Banish the burn out

There is no doubt about it, in Hospitality the hours can be long, inconsistent and draining. You give of yourself every shift to cater to your customers, to look after your staff, and to have a great venue. It can leave you feeling wrought out, tired, and sometimes it can lead to burn out…
 

Burn out can happen in any industry, although many office environments are now getting more savvy in avoiding staff burn out by doing things like banning work emails on weekends, and making staff check their mobile phones in on Friday afternoons.
In the Hospitality industry, its often not considered how many shifts and hours you do if you are an owner. If you get sick, who will run your business?
 
Putting your heart and soul in to your business is rewarding but can also take its toll. Running around on the floor all day and then having to head home after doing the lunch and dinner shift (and sometime the breakfast shifts as well), then only to have to handle all the other aspects of running a business; accounting, social media and paying staff can be downright exhausting… Not to mention finding time for a social life and to spend time with your family. Not the one you work with… the one you leave behind every time to head in to your venue.
 
Being a business owner is hard, and a challenge I know all too well. You need to be the jack of all trades most of the time, but at some point you need to take the time to look after yourself, to look after your health, and to put yourself first.
 
I’ve always been a hard worker, one who has always taken on multiple projects at a time, and the one people generally turn to get things done on a tight time frame. I even did my Masters whilst working full time…
But at some point in my adult career and after some significant issues with my health, I needed to stop and reassess what was important. I needed to learn to not say yes to everything and to cut myself some slack.
 
If you don’t have your health you don’t have anything… So I’m now an avid morning yoga fan and love to meditate. Things that the Kate of her 20’s working in Hospitality or Media industry would have laughed at… I make time to run and I make time for my partner, my family and my friends. The time is stretched a bit thin but I make the time because I know that without my health I’m no good to anyone.
 
It’s hard to make the time…. I hear ya, but if you take some time to do whatever it is that makes you happy, relaxes you – be that yoga, running, golfing, drinking wine (also one of my favourite pastimes) you will not only be a better person, you will be a better boss, leader and a better business owner.
 
Do away with the glorification of being busy… take the word out of your vocabulary all together if you can and remember what’s important.    
 
Carpe Diem.
Just my two cents.  
KB ​