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Managing Restaurant Burnout

Dealing with restaurant-related stressors

Many workers experience on-the-job stress, especially those that work in environments that have many distractions—such as in a busy restaurant. Working in a restaurant can be fun, but also fast paced. It can expose your employees to demanding customers, loud noises and long shifts on a regular basis—and it can be a lot to handle. If you don’t take steps to counteract the chaos, these job-related stressors can lead to burnout, health problems, injuries and even job failure.

Chronic Stress Triggers

Though everyone is different, there are universal triggers that may create stress for restaurant workers:

Having little control over your work, such as dealing with demanding customers
Busy shifts, often late at night, and standing for long hours
Environmental stressors such as large crowds, loud noises, etc.
Constantly having to please customers

As these stress triggers can occur frequently, look out for early symptoms of stress and take steps to relieve it. Be alert for the following symptoms, which can develop into more serious health complications—such as heart problems and depression—if they go unchecked

Insomnia
Short temper
Headaches
Upset stomach
Job dissatisfaction
Difficulty concentrating

Ways to Relieve Stress

Though relieving stress may not seem so simple, avoiding burnout may not be as hard as you think. Consider the following stress-reducing recommendations:

Recognize stress symptoms, and take action at the first sign of stress
Exercise on a regular basis
Follow a healthy diet
Get adequate rest
Employ conflict resolution skills to help you deal with demanding guests
Try stress-reduction methods such as yoga or meditation
Speak to your manager if you feel your stress is becoming unmanageable

Look Again

Balance your life. Make time for your family and friends when you’re not at work. Spending time with people you enjoy will help you unwind.

If the stressors of your job are too much for you to manage, talk to your restaurant manager to discuss how he or she can help you.