Work-life Balance Flow States in Restaurant Work

5 Ways to Find Humor and Flow During a Busy Work Shift

Find happiness and social connection to make your work environment seem effortless

We’ve all been there. In the middle of working a double, about 4:30 p.m., after cramming down that thrown-together staff meal of leftover questionable proteins and avocad-ish green vegetables, you wonder if it’s all worth it – the money – the time- the stress – the “I forgot to set up my kid’s dinner for my husband while I’m working my shift tonight” random thought. Thanks, Marjorie, for letting me pick up your shift – but now I’m questioning my logical reasoning and personal sanity.

We’ve probably also had those days when work seemed to flow even when we were tired. We’ve also probably had days that work seemed to drag on, even when it was a short shift or we got plenty of sleep, didn’t drink the night before, or got a great gym workout in before starting our shift.

So, what’s the difference between these two days? Be sure and stick around until the end to see some basic tips to optimize your daily routine for easygoing flow throughout your day. Why do I continue mentioning Flow? Let’s dive into that concept. What exactly is flow and how does one concept affect our happiness at work?

What exactly is flow and how does one concept affect our happiness at work?

Flow is a concept discovered and studied by one man, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced “Me-high Cheeks send me high”) a co-founder of Positive Psychology and a Hungarian-American psychologist. For years after World War II, he studied happiness levels in people with extreme adversity – poverty, homelessness, terrible work, and labor conditions. He began to notice trends. Even though most people have “set” happiness levels, they can increase their overall happiness by embracing a concept called Flow into their lives.

Flow, by definition, is “a state in which people are so involved in an activity that nothing else seems to matter; the experience is so enjoyable that people will continue to do it even at great cost, for the sheer sake of doing it” (Csikszentmihalyi, 1990) Flow can also be described as that point when you are so involved in whatever you are doing that you lose track of time, forget the work you are doing and see it as play, and have the desire to continue doing whatever task you are on. Flow is highly related to happiness, meaning, purpose, and self-control over time and in life. It could be said when we feel powerless it is more difficult to find a flow state.

In restaurant work, it’s the shift that flies by.

Think about times when you personally might find a flow state. Perhaps riding a bike, painting a picture, reading a really good book, or making some brownies. You do those things because you are intrinsically motivated to do them because they have purpose and meaning for you. You also probably forget to look at the clock. That’s when you know you’re in a flow state. In restaurant work, it’s the shift that flies by, and all of a sudden it’s ten pm and you’re joking around doing your sidework and it doesn’t seem like too much trouble to polish a hundred wine glasses. You feel in control of your job, your work, and your life. Work for an employer that micro-manages your every step and shifts drag on and you can’t wait to get home, have a glass of wine, and binge Netflix until 2 am – only to do it all over again the next miserable day.

Control at work and feeling powerless

What about feeling powerless at work and not being able to find a flow state? Let’s face it, we don’t punch clocks because we enjoy working twelve-hour shifts at a restaurant or working in a laundry room of a hotel. We have needs. Money, feeding our kids, a roof over our heads, and advancing our careers in the long term come to mind. Our jobs become a means to an end and sometimes we take jobs that are below our ability levels to advance our careers. Consider the marketing professionals, doctoral candidates, and writers who wait tables we’ve met over the years. “I’m just working this job until…..” becomes the statement you hear over and over. I’ve even said that. I’m sure you have too.

Here’s the thing. When we are constantly looking at our roadmap way ahead down the road then we’re not really enjoying the moment. We are not embracing the opportunities today to find humor, enjoyment, and happiness. Intrinsic motivation (coming from within) vs. Extrinsic motivation (someone tells us what to do) is the difference between being happy and miserable. Flow states are synonymous with being happier, more content, and living in the present moment. So how do we connect the dots and find the juice to make our days flow easier?

Five Tips

Look for opportunities to laugh
Turn hurdles into times of growth
Don’t take on tasks that are either too easy or too challenging
Keep personal control in the context of every task
Focus on the right now

Laugh

That’s right, laugh at the dishwasher who breaks out in song. Laugh at the line cook who always wears banana socks. Find humor in the mundane – like the staff meal with questionable proteins. Instead of complaining, find common ground with your co-workers. Ask a coworker what his favorite hot dog dish is and turn it into a humorous conversation.

Growth

Challenging times usually result in positive changes in our life. Getting stuck with a new menu to remember in the middle of the busy season? Maybe you’ll make better money because the menu items are priced higher. If you’re a cook, maybe you’ll add a new cooking method to your toolbelt or get to work with a new product. Look at both sides of a situation and considering both perspectives can develop empathy for others. When we find common ground with our coworkers, we’re generally happier.

Challenge Yourself

Don’t look forward to the mundane and easy – that gets boring really fast. If you are bored you’ll be more likely to look for the next challenging job. Find ways to grow within an organization and take on enough new tasks to learn something. Csikszentmihalyi found that a love of learning keeps people happy and more likely to encounter flow states in other areas of life.

Monitor Control

In every situation, even a challenging one, there is an opportunity for maintaining control over your life. A friend invites you to dinner on a night you are working and you really want to go? Can you give up or trade your shift? A year from now, what will you remember: working that shift or visiting with your friend? If you pass up the dinner, will you bring more resentment into your job? Will you be miserable? See where this one is going – you’ve got the hang of it now. Finding happiness and flow means you have some power over how your life is structured and planned. Even schedules can be changed if necessary and that means you are in control.

Be Here and Present

Yes, it’s great to have long-term goals – but don’t get so deep in a rabbit hole that you cannot focus on today and your job. There’s a saying that all things come to pass, and so will your shift. A really good friend of mine used to say, “Tomorrow’s a new day”, and he used to say it at the end of every shift while we were mopping. He meant – it’s time to go home – don’t take that stuff out of the door with you, no matter how many customers rattled your cage. Leave it in your locker for tomorrow morning.

And that’s where I’ll leave you. See you next time. Be sure and follow this blog or find me on social to stay in the loop for great content.

Cheers,

Monica