Welcome to the Post Shift Project
a toolkit of resources designed to help all service industry staff create positive post-shift experiences.
we’ve thoughtfully curated resources for you to calm and restore your body, mind, and heart so you can live your life to the fullest.
Embrace the magic of hospitality, even after the last order, where one shift at a time, you can become the architect of your own remarkable post-shift adventure.
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At the University of Chester, in North West England, my studies delved deeply into the Psychology of the hospitality industry. My research led to two dissertations: "On The Rocks With A Twist On Mental Health - A Multi-Dimensional Analysis Of A Bartenders Role As An Informal Mental Health Professional" & "Make It a Double - A Comprehensive Analysis of Stress In Front Line Hospitality Workers." The findings were intriguing.
Stress is an inherent facet of our industry, and what my findings alluded to was that it's not about minimizing the amount of stress we experience, it's about maximizing our ability to navigate and process stress efficiently.
In recognition of those findings, I've made it part of my continued journey in this life to give energy to any guiding lights that I may find that could possibly help others.
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In my journey within the realm of the hospitality industry, I've often noticed a certain air of mystique surrounding the post-shift period. Every evening, we'd gather before the shift for a pre-shift meeting, setting the tone for the night and preparing ourselves for what was to come. Then, once the hustle and bustle of service were done, we'd convene, sharing tales over a 'shifty' (a shift drink) before heading home. During solo nights behind the bar where the it was a whirlwind of activity, I'd often gravitate to the local industry haunt, connecting with fellow industry who were also getting off their shifts and the stories exchanged during these moments were a source of energy, whether absorbing it from others or releasing my pent-up emotions as we laugh over the nights escapes and adventures we were going through in life. We, perhaps unconsciously though knowingly, helped each other regain equilibrium after busy nights. Now these were instinctive methods to recalibrate and unwind and the night often ended with or without a McDonalds breakfast with my best friends Piercy & Jack, before falling into a seemingly deep slumber, only to wake up and repeat the cycle all over again.
Reflecting on those times, moments I cherish dearly and remain grateful for, I've recognized the need for additional tools in my repertoire. Tools that could have assisted in processing the stress experienced during those bustling nights, allowing for a balanced choice rather than gravitating toward the extremes of the spectrum. I searched for balance in cocktails so much, yet I often forgot to look for balance in my own life.
Our industry's mental health discussions often gravitate toward extreme cases, yet the spectrum is vast and often elusive. Recognizing this, my goal is to provide sturdy footholds across this spectrum, offering support for those who seek a pause, a step forward, or a shift in direction.
Now, I continue this journey, focusing on research and exploration. My aim is to uncover various methods that could aid our vibrant industry in creating remarkable post-shift experiences for their teams and themselves. The goal is to harness the fun and recalibration that post-shift naturally offers while expanding our toolset to embrace a spectrum of options.
Working with Hendrick's & William Grant & Sons is a source of immense pride. Their trust and empowerment have enabled the inception of The Hendrick's Post Shift Project. A true testament to Hendrick’s & William Grant & Sons longstanding support of the hospitality industry and the Willie G Ambassador Team’s involvement within the trade community.
Working with Hendrick's and William Grant & Sons has been a tremendous source of pride in my life. Their trust and encouragement over the years have enabled me to continue working in the wellbeing & mental health space, while also bringing the brand to life on the creative marketing team, which I am incredibly grateful for. The Hendrick's Post Shift Project to life is unlike typical programs structured with clear endpoints and specific key performance indicators, this initiative is a catalyst, a starting point for a broader conversation that will evolve over time.
This project stands as a testament to Hendrick’s & William Grant & Sons' dedication to the hospitality industry, demonstrating their support beyond conventional norms in the liquor sector. It echoes the William Grant family's fundamental philosophy of thinking long-term and fostering sustainability, through the unique lens of the Willie G Ambassador Team’s active engagement within the trade community, where we aim to help make careers in the hospitality industry long term careers and sustainability of the workforce.
This project is a testament to Hendrick's & William Grant & Sons' unwavering dedication to the hospitality industry, showcasing an unconditional commitment to supporting the industry. It mirrors the family's fundamental philosophy of embracing long-term thinking and fostering sustainability, framed uniquely through the lens of the William Grant & Sons Ambassador Team’s proactive involvement in the trade community. A collective aim for this project and in our role is to reshape the landscape, transforming short-term roles in hospitality into long-term, sustainable careers, redefining sustainability as preserving and nurturing the future of those who devote their careers to the industry.
I perceive The Hendrick's Post Shift Project as a spark being put out into existence. I've crafted an energetic space around this spark, inviting others to contribute their sparks to this conversation. My aspiration is that these combined sparks from across our industry will radiate enough light to aid those who might find themselves in the shadows.
Allow me to pose a question: What does your post-shift experience entail? What helps you recalibrate your energy after a shift, and what doesn't? Let's commence a dialogue, drawing on the collective experience, to pave a brighter path for the sustainability and well-being of those devoted to the noble profession of serving others in the hospitality industry.
Mattias Dylan Horseman
What is Healthy Pour?
Healthy Pour is a consultancy dedicated to improving mental health and well-being in the hospitality, food, & drinks workspaces. Our mission is to help people leave work better than they started, so this project is especially fun for us. We are here to help you, as individuals, improve your habits while helping your workplace develop better systems to support you.
Please enjoy this page, but also feel free to poke around the rest of the site for even more resources and information that will make your working hours time that will enrich, not deplete, your life.
what you’ll find in this guide
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We’ve built some playlists you can use to chill at the end of the night. Use them to shut down the bar, decompress at home, or simply transition from work to non-work.
Do you have a playlist you’d like to share? We’d love to hear it!
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We don’t make the best decisions about food after a long shift. We either skip eating altogether, consume our calories only in liquid form, or resort to heavy, greasy meals. We have some options to help keep you nourished and satisfied during and after your shift.
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Sometimes we need a little guidance in our to process our day, and after a day of intense emotional labor, there is usually…a lot to process. We have some journal prompts for you, or more structured worksheets you can use every day or whenever, and share with your friends and colleagues.
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We know our bodies and minds are deeply connected, so we have linked some resources for you to breathe, stretch, and meditate yourself into a physical state that allows you to calm your nervous system, sleep soundly, and get the rest you deserve.
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Ok, it’s not lost on us that you’re probably looking at this on your phone (oh the irony!), but this is a “too much of a good thing” situation. We’ve offered some strategies to help put down the phone when we need to decompress.
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We usually have structured pre-shifts, but what about post-shifts? How can managers and organizational leaders help their teams leave work better than they started.
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Meet the team that built this resource page! We’re pretty great. Please feel free to get in touch!
playlists to help you chill
Listening to music is a great way to decompress, process, move through your stress, and mentally transition from work to home.
These are playlists you can use while you’re closing up, commuting home, or winding down for the night.
pre-shift playlist
post-shift playlists
wind down playlists
SUBMIT YOUR PLAYLIST
Hungry?
We’ve all been there: finishing a shift and we’re absolutely famished because the last thing we ate was staff meal 10 hours ago. Brutal. So what do we do? Go out for some liquid sustenance and skip food altogether. Or grab fast food or a burrito on the way home. Or piecemeal a nighmarish garbage plate together and wake up feeling awful.
We’ve put together some ideas for foods you can have on hand to snack on so you can keep your energy up through your shift, appropriately replenish afterwards, and wake up feeling great.
Stick to carbohydrates and a little protein- this will satisfy your hunger and give you enough energy to get through your shift.
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Hummus is full of fiber, accompanied with bell peppers, carrots and cucumbers which are packed with vitamins are a great mid shift pick me up.
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Wash, dry, toss in your favorite mixture of spices, and then roast for about 25 minutes in the oven or 10-12 minutes in the air fryer. They are low in calories, high in protein, and a great source of iron. Aim for no more than a quarter of a cup for a serving.
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Greek yogurt topped with plenty of fresh fruit (berries, apple, banana, etc) and chopped nuts. Due to the high protein content, this should sustain energy over the course of your shift.
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Chopped apples topped with nut butter of choice, walnuts, and dark chocolate.
Pro-Tip: a quick salt water brine and rinse will keep your apples from browning!
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Great sources of protein and carbs. Add additional toppings (like tomatoes, cucumbers, berries, or jams) or simply season with everything bagel seasoning.
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Flatten out bread, layer aioli, cheese, and deli meat. Roll tightly and slice. This can be easily packed and eaten during a shift.
0r prep these easy meals to have something tasty on hand.
These recipes are in the style of a potato head toy: we give you a nutritional framework and guidance, then you can build a meal you love that will also satisfy and nourish you.
We would love to see what you come up with! Share your meals to social with the hashtag #postshiftproject
you are what you eat!
Pro-tip: Attempt to incorporate lots of veggies, carbs, and some protein. Remember the more colors the better! Try to rotate or add new vegetables every week.
Things to avoid really late at night or before bed:
Fatty & fried foods
Alcohol
Caffeine
Heavy meals
Why? These can lead to indigestion, negatively affect sleep, and or increase risk of acid reflux. No bueno.
Loaded Toast
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Start with a quality slice of toast and load it up! Spread a base, add a protein, and top it with fruit/veggies and you’re good to go!
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Some ideas:
hummus, tomatoes, red onion, olive oil
nut butter, bananas, coconut flakes, cinnamon
avocados, boiled eggs, sesame oil, black sesame seeds, and furikake
**Maybe throw an egg on it?!
Bean Salad
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Toss presoaked beans, assorted veggies, red onions, and a lite vinaigrette! Legumes help regulate blood sugar (does not give you a spike and then crash of energy), lowers fats in the blood (decreases risk for diabetes), and will satiate your hunger
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Beans: black beans, chickpeas, lentils, black-eyed peas, or any kind of bean. Feel free to mix it up or use multiple kinds of beans!
Veggies: cucumbers, spinach, carrots, artichokes, roasted veggies, olives, tomatoes, green beans…anything!
Vinaigrette: This can be as simple as olive oil and a light vinegar, but try mixing in herbs, ginger, tahini, garlic, or other oils and vinegars.
One Pot Pasta
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Start with any kind of pasta, your choice of sauce, veggies, and your favorite protein!
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Pasta: you can go classic for sure, but also try whole grain, chickpea, or lentil pasta for a bit of extra protein. For cold noodles, think about soba, mung bean, or rice noodles.
Veggies: Get seasonal! Some of our favorites are roasted zucchini, squash, and bell peppers, mushrooms, sautéed spinach, broccoli, peas, asparagus…the possibilities are endless.
Sauce: Classic tomato sauce is definitely whats up, but you can also simply use some oil, herbs, and a bit of cheese if you don’t have a canned sauce ready or the bandwidth to make some. Parm, feta, or even just good old shredded mozzarella will do.
Protein: You can stir your protein in or serve it on top of your pasta, but we love lighter proteins at night. Try shrimp, chicken, or salmon. If you’re not into meat, supplement with an egg, beans, or seeds.
Rice Bowls
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Rice, veggies, and lean meat or fish can be prepared earlier in the day and stored in the fridge. Plate out portions as desired, reheat if necessary and enjoy!
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Rice bowls are staples in multiple cuisines all over the world, so the possibilities and approach with rice bowls are really endless.
Rice: White rice, Spanish rice, wild rice, brown rice or try other grains like quinoa, farro, cous cous, barley pearls…get nuts.
Protein: Fish (cooked or raw), shrimp, chicken, steak, pork tofu, black beans, or edamame
Veggies: Seaweed, cucumber, Spinach, beets, roasted squash & zucchini, jalapeños, tomatoes, broccoli, cabbage, etc.
For Fun: Top your rice bowl with an aioli, dressing, furikake, sesame oil, chili oil, etc.
Wraps
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Wrap fillings can be hot or cold. Choose a protein, vegetable, dressing, and maybe a bit of fat or dairy. Roll it up and you’re ready to go!
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Cold wraps can be prepared ahead of time and refrigerated, but whether hot or cold, ingredients can be prepped ahead of time either way.
Cold wrap options
Leafy greens, avocado, tuna, and tomatoes
Ham, swiss, arugula, dijon mustard, mayonaise
Hummus, artichoke, roasted red peppers, cucumber, greens, and
Hot wrap options
Salmon, lettuce, carrots, honey mustard dressing
Buffalo Chicken, leafy greens, ranch, tomato
Pork, deli ham, swiss cheese, pickles, red onion
check out these helpful items to have on hand
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Food Containers
This can be anything from delis from work, mason jars, Tupperware, or Pyrex! We like glass, but plastic containers are great for travel. Maybe a bit of both?
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Reusable Snack Bags
These are great for your snacks on the go like nuts, cut fruit and veggies, seeds, etc. We like reusable bags, but a plain old ziplock back does the trick.
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Slow Cooker
Do you want some hot chili, stew, or soup ready and waiting for you when you get home? Prep your dish in the slow cooker, set it, then forget it.
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Air Fryer
We love an air fryer because it’s fast, easy, and doesn’t require a ton of clean up. Great for cooking or reheating, it is a handy, efficiant kitchen tool.
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Parchment Paper
Hate clean-up? Same. Use parchment paper on your sheet pans or snag some air fryer parchment lines to minimize mess.
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Slow Cooker Liner
Another clean-up hack is the slow cooker liner. If you’re environmentally conscious, they also come in reusable forms!
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Sheet Pan
Having a small sheet pan on hand (with your parchment paper or aluminum foil!) is handy for one pan meals.
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Lunch Box
But for real. Having a go-to container to carry your food to and from work is a great way to stay organized. Try one that’s insulated!
Journaling is a great way to process your day. Here are a few journal prompts to get you started.
Use the prompts to process your day on your own, or discuss them with your colleagues after your shift. Either way, these are here to help you get it all out instead of letting it stew.
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What went well at work?
What do I wish went differently?
What am I bringing home from work that should stay there?
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How was communication with my colleagues?
Was I able to ask for help when I needed it?
What do I especially enjoy about the people I worked with?
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Who was my favorite interaction of the shift with a guest or a colleague?
Was a short with anyone? What was that like? What were the circumstances that made me feel so tense?
Was there a moment when and interaction left me feeling upset? What happened? What did it feel like? How did I respond?
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In stressful situations, how did I cope?
What kind of coping mechanisms or strategies did I use? Were they helpful?
What emotions from my shift are still lingering? What do I need to still move through?
or use one of our worksheets to process your day.
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Workday Processing Sheet
This worksheet can be used to not only process the challenges and wins of the day, but is a wonderful tool to communicate feedback and needs to management. Use it as part of a checkout SOP or keep a journal for yourself to build emotional intelligence and coping skills. So many options; the sky is the limit.
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Emotional Processing
Why are we so great at identifying and articulating flavors and tasting notes, but can’t do the same with our emotions? This worksheet is formatted like a tasting grid for you to work through. Remember, building emotional intelligence is a skill that you can build! This worksheet will help you.
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Life Satisfaction & Balance
It’s too easy to let work take over your life—especially when you love what you do. This exercise will help to visualize how you use your time and with the help of included thought prompts, think about how you can find more balance in your life.
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Life Satisfaction pt. 2
An accompaniment to the Life Satisfaction Exercise, this sheet give space to further assess how satisfied you are in different areas of your life. When used after Pt 1, it creates a clearer picture of the aspects of your life that might require more attention. Includes thought prompts for further processing and discovery.
Our bodies & minds work very hard. Box breathing is an easy, accessible, and discrete way to calm our nervous system and bring us back to baseline.
You can use this anytime: before, during, or post-shift.
Tend to your body and wind down
Hospitality work relies on long days on our feet and hours of repetitive movements. Gently moving your body before bed can help release lingering tension while preparing your body for a restful sleep.
Hospitality work is also emotionally laborious. If you find your mind spinning at the end of your shift, try a short meditation to calm your racing thoughts.
We only get one body, so it benefits us to keep it simultaneously strong and flexible! That helps us to avoid injury and allows us to have a relationship with our bodies that is healthy, capable, and less limited.
Ongoing care in how we move can help with our physical longevity in our careers and lives.
GTF off your phone
If you’re anything like me, you stay up with your phone watching reel after reel after TikTok after TikTok. But, it turns out that not only is our phone time cutting into our sleep and rest, the blue light coming from our phone actually messes with our circadian rhythm. It’s already stressful on our bodies to work in darkness and sleep at unnatural times, and our phone use is definitely not helping.
Here are some tips that can help make your relationship with your device a bit healthier.
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If it’s too hard to give up your phone all together, switch from the addictive short videos to longer lectures and educational videos like a Ted Talk. Podcasts can be helpful too. But while it’s hard to listen and doom scroll at the same time, it’s still possible - which leaves you even more overstimulated. Proceed with caution!
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Our phones are more than social media! Tie your phone’s functionality up in a guided meditation, sleep sounds, soothing storytelling by Ron Swanson. Whatever! If your phone is actively helping you sleep, the idea is you won’t be doom scrolling.
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There are some awesome free & cheap apps that limit your access to certain parts of your phone at established times of day. SleepTown gamifies your (lack of) screen time and Offtime makes it so inconvenient to turn off that you’re able to rethink why you’re reaching for your phone.
At minimum, turn on the Sleep Mode or Do Not Disturb function. It doesn’t totally block usage, but it helps from notifications distractions.
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Not in the garbage, silly! Just leave the phone in another room or out of reach. Even better? Make your sleeping space a tech-free zone. If you need some noise, a white noise machine can help.
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You know…like, a book. You know what puts me to sleep really quick? When I read something good for me. I get about 10-15 pages in then I’m out. Done. Another great strategy is to journal at the end of the night (omg, and we’ve included some prompts for you!). Get your thoughts out of your brain and on paper, and you’re psyche is free to drift into slumber.
The post-shift can be a chaotic time.
What can managers and business owners do to support their teams?
A healthy post-shift grows from a thoughtful, intentional workplace.
Just like people, no two workspaces are the same.
This means that your post-shift will depend on who your team is, what they need, what’s available, timing, and budgetary investment. We encourage you to get creative and do what you can, and make a plan to develop systems over time when necessary.
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One of the most overlooked and underutilized leadership and development strategies is collecting input and feedback from your team. They offer a wealth of ideas and insight that can help you build a stronger, more collaborative workplace.
With that, ask your team what they need out of a post shift. Get curious about what ideas they have for the end of the night.
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How much waste do you have at the end of the day? Just like planning staff meal for pre-shift, it might be a good idea to think about post-shift as well.
Planning nutritious pre- and post-shift meals will give your teams the necessary energy to perform better and nourish after a long day.
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We benefit from some in-between decompression space. For example, do you ever just sit in your car for a few minutes after driving home before you go in? Or do you have a routine after work that you stop into another spot to decompress?
Providing a space for your team to safely decompress after work can. be very beneficial. Offer some food, maybe encourage some processing (like the prompts offered above) or board games for people to play. Back bars or private dining spaces are ideal for the team to utilize post-shift. Work with them to set ground rules and boundaries. We’d love to hear what you come up with!
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In roles that require such extensive emotional labor, facilitating emotional decompression can be the difference between a healthy and unhealthy culture and workplace.
In this guide, we’ve offered quite a few journal prompts and processing worksheets to utilize. What would it look like to incorporating, for example, the workday processing sheet into closing duties? You can use them as a feedback and communication system as well. Or the journal prompts above. What would it look like to discuss some of these things in a post-shift meeting?
Ultimately, you don’t have to just make them shut down their station then immediately go home. Help them end their workday in a manner that allows them
help improve well-being in the workplace
Our FREE Workplace Well-being Kickstarter Course is an easy way to learn accessible and immediate strategies for improving your workplace.
Who is this for? Well, anyone who wants to learn more about how to positively impact a space! Leaders, emerging leaders, and advocates are all welcome!
Our Contributors
It takes a village! Meet to folks who helped curate and craft this resource guide. Think we’re cool? Reach out!
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Mattias has made it his mission to inspire joy and foster positivity in the hospitality industry. As the Hendrick’s Ambassador to the Western USA, Mattias aims to inspire others' curiosity in all aspects of life to truly uncover the unique flavours and experiences that can be crafted from the perfect combination of ingredients, not only with the liquids we mix in cocktails, but with the magic inside ourselves.
Beginning his career in the hospitality industry while at university, he finished his degree in Psychology with a focus on the hospitality sector with dissertations such as “On the rocks with a twist on mental health,” & “Make it a Double: A comprehensive analysis of stress in front line hospitality workers.” These works formed a fundamental part of the foundation he would continue to build off and continues to fuel his prime directive of supporting positive mental health and wellbeing initiatives in the hospitality industry.
His formative years in America were spent running several beverage programs in Aspen, Colorado while also organizing events through the education branch of his company “The Cocktail Brothers” aptly named “Mountain Mixology.” Through these events he connected with the team at Hendrick’s and in 2016 joined the William Grant & Sons family as an ambassador for Hendrick’s Gin to the Central US, then in 2020 progressed to cover the full west of the USA. Currently residing in Santa Monica, he continues to champion his passion for the digital space, storytelling, and finding magic in every moment.
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Founder, Healthy Pour
Laura is a psychotherapist, organizational consultant, and the founder of Healthy Pour. After working in creative, professional, and precarious industries for two decades, Laura utilizes her knowledge and skills as a trained mental health professional to facilitate training, growth, and healing within the workplace - hoping to create safe and healthy environments.
Shortly after receiving her license to practice as a psychotherapist, the death of Anthony Bourdain prompted Laura to turn her sights on the hospitality industry to provide free psychoeducation to the community at large. This psychoeducation eventually transformed and evolved into Healthy Pour, a consultancy that helps organizations and professional communities address issues of well-being in the workplace. Since then, Healthy Pour has expanded to service all workspaces and industries, with a fondness for creative, high-pressure, and precarious careers and working environments.
Laura's work is rooted in employing evidence-based interventions and theory through a critical lens. Her research interests are socio-emotional stress at work (burnout, imposter syndrome, etc.) and trauma's influence on career decisions in precarious, creative industries. She studied at DePaul University, earning a Master of Education in community counseling, and is currently studying for a Master of Science in Organizational Psychology at Birkbeck, University of London in the School of Business, Economics, and Informatics with plans to continue her academic career in occupational health and well-being. Laura still provides free seminars for the hospitality industry.
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Shria is a public health professional interested in the field of corporate wellness. Currently studying for her Masters in Global Public Health from Rutgers University, her interests include health education, nutrition, and content creation. Having worked in various front of house positions in the restaurant and hospitality sector for many years, she hopes that her knowledge of both fields will create growth within individuals and the industries themselves.
