Chefs and restaurateurs are two of the busiest professionals you’ll ever meet. Those who want to do what it takes to be successful often work 14-16 hours a day, with few to no days off. This hectic schedule can give a restaurant the fuel it needs to survive and thrive, but it can simultaneously take its toll on the lives of the people working the hardest.
It’s not uncommon for chefs to burn out. Too many late nights, going home just to shower and sleep, then returning to work first thing in the morning – this is challenging for anybody, no matter how much you enjoy your job. It’s easy to let “non-essentials” start to slip through the cracks (even when some of them prove to be essential in the end). These can include forgetting to stay in touch with a significant other, failing to make it to the gym, growing distant from your children, or letting your health start to suffer.
Health and appearance are intertwined. When you lack sleep and personal time, it’s reflected in the way you look and carry yourself. Maybe you haven’t had a haircut in several months. Maybe your chef coat is stained and threadbare. Problems like those are easy enough to fix individually: you can get a haircut in half an hour, you can buy affordable and attractive chef’s clothes and gear through ChefWorks.com. But when your to-do list becomes very long, these problems aren’t easy to correct any longer. Start by making a list of everything that you need to accomplish to feel and be better. Then accomplish them one by one over the coming weeks and months.
A strained and constantly-challenging work life can cause tremendous stress. Stress is one of the worst lifestyle factors for your health and happiness. Stress hurts the immune system, and can be a precursor for depression and anxiety. Stress will hurt the quality of your sleep, which will, in turn, affect your performance.
All of these factors have a bearing on your appearance in the workplace. This isn’t a matter of good looks or genetics; the topic we’re considering is more related to the expression on your face and your general posture. If you look sad and worn out, you will affect the people you work with, as well as your customers. Your fatigue will also find its reflection in the food you sell, which won’t taste like it is made with purpose and passion.
The only way to correct these problems is to make time to be healthy. It may seem difficult at first, but it’s the only way to improve your situation. If you and your family desperately need a day off, find a way to get one. If you have a list of little things that have gone undone, take a weekend and do as many as possible, even if you don’t feel like it. Making time to be healthy will have an enormous impact on the work you do, and will make your career a longer and happier one. Good luck!
