Hospitality Support During COVID-19

The White Jacket Effect is an organisation with a vision to improve the mental health and wellbeing of those in the hospitality industry.

And now, more than ever, these are the things we need to prioritise.

With coronavirus sweeping the world, restaurants everywhere have seen their doors close. The impact is unlike anything the industry has experienced before on a global scale, and business owners and employees alike are strongly feeling the effect.

If you work in the hospitality industry in any way, shape or form, you’re likely feeling a bit shaken right now. These are uncertain times, but it doesn’t mean that all is lost.

Regardless of your position, your financial situation, or your career path, taking care of your mental health when things get rough is imperative. Before you can focus on bouncing back, you might need some tools to guide you in understanding and accepting what has happened. Perhaps you need advice about looking for new jobs, or tips on dealing with the uncertainty so many are feeling.

No matter what your worries are right now, The White Jacket Effect is here to lift some of the burdens. With their new online courses, the organisation has created information to help guide you in taking care of your mental health, during this pandemic and into the future.

With two pathways designed for business owners and hospitality workers, the courses provide useful information to help you feel more grounded and figure out a plan to give you a sense of stability in a volatile time.

Mental Health in the Hospitality Industry
There’s no denying that a focus on mental health is already much-needed in the hospitality industry. With long, stressful shifts and sometimes unhealthy work environments, the pressures created in hospitality can wear anyone down.

While it might be easier to ignore it than to take a minute to stop and care for your mental health and emotional wellbeing, investing in yourself will better your own life as well as your interactions with those around you.

Now that the hospitality industry is facing unprecedented challenges, the conversation needs to grow louder than ever before. With restaurants closing and many people around the world being stood down, it matters more than ever that mental health is prioritised for those within the industry, even though the challenges might feel more personal this time around.

Hospitality Industry in Australia
Hospitality is the seventh-largest industry in Australia and has been one of most-steadily growing sectors for the past five years. To say that this pandemic is shaking up life for a lot of people would be an understatement.

According to data collected by the Australian Industry and Skills Committee, the food and beverage workforce is made up of 777,300 individuals, “making it one of the largest employing sub-sectors in Australia.”

With the announcement on March 23rd stating that all restaurants and cafes will be shut apart from takeaway and delivery, it’s clear that thousands of people will feel the impact personally. Whether you’re a business owner wondering what you should do next, or an employee who has been let go, remember that you are not alone: Everyone is going through this, and hopefully, there will be some positivity to come out if it.

How to Take Care of Your Mental and Emotional Health

• Process your emotions: Odds are you have many conflicting emotions cycling through at the moment. Whether you’re scared, angry, upset or confused, don’t be afraid to feel what you need to feel so that you can start to move forward.
• Talk to others: Talking to others who are in your same position will help remind you that you are not alone.
• Take advantage of resources: familiarise yourself with all the resources there are to help you in these trying times. Whether these are financial packages or interactive communities like the White Jacket Effect’s Facebook pages, there are ways to get help and move forward.

To learn even more about what you can do to take care of yourself, now and moving forward, head over to the Facebook pages created by the White Jacket Effect to learn more about their Get Fresh courses.

Support For Business Owners
Has so much happened to you and your business over the past few weeks that it feels like life as you know it is ending?

The White Jacket Effect is working with several businesses, and they have witnessed amazing results:

Unfortunately, it’s during times like this you’re either going to sink or swim.

Join The White Jacket Effect's Get Fresh For Business Owners Facebook group to learn how to grow your business in this difficult time.

Support For Hospitality Staff (Or Recently Unemployed)
Are you feeling unhappy, dissatisfied, frustrated, stressed or concerned and want to be so POWERFUL that fantastic opportunities happen to you and you live life with freedom and ease?

Join The White Jacket Effect's Get Fresh For Staff Facebook group to learn how.