Fair Kitchens: World Mental Health Day

By Maria Campbell, Chef/Founder Cooks Who Care

Edited by Julie Kauffman-Strong

What piece of advice do you want to share in the lead up to World Mental Health Day?

I am a chef by trade, as is my husband, Scott, so I know first hand how hard it is to be in a career where you’re required to always give it your all. My problem isn’t the work ethic required, it’s how many hours we are expected to dedicate each week to the service of others while being away from the ones we care about the most. The result is that while we push ourselves to pursue our individual passion, and are surrounded by many who do the same, we find ourselves isolated, from both our loved ones and from peers who should be allies in this stressful environment that surrounds the work we love to do. 

What bothers me the most is the lack of community support among people in the food industry. Even though we spend hours together working on the line or putting on a happy face for customers, we stop short of showing each other compassion when we need it the most. Instead of acknowledging the relentless efforts to serve others and the energy output it takes to perform our best, it’s common to see co-workers offering pats on the back congratulating others for what they miss out on such as time with family. It's the pride we share when we exhaust ourselves during 90 hour work weeks, and the competition that follows - “Well, that’s nothing. I worked 100.” This type of kitchen culture is not healthy or sustainable.

I have nothing but deep respect for all who have paved the way before me, working their way through the ranks while pushing themselves to their ultimate limits. However, I know we can do better by starting to prioritize wellness and by practicing taking care of ourselves. Grandparents always envision a better future for the next generations, and it’s time we start to work to build a better future for the food industry professionals of tomorrow. 

This process will not happen overnight. The first step is that we must stop thinking of work-life balance as the goal, and then stop beating ourselves up for not achieving something that is fundamentally unachievable. If work and life were on a scale, you can’t tare them both to 0 to make a balanced measure of weight. It doesn’t work that way, and it never will. There will always be a push and pull, with one side demanding more attention at different times. Instead, you can start to strive for work-life harmony. 

Begin by building 15 minutes into your day for reflection. Take a look inward. When you examine what you do at work, could you be more productive or more efficient, taking less time to do certain tasks thus freeing time to complete more? Conversely, at home, could you be more intentional with your downtime? Try adding a walk in the park to your daily schedule or planning an afternoon treat with your kids or partner on your day off? Be brave enough to tell people, “Thank you for calling me on my day off, but I’m sorry I won’t be able to come in today.” Take it one step at a time. Ask yourself “What’s one thing I’m not doing today that I could start tomorrow?”

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Cooks Who Care is a social impact organization based in Philadelphia serving as a well-being concierge for the food and beverage industry. Fair Kitchens is a movement whose mission aligns closely with Cooks Who Care’s. They started in response to the serious well-being problem that exists within the food industry. Their goal is to create a more positive kitchen culture in order to support staff, increase productivity, and improve guests’ experience. A Fair Kitchen is one where the team works together to promote health, wellness & stability for everyone who works in that location - a work environment that is still a rarity in the food business.

On their website www.fairkitchens.org, they quote the following statistics: “74% of chefs are sleep deprived to the point of exhaustion, 63% of chefs feel depressed, and more than half feel pushed to the breaking point.” (Research by Unilever Food Solutions) Those numbers sound too familiar. They also sound like an epidemic of mental health problems in this industry that we care about very deeply.