Wellness and self-care tips for Hoteliers from your hospitality tita Hugot Hotelier. Because, well, you may just need some advice!
Those who work in a fast-paced, customer-centric industry like hospitality know that while there are certainly a lot of perks, a job in a hotel can easily drain you and lead you to burnout if you are not careful!
It is physically exhausting. Whether it’s standing on your feet the whole day. Having to work extended hours. Picking up erratic shift schedules. Working the graveyard shift. Sleeping weird hours. Or, a lot of times, having to miss meals. And all these while keeping that winning hotelier smile plastered on your face too!
It doesn’t stop there, though.
Physical stress and exhaustion can usually be fixed with a solid night of sleep, or a day off from work just binging on your favorite series on the couch the whole day. But what if you’re not just tired physically, but mentally, emotionally and even spiritually drained?
Working in hospitality can definitely be a stressful undertaking and this is why my wellness and healthcare tips for hoteliers are so important.
You have to respond to situations beyond your control constantly. Or fix problems that seem to pop up like whack-a-moles one after another.
You have to deal with all kinds of personalities, not just guests but even your co-workers! You are constantly subjected to shouting guests who seem to blame you for everything that goes wrong during their stay. On top of that, how well you can do your job often relies on whether or not those around you also do their part well.
A breakdown in the service system can mean a disaster that could explode in front of your face and have you scrambling to do damage control!
When you work in an environment like this, it becomes more and more important to prioritize self-care in order to keep your sanity. This seems obvious, but a lot of people put this on the back-burner. Especially when they get caught in that frenzied cycle of work-sleep-work.
Companies should also be focusing more on helping their employees place their wellness as a priority. It’s simple; when employees are able to do honest and quality self-care, they will be better equipped to offer care to others. Whether that may be guests or their colleagues.
Quality self-care is all about taking the necessary steps to preserve or improve your health and taking an active role in protecting your wellbeing and happiness. This is particularly important in times of extreme stress.
So here are some basic wellness and self-care tips for Hoteliers. Try to incorporate them into your life to improve your overall wellbeing and prevent burnout?
Wellness and Self-Care Tips for Hoteliers: Listen to your body.
It can be quite difficult to listen to what your body is telling you when you work in such a fast-paced industry and you are always on the go.
When you are used to ignoring your body’s cues whenever you feel like there’s a ton of work to be done, it’s important to consciously break this habit and start listening to your body.
What does it need?
Self-care does not have to be complicated. It can be something as simple as taking a moment in your busy day to drink a glass of water when you start to feel a headache coming on. Or not ignoring the sharp pangs in your stomach that signal it’s been two hours since lunchtime and you haven’t had anything to eat.
Definitely do not ignore nature calls as this can lead to health problems.
If your legs and feet are telling you they need a break, find a way to relieve the aches with a 5-minute break.
Do you feel your jaw clenching and your shoulder muscles tensing up? Find your favorite workmate and chat and share a laugh with them to release some of the pressure.
Most common health problems in hotel employees such as ulcers and Urinary Tract Infections come as a result of ignoring our body and not listening to what it needs. Be more mindful and you’ll see major changes in how well you feel.
Wellness and Self-Care Tips for Hoteliers: Spend your rest days wisely.
Binge-drinking and partying can be a good stress-reliever occasionally, but definitely not an advisable way to spend your rest day every week. It can take a huge toll on your body and make you more tired facing the workweek ahead instead of feeling rested and rejuvenated.
Make sure you balance out your activities between having fun and taking the time to rest and recover.
Try to get a decent amount of sleep, factor in a bit of exercise and carve out time for your hobbies and passions.
Do whatever it is that your body tells you it needs to revive and recharge your mind, body and soul for another week of work.
Wellness and Self-Care Tips for Hoteliers: Find a safe place to vent.
Sometimes, no matter how much you try to keep a positive mindset, the stresses of work and life can cause stress to build up within you and you just need to vent.
After all, we’re only human, and no one can be positive all the time.
You shouldn’t feel bad about having these feelings and the need to complain or vent out. Just make sure to find a safe place where you can decompress and release your frustrations without hurting yourself or anyone else.
Try going out for a run, putting your thoughts down in a journal or a blog, venting out to a friend over the phone or some coffee, dancing your stress away in a club or even some target shooting if you’re up for it!
(Fun suggestion: There is a restaurant in Gerona, Tarlac called Taksyapo Isdaan Floating Restaurant where you can purchase ceramic plates, bowls and mugs to hurl at the wall! The wall has a variety of targets labeled “ex-wife,” “5/6 pautang,” “mother-in-law,” “high blood”. Whatever it is that is causing you stress, smash your plate against the wall while yelling “Taksyapo!” at the top of your lungs. Guaranteed stress-reliever!)
Wellness and Self-Care Tips for Hoteliers: Maximize your alone time.
When you work with tons of people around the clock, it can be quite refreshing to spend some time just by yourself.
When you get a chance to have a moment to yourself away from work and from other people, take advantage and use it to pause and breathe.
Check something off your self-care list. Whether it’s finishing a season or two of your current favorite Netflix series in one sitting. Or sleeping for 12 hours. Or getting a full-body massage. Or taking yourself out for some coffee or a nice meal.
Being alone gives you the space and time to reboot and recharge. It allows you to process your thoughts, problems and ideas in peace.
Make sure to carve out time for this, as often we take for granted just how important it is to spend quality time with ourselves.
Wellness and Self-Care Tips for Hoteliers: Learn to say no.
Learning to say NO can be the biggest and hardest lesson to learn!
Much of our stress comes from our inability to say no and overcommitting ourselves. When we spread ourselves too thin, we come dangerously close to falling apart.
Know your limits, set your boundaries and stick to them. This applies to dealing with people at work and in your personal relationships.
Part of being a hotelier is being a “people-pleaser” and we are conditioned to never say no, but outside of work it’s essential to prioritize your physical, mental and emotional wellness.
If it’s your rest day and you’d like to sleep but other people are pressuring you to go to an event you’d rather skip? Be firm and stand your ground.
Being asked to do a favor you are not comfortable with and would cause you unnecessary stress? Politely decline.
Asked to change schedules (again!) by a colleague who seems to think her social life is more important than yours? It’s OK to say no.
You do not have to please everyone all the time. Do yourself a favor and practice saying no to things that do not contribute to your overall well being. You’ll thank yourself for it.
The five wellness and self care tips for hoteliers I’ve given above are just suggestions. Wellness and self-care will look different for every person.
It’s up to you to figure out what activities and practices would allow you to recharge and feel good especially after a stressful day or week at work.
The important thing when you work in a stressful environment is that you set aside some of your time and energy for quality self-care. So that your mental and physical health will not suffer.
We hoteliers devote so much time and effort caring for others, it’s about time we start channeling some of that care towards ourselves, don’t you think?
What are your favorite self-care practices? Share it with us In the comments!
