Burning Out

[Nick.Shu]

im a little curious about what would comprise burning out in cookery.

What is the general consensus amongst everybody as to how to call this situation.

Im kinda feeling something and need to work it out quite quickly.

[coolJ]

Dude, I go through this every once in awhile. What works for me is to take a day off from everything, and just go do me stuff and take as much me time as possible. It might sound selfish but it helps.

[kuan]

Job burnout in the food industry is no different from burnout in any other industry. You need to take some time for yourself, do the things that you want and for no one else. Burnout destroys your self worth. Both as a person and as a professional. We need to get a life, so to speak.

[chefboy2160]

I remember in high school we used to call the heavy pot heads burn outs.I always took the term burn out to mean doing the same thing for so long without appropriate brakes in the way you live life.
Take a hike in a beautiful surrounding ,go fishing,shopping, travel or just do something that youve never done and gives you mindless pleasure.
Remember, you can not burn out if you keep on adding fuel to the fire.
Good luck and peace, Doug......................

[Nick.Shu]

yeah i know i need to look after myself a little better.

the current situation in a nutshell:

worked in the prior establishment for a year and a half. Company goes insolvent and there is a 28 day period to work out running costs. Standard kitchen, larder, pans and hot mains section. Bosses and chef are good and kind. One day walk in, and the place is in liquidation. Get offer of work in the smaller place down the road. Fine, can continue income stream. Smaller place has a very strange kitchen setup, where larder and pans calls the mains.

add to this, a very idiosyncratic style of cookery, and the docket caller having some rather poor communication and people skills (non english speaker).

Also, gone from place to another without time off, and worked a 70 hour week while still learning the nuances of the menu.

basically: gone from decent kitchen to a very much smaller one, trying my hardest to learn a new system (including some strange cooking concepts) and menu. oh yeah, and i have to hang in until june when i have my first holiday in 4 years.

man, that is pretty much why im questioning my sanity and direction in life.

coolj, chefboy and kuan, thanks for your understanding.

[dano1]

it comes and goes. As said balance is the key. There have been times where i swore i'd never set foot in a kitchen again-yet it calls me back. I don't think i could handle a "regular" 9to5, 40 hour/week job anymore. Not enough room for lunacy .
hth, danny

[Nick.Shu]

as i said as above, all imput helps.

my thanks goes out to all that reply and those that cannot but feel empathy in such a difficult situation for me.

Its not that i dont wont to continue cooking, its just that it can, from time to time, become a little overwhelming.

My circumstances are, that i must "pull out my finger" to quote a term and nothing more than that.

per ardua ad astra.

[Artameates]

isnt it a huge setback to work for bad communicators? And the strange cooking styles are only stranger without explanation. can anyone share advise with this issue?

[coolJ]

Artameates,
do you mean like working in a "team" situation, where none of the players are on the same page of the play book ??.

[Nick.Shu]

well, i can give some examples of "strange stuff" in this kitchen.

When the chicken stock is made, off cuts from approximately 4 kg of chicken breast doubles (around 8# for you guys) are cast into the pot, with some corriander (cilantro), leek offcuts and onions. Mercilessly boiled for about 3 hours (not simmered), skimmed for fat, strained and the chicken pieces are retained for pastas and melts.

hmm, bit suss you say?

sauces for filet steak made from brown gravy (packet) mixes.
crunchy risotto rice
poor kitchen hygiene

the chef slaps a burger on the grill, i ask for the setup, only to be greeted by: "why did you put that on the grill for? theres no such docket on order?".

hmmm.7.5 years schooling training (including an apprenticeship for 4 years), 10 years experience, makes my wonder why i bother sometimes.

this establishment has a poor reputation for food, and now i know why.

p.s. coolj, its not a matter of being a team player, more a case of having to set aside everything ive learnt over the last 10 years and relearn it all.

[kuan]

You need to find something else Nick. See if you can get on the dole for a bit and find something else in the meantime.

Kuan

[Anneke]

Nick, remember the old serenety prayer? Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.

That's not a prayer just for AA members.

Look. You are ahead of the game. You know that the restaurant has a bad reputation and you know why. You know that you you are better than this, and that they could do better. That's clarity. With a burn-out, you might not know the difference, and feel like you were a bad cook.

The question now is, am I capable of accepting the situation for the continuation of my income and benefits? Or, do I take the risk to talk to the owners about an action plan that would turn things around both for the business and for you. Or do you simply cut your losses and leave.

Whatever you decide, try to separate business from your personal life. Remind yourself that your job only defines who you are when you're at work. This will help you not to take things personally and stay objective. There will always be jobs for good cooks and if you have to leave, then leave. It's all a matter of perspective; if you feel like you're in a deep hole, it makes climbing out very difficult.

If you're worried about burnout, see a doctor. There are a wide range of symptoms including irritability, fatigue, withdrawal, a sense of paralysis, anger. Some people become workaholics while others spend their days shuffling about without accomplishing anything. Whatever the symptoms, you are simply not yourself.

Take care of yourself. You have our support.

[Peachcreek]

Burnout is just another form of self-loathing. Wake up and take care of yourself. You deserve it. I mean who has it worse- you in your rut with your shovel or your boss who is telling you to dig like mad? Peace and good luck.

[Suzanne]

Going to a good place with no break and no time to train is hard on a person. Going to a rotten place under those circumstances bites the big one. I know; I've been there.

Nick, can you get along for a while with no income coming in? If so, start your break NOW, spend the time looking for something worthy of you, and be all set up to start when you're back from your June holiday.

[cape chef]

Hey Nick,

I have no magic wand to wave, although I wish I did.

I have you in my thoughts and wish you well.

Do your best to listen to your heart before your head.

You'll be ok in due time, i'm sure of it.