This year we have been supporting The Burnt Chef Project, a charity set up to support mental health in hospitality. Stress awareness is crucial within the hospitality industry, and we wanted to use this opportunity to openly discuss stress and mental health challenges in hospitality. With the high-pressure nature of the industry, fast-paced environment and customer expectations managing your stress can be important to prevent burnout and help the overall work environment.

Recognising Stress

Firstly, it’s important we recognise things within our work that can cause stress; by doing so we can put measurements in place to recognise these points and take the first steps into building a stress-free environment. Examples could include:

• Peak service times: Lots of customers can be overwhelming and create chaotic environments.
• Difficult customers: Sometimes having to deal with customers can be challenging.
• Staff shortages: Having less available staff during busy times can be stressful and add pressure.

If you experience stress at work and are struggling with your mental health, here are some great resources to support you: E-Learning | The Burnt Chef Project

So, how can we reduce the stress from these potential factors?

Managing Stress

Stress can be managed in different ways, and everyone has their own preferences. Here are some actionable steps you could use to reduce stress:

Work-life balance:

It’s essential to set boundaries and take time off where needed. Whether you’re an employee or an employer, encouraging a healthy work-life balance will help your long-term mental health.

Creating a Supportive Environment at Work

As an employer creating a culture at work where team members feel comfortable discussing stress, can lead to better support and better overall morale. Offering training and having clear support avenues and resources for your team can help lead to better support.

As an employee, there should be resources available to you. If you’re feeling stressed at work it’s important to talk to someone, whether that’s a manager, a mental health coach or anyone you feel comfortable enough to speak with. If you see someone struggling, checking up on them can go a long way.

The Burnt Chef Project

A key initiative addressing mental health within the hospitality industry is The Burnt Chef Project. They provide training programs that offer resources to help professionals recognise and manage stress and mental health resources that provide tools and support to those who need it. This year The Burnt Chef Project has been our chosen charity, the work they do for people within the industry is crucial and we couldn’t be more proud to support such an important movement.

If you are struggling and need support, here are some resources to support you:

This stress awareness week, raise awareness and take the steps to reduce stress at work because your mental health matters. Here are some resources you may find useful:

• Help and Support | The Burnt Chef Project
• The Burnt Chef Project | Hospitality Mental Health Awareness
• Stress – Every Mind Matters – NHS
• Get Your Mind Plan – Every Mind Matters – NHS