Balanced Bartender

Stay healthy, Bar Meisters

Living a balanced life is very important for us as bartenders. In order to have a long, successful and healthy career behind the stick you need to take care of yourself mentally as well as physically. We are dedicated to you the bartender and want you to be your best!

Amie Ward

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While we celebrate Memorial Day and all of the first responders this May, I want to encourage everyone to be conscious about serving themselves. While we all try to navigate the next steps in our new world, it is important to focus on “being” rather than “doing” right now. For that reason, I put together a list of some self-care check-in suggestions our community should consider during this time. Although it is not listed, you should always assume that eating nutritious meals and exercising are part of my recommendations!

Unplug: It is incredible that platforms like Zoom have allowed us to maintain the social interaction we need during quarantine, but if you are feeling the fatigue of video chatrooms, there are a few reasons why. Our brains must expend a lot more energy to read non-verbal cues in these settings, and the tension between being present in mind but not in body is exhausting. To combat these feelings, make sure that you are only signing on for meetings that you are required to be on for work, and ones you want to be on for personal endeavors. Turn your screen away so you can limit your exposure to blue lights, and ensure you take stretching breaks in between your calls!

Get Outside: The sense of smell is powerful and integrally connected to mood and memory. Fresh cut grass, morning dew, lavender, vanilla, citrus, peppermint, and jasmine all have the potential to ignite powerful positive memories in your body. Additionally, sunlight helps our body to produce Vitamin D. Vitamin D not only helps the body absorb calcium, creating healthy bones and teeth, but it plays a critical role in combatting anxiety and depression. If this is not possible because you are in a particularly vulnerable location or are immunocompromised, try a sun lamp for light therapy.

Make Unique Spaces: Research indicates that we thrive when we can have a variety of roles and responsibilities in our lives, as well as spaces that differentiate those multiple worlds. Because we are quarantined and all our lives (work, family, friendships, relationships, etc.) are intertwining in the same place, this can cause frustration and negative feelings. To balance, it is important to try and move to different rooms throughout your home to distinguish work time, friend time, family time, and more. If you are in a tiny apartment this can be really difficult but changing the lighting or moving small pieces of furniture around at certain times of the day can be a creative way to make a difference.

Keep a Schedule: Schedules and routines are extremely stabilizing for the brain. They help us maintain a sense of control in an otherwise chaotic world, and aid in providing us structure, keeping us focused and motivated, and reducing anxiety. Scheduling can be done for all of the things mentioned in this list, from reminding ourselves to eat, sleep, and exercise, to factoring in opportunities to practice mindfulness, change spaces, and express gratitude.

GET TO KNOW YOUR BARTENDER

Amie Ward

Please meet Amie Ward a decorated bartender, industry veteran, and known as The Healthtender—an ACE Certified Health Coach with a B.S. and M.A. in Kinesiology from the University of Maryland College Park. She has been outspoken on health and wellness in the service industry, traveling across the United States to educate bartenders on how to care for themselves physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, and spiritually. Amie recently moved to Chicago and loves to connect with the hospitality community in healthy ways to promote longevity in the industry. In her spare time, you can find Amie bartending at Neon Wilderness, pulling trucks and competing in Strongwoman competitions, and climbing obstacles at Spartan Races.

June 2020