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<div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-n0laj350" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">I still remember the Christmas I got fired.</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block1"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><div id="viewer-gbro8483" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv"> </span></div></div><div data-hook="rcv-block2"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-3ahzj352" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">The lights were twinkling, the music was soft, the dining room smelled like cinnamon and pine… and I was walking out the back door with my apron in my hand, trying not to cry.</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block3"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-m54er354" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">No goodbye. No warning. No “thanks for your work.”</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block4"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-o6h5f356" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">Just a policy being enforced at the moment that suited them – definitely not the moment that considered me.</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block5"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-kqyns358" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">A policy that never asked why someone might be unraveling.A policy that punished the symptom and ignored the cause.</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block6"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-8a7x0360" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">Most people hear that and are shocked.But if you’ve been in hospitality long enough, you know it’s not shocking at all.</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block7"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-3kgnq362" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">It’s just another Tuesday.</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block8"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-vselg364" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">And honestly, that’s what still hits me the hardest. Not the job loss or the timing, but how normal this kind of pain becomes in an industry built on taking care of everyone else.</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block9"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-0jhrq366" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">Christmas in hospitality is its own universe.</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block10"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-d6i48368" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">It’s magic and <a class="5ircq hUrEg" href="http://chaos.it/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-hook="web-link">chaos.It</a>’s busy and <a class="5ircq hUrEg" href="http://lonely.it/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-hook="web-link">lonely.It</a>’s laughter layered over <a class="5ircq hUrEg" href="http://exhaustion.it/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-hook="web-link">exhaustion.It</a>’s staff meals eaten standing <a class="5ircq hUrEg" href="http://up.it/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-hook="web-link">up.It</a>’s pretending you’re fine because guests expect you to be.</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block11"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-nh4k9378" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">For a lot of us, it’s one of the toughest times of the year – emotionally, mentally, physically, and financially.</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block12"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><div id="viewer-6zzir578" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv"> </span></div></div><div data-hook="rcv-block13"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-lqz39380" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv"><strong>The season we pour from empty cups</strong></span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block14"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-nbxl8382" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">December brings everything to the surface. The joy, the stress, the grief, the memories we’d rather not revisit.</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block15"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-y6ioc384" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">But in hospitality, you don’t get much time to feel any of it.</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block16"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-yfkvr386" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">You get triple-booked <a class="5ircq hUrEg" href="http://sections.you/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-hook="web-link">sections.You</a> get understaffed shifts and “just one more” <a class="5ircq hUrEg" href="http://table.you/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-hook="web-link">table.You</a> get guests whose expectations would be unrealistic even on your best <a class="5ircq hUrEg" href="http://day.you/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-hook="web-link">day.You</a> get the pressure of staying “on” when your insides are begging for a break.</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block17"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-m4q2e394" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">And if you’ve ever dealt with burnout, substance use, or the slow wearing-down of self that happens after years of service, the holidays can feel like a pressure cooker.</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block18"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-nsjps396" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">This time of year can feel like:</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block19"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><ul class="oAlTr 18oPJ"><li class="vstrc" dir="auto" aria-level="1"><p id="viewer-uqgn2400" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir=""><span class="I47Iv">Your nervous system is permanently on edge</span></p></li><li class="vstrc" dir="auto" aria-level="1"><p id="viewer-sqjk1403" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir=""><span class="I47Iv">You’re holding your breath until January</span></p></li><li class="vstrc" dir="auto" aria-level="1"><p id="viewer-bz9ed406" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir=""><span class="I47Iv">You’re meeting everyone’s needs except your own</span></p></li><li class="vstrc" dir="auto" aria-level="1"><p id="viewer-mazk5409" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir=""><span class="I47Iv">You’re just hoping you can make it to New Year’s without falling apart</span></p></li></ul></div><div data-hook="rcv-block20"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-ry8e9411" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">So let me say this plainly:</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block21"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-goh21413" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">If December feels heavy, that isn’t a personal <a class="5ircq hUrEg" href="http://failure.it/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-hook="web-link">failure.It</a>’s the reality of a system that’s been running on exhausted people for decades.</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block22"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><div id="viewer-axgko675" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv"> </span></div></div><div data-hook="rcv-block23"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-wjp57417" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv"><strong>But we still have agency, even when the season is wild.</strong></span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block24"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-nsqkg419" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">Hospitality has taught me more than I can list – resilience, awareness, emotional intelligence, grit, and the ability to read a room faster than most therapists.</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block25"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-c97hv421" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">And that matters, because while we can’t magically change reservation volume or guest behavior or staffing issues, we <em>can</em> choose how we support our bodies, our nervous systems, and each other.</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block26"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-0phct425" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">Here’s what I’ve learned from my own experience, from coaching, and from rebuilding myself after 25 years FOH:</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block27"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><div id="viewer-a7l7p758" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv"> </span></div></div><div data-hook="rcv-block28"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-qs352427" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv"><strong>1. Small moments matter more than you think</strong></span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block29"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-faqdd429" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">You don’t need a full day off to reset. Sometimes you just need 30 seconds.</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block30"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-nbuzc431" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">Before lineup.Before service.Before stepping back onto the floor.</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block31"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-yltgx433" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">Put a hand on your chest or stomach. Take three real breaths.Drop your shoulders.Feel your feet.Remind your body: “I’m here. I’m okay.”</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block32"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-zepxj435" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">It makes a difference.</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block33"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><div id="viewer-f0rgq840" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv"> </span></div></div><div data-hook="rcv-block34"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-5r27g437" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv"><strong>2. Boundaries aren’t drama</strong></span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block35"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-zoral439" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">Saying “I can’t take that pickup,” or “I can’t work a double,” doesn’t make you difficult – just human.</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block36"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-ssk8j441" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">Boundaries aren’t walls.They’re oxygen masks.</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block37"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><div id="viewer-03pa4920" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv"> </span></div></div><div data-hook="rcv-block38"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-r7py5443" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv"><strong>3. Connection helps more than we admit</strong></span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block39"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-g5jv2445" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">The team meal.The quick laugh behind the bar.The “you good?”The shared look that says, “We’ve got each other.”</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block40"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-b1ium447" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">These tiny moments keep us from feeling completely alone.</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block41"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><div id="viewer-btin91000" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv"> </span></div></div><div data-hook="rcv-block42"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-lxozw449" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv"><strong>4. Your worth isn’t tied to holiday numbers</strong></span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block43"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-7pz8q451" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">Not to sales.Not to covers.Not to tips.Not to errors.Not to how much you can carry without breaking.</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block44"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-drq48453" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">Your worth existed long before you ever put on a uniform.</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block45"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><div id="viewer-l1css1080" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv"> </span></div></div><div data-hook="rcv-block46"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-xqyne455" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv"><strong>5. If you’re struggling, you’re not alone</strong></span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block47"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-kbgp3457" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">This season pulls at old wounds for a lot of people.For some it’s grief, for others money stress, family stuff, or loneliness.</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block48"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-6kofd459" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">The industry has never been great at acknowledging those things, but they’re real.And they deserve compassion.</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block49"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-zpvy2461" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv"><em>You</em> deserve compassion.</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block50"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><div id="viewer-lvey31162" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv"> </span></div></div><div data-hook="rcv-block51"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-dpgjf464" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv"><strong>If you take anything from this, let it be:</strong></span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block52"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-a8qwb466" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">You deserve softness, even in the hardest <a class="5ircq hUrEg" href="http://seasons.you/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-hook="web-link">seasons.You</a> deserve support, even when you’re the one holding everything <a class="5ircq hUrEg" href="http://together.you/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-hook="web-link">together.You</a> deserve a life that’s bigger than your next shift.</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block53"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-hjwmz472" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">And if this Christmas feels heavy… I see you.</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block54"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-n2rru474" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">I’ve stood where you’re standing.And you’re not <a class="5ircq hUrEg" href="http://broken.you/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-hook="web-link">broken.You</a>’re just a human in a system that’s only now starting to change.</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block55"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-93rxt478" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">We’ll get through this season— – not by pushing harder, but by taking care of ourselves and each other in ways this industry was never taught to.</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block56"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-9emw4480" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">Give what you can. Keep what you need.</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block57"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><div id="viewer-4w1e41251" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv"> </span></div></div><div data-hook="rcv-block58"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-lkeom1328" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv"><strong><em>Author</em></strong></span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block59"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-pxrcj2176" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">Kimberly Flear</span></p></div><div data-hook="rcv-block60"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><div id="viewer-da9302333" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv"> </span></div></div><div data-hook="rcv-block61"> </div><div data-breakout="normal"><p id="viewer-tmma22491" class="Hasdr P8FAI 18oPJ DWkY9" dir="auto"><span class="I47Iv">Kimberly Flear is a force of nature in the hospitality and recovery space, with a deep commitment to culture change. After decades spent working in the heart of restaurants, and carrying struggles no one talked about, she rebuilt her life from the inside out. Today, she uses her lived experience, leadership training, and recovery-informed lens to champion workplaces where people don’t have to suffer in silence. As the founder of Last Call Coaching, she stands as a bold, compassionate advocate for those in service, helping the industry move from burnout to belonging. </span></p></div> </div>
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