How do you balance self-care when you have limited staffing or resources at work?
Maintaining consistent standards is not easy. It separates five-star from four-star hotels and defines a luxury brand. It requires more energy, effort, and dedication to operate at this level, and it’s no surprise that this can also be draining, particularly when one was trained to operate at a standard that may have changed during the pandemic. Many individuals in our industry are struggling with the increased pressure of wearing multiple hats and not being able to execute the standards from before. In this stressful environment, it’s more important than ever to “show up for yourself.”
Start by evaluating your situation. If your hotel is struggling to find employees, but is actively recruiting, you may need to reduce your expectations until the staffing issues are resolved. Be real with yourself, understand what is and what is not within your control, and reset your expectations accordingly.
Do you catch yourself blaming your environment, your boss, the hotel, the stock market, the supply chain, the pandemic, etc.? Do you yell at yourself to get it together, mad that you are unable to maintain the impossible? Instead of quietly suffering and pretending you are OK, consider what you can do now to alleviate your stress later.
If you know you are heading into a challenging day where complaints may be expected, embrace it instead of dreading it. There are going to be some standards we are not used to seeing, so give yourself a break. Years of working in the service industry cultivate a second nature to put the needs of others ahead of our own. This disposition, combined with a deep sense of pride and desire for excellence, has created a culture where we can be very hard on ourselves.
It can be easy to pour your heart and soul into the guest experience working long hours, obsessing about every detail, and forget to take care of your own needs. Take a lesson from the airlines and don’t forget to put your oxygen mask on first.
