RELIEVING STRESS AS A BARTENDER

No matter what profession you work in, it’s likely you’ll experience stress from time to time. In the bar industry, late shifts, large orders and staff shortages can all be triggers. Laura Green, qualified counselor and founder of Healthy Pour, takes a deep dive into top tools for managing stress in a healthy way.

Stress is a normal human experience

Everyone struggles with stress, so if you’re reading this article feeling a little anxious or nervous, you’re not alone. While experiencing stress is completely normal, one of the reasons it can become unmanageable is because bartenders working fast-paced shifts, often don’t think they have the time to complete the stress cycle. Let’s dive into top stress-busting techniques that’ll help you bring that cycle full circle and improve your mental health.

The stress cycle: top tips to manage

Since stress generates so much energy in our bodies, we need to move that energy back out. The stress cycle is the completed journey from when we begin to feel stressed until the moment our bodies realize that we are safe and we can relax. Here are some ways you can complete that cycle during your shift:

JUST BREATHE: It is something we do unconsciously but has the amazing power to help us complete the stress cycle and emotionally regulate. By taking deep, controlled breaths deep into your abdomen (also known as belly breathing), every exhale is releasing energy that will help you complete the stress cycle.

• TRY THIS: A great, simple exercise to use is square breathing: inhale on a count of four, hold your breath for four, fully exhale over four, and then hold without breath for four. Repeat as many times as necessary.

PMR: Stress balls aren’t just a kitschy bit of schwag that businesses give away with their logo on it — there’s actual science connecting the tightening and releasing of our muscles to stress relief. Progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) is a method used to bring increased tension to muscles to then be released in connection with your breath. This releases energy while also helping you find where you hold tension in your body. You can listen to guided PMR recordings after your shift to help you do this, but don’t worry about finishing the full sequence to reap the benefits!

• TRY THIS: If you start to feel tension in your shoulders or jaw, breathe in deeply as you draw attention to those areas and increase the tension, then breathe out as you release. You can also do this with your fists, toes, thighs, or glutes. Note that this is only effective if you connect the tension and release to your breath! So, breathe in as you tense and then let it while you build and release tension will only increase the energy, resulting in increased stress! So, let it go.

SHAKE IT OFF: Since the physical effects of experiencing stress create so much energy in our bodies, simply getting that energy out will help alleviate those effects. This can be achieved through exercise, but you don’t have to go for a 5k run to do this!

• TRY THIS: Take a deep breath, and exhale as you shake your hands out. Think of it as if you’re flicking the energy out of your fingertips. Just a few shakes will help you feel more regulated.

GET SOME SPACE: There is a reason so many people who work in hospitality find comfort in the escape of a walk-in refrigerator! While screaming in the walk-in isn’t ideal, taking some space to yourself for a moment can be helpful to regroup. Additionally, restaurants and bars can be very warm spaces, so after running around shaking cocktails, feeling the cold on your skin can be refreshing and regulating.

• TRY THIS: Change your scenery by stepping into the walk-in, liquor room, or taking a moment outside and engage in any or all of the above strategies!

REST UP: Bartending is hard work, and the hours (and after-hours…) can make sleep something of a commodity rather than a priority. Sleep is essential to not only being alive but helping us emotionally regulate—which includes managing our stress. Also consider how much your mood changes after a good night's sleep, and how challenging it can be to focus when you’re tired.

• TRY THIS: While it might take time and lifestyle changes to ensure you get more shuteye, making sure your sleeping space is suitable to support your slumber can go a long way immediately. Spending at least 45 minutes winding down before sleeping will help you fall asleep faster; turning off electronics like laptops, TVs, (*cough* your phone) will also help you to get that deep, quality sleep you need to recharge.

DIET & NUTRITION: Likely, you’ve found yourself in a situation where you’re rushing into a shift having only eaten one meal knowing you may not have the opportunity to eat until close. That irritability makes it very challenging to navigate stressful situations which can result in more intense stress responses. This is also true when you consume food or other substances (like alcohol, caffeine, nicotine, etc.) that can result in feeling unwell, fatigued, jittery, etc.

• TRY THIS: Ideally, it’s best to listen to your body so you can eat intuitively—meaning being in touch with and prioritizing your body’s needs when choosing what and when to eat. There are a lot of socially imposed barriers to this (diet culture being one—which is stressful on its own!) and time constraints that come with working behind the bar. Remembering that consuming food is a process to provide energy, start taking note of how you feel when you eat certain foods and lean into those foods that help your body and mind feel balanced, healthy, and sharp when you eat them.

REGULAR EXERCISE: Exercise is often lauded as one of the best ways to relieve stress – go to the gym, rock a peloton class, or go for a run, or you can keep it low-key and dance in your kitchen, practice yoga, go for a walk… The point is to move your body, get your heart rate up a little, and build up some mental and physical energy to be able to confront those stressors.

• TRY THIS: You might already have a routine you love, but if you don’t, start small! You don’t have to master exercise overnight, so give yourself time to experiment with various activities at different times of day. What’s important is that it works for you.

MANAGE YOUR TIME: Feeling rushed and underprepared all the time is so stressful. When you’re perpetually trying to catch up and already have that layer of stress weighing on you, it makes other stressors even more challenging. Managing your time effectively will also give you more time to do things that combat stress and bring you joy. This is likely the most challenging of all the strategies but has the most payoff.

• TRY THIS: Start by thinking of small things you can change that will save you time. There is no one way to figure out your needs and how to best manage your personal time but writing down how you want your day to look is a great first step. From there, you can start to work on how to make that happen: what needs to change and what to welcome in.

Ways to emotionally process your stress:

Journaling, meditating, creating and talking with loved ones that you trust can all be great emotional outlets. It’s my hope and dream that therapy becomes accessible to anyone that needs it, and I’m painfully aware that there can be barriers to therapy. That being said, if you have access to therapy or counseling, it is the ultimate way to work with someone to find out more about your stress, emotional life, and how you experience the world.

The reality is that learning how to manage your stress—be it behind the bar or in other areas of your life—is a process, but one that’s so worthwhile. And look at it this way: experiencing stress is an opportunity to learn more about yourself and your needs – what a gift. Good luck, get curious and enjoy the ride.

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FIVE KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Stress is a completely normal feeling
• Work on making time to complete the stress cycle, allowing the energy that builds up to be released
• Look at all aspects of your physical and mental health when it comes to dealing with stress; exercise, rest and healthy eating are important
• Stress management is not just about relieving the symptoms, but about learning to adapt and overcome them
• The best way to manage stress is to get ahead of it – take time to understand your stress triggers and responses while exploring ways to cope with it