeling of release and freeing up some space in your mind to think more positive thoughts!
The Working Conditions
Unfortunately, the reality is that working in hospitality does mean that you will be working long hours on your feet and there is little that we can do to change that. So, if you don’t think that you can handle working in that environment, then hospitality probably isn’t the industry for you…at least as a front-line worker.
We can, however, provide some tips on how to relax and unwind. Just like a workout, it’s just as important to warm up before a shift as much as it is to wind down after.
1 – Hit the Gym
Hitting the gym after a long and tiring shift may be the very last thing on your mind; however, exercise has so many benefits to both our physical and mental wellbeing.
A study of 1.2 million Americans found that over 40% of individuals who exercised had less days of experiencing poor mental health than those who did not.
It also helps with sleep by promoting a hormone that regulates sleep-wake cycles this will help you nod off quicker and it also reduces stress!
2 – Take a Sauna
It can be hard to wind down and rest your mind as well as your body after spending hours in front of the public and sometimes, no matter how tired you are, you just can’t seem to switch off enough to sleep.
We know that most people aren’t going to have a spare sauna or two in their house but most gyms do! Head there instead of the workout section on days when you just need a good sleep!
One study on the health benefits of saunas showed that 83.5% of respondents reported having better sleep after using them.
3 – Practice Mindfulness
Like we said earlier in our blog, mindfulness is a great tool for those who work in the hospitality industry, allowing us to learn how not to become overwhelmed by our surroundings.
Mindfulness meditation is a great tool to use, particularly after those tough shifts that have wreaked havoc on our peace of mind and the soles of our feet!
Learn how to do it with Mindful: Learn How to Meditate: A Mindful Guide to Transform Your Life
Work-Life Balance
Ahhh the work-life balance conundrum, the never ending battle of working to live vs living to work. It’s something that every worker struggles with, regardless of industry and regardless of role.
This is why temporary work suits many people, it allows you to fit work around your life, enhancing that work-life balance. If you choose temp work, you are still likely to work unsociable hours, although with more flexibility than a regular part-time or full-time role, you are able to pick and choose the hours you work.
Whether you are in a full-time, part-time or flexible role, you’re still going to experience issues with your work-life balance at some point during your career. However, if quitting work to live off the land in hopes of completely eliminating the balance issue doesn’t quite pull through, try these top tips:
1 – Schedule in Time With Family & Friends
When you’re on autopilot, it’s easy to let the weeks fly by without filling your cup with things that make you feel good like spending time with your friends and family.
However, spending time with those who we love is essential for enhancing our wellbeing and reducing those stress hormones. Why not kill two birds with one stone and schedule in a walk with your friends in nature?!
Both have the power to make you feel less stressed and happier!
2 – Schedule in Time for You!
When thinking of a positive work-life balance, we tend to think of packing in the most active social calendar and squeezing the most out of every day that we’re off work.
Of course, that can be fun but sometimes you just need to disconnect from the world and reconnect with absolutely nobody but yourself!
Make a list of what makes you happy, it can be anything as simple as reading a book or something more adventurous like an overnight spa break. Dedicate time to doing at least one thing once a month!
