The One-Page Wellness Checklist Every Chef Should Tape to the Walk-In

I’ve been around this industry my whole life with the singed fingers, sweaty chef coats, and clogs with holes in them to prove it. I love it. I also know how quickly “I’m good” can become “I’m wrecked.” This checklist is the one I wish someone had given me and maybe it will help you. 

It’s a guide for pros. It’s short, practical, and you don’t need any incense or crystals or anything unless you’re into that kind of thing). Tape it to the walk-in, tattoo it on your wrist, whatever will cause you to actually see it.

Before the shift, do some mise en place for yourself

Water, salt, protein, repeat

Have one large glass of water with a tiny bit of salt sprinkled in it, and something with protein before you head in. Coffee is not a food group. Believe me, I tested this. Repeatedly.

Put your feet first

Keep good socks (shout out to Darn Tough), shoe inserts, and another clean pair in your locker. The cheapest “wellness” hack is a sock swap after the first rush. Trust. 

Run a two-minute body scan

With your shoulders down, and jaw unclenched, take three deep breaths. Call it “resetting the station.” No one has to know.

Say one boundary out loud

“I’m going to give this task 30 minutes, but not 90.” You don’t have to be a hero in order to be a pro. Make it the best you can and move on to the next item on your list. 

Keep a tiny joy in your pocket

It can be a favorite mint, a fresh Sharpie, a song that helps you auto-tune out of your mood. Micro-lifts matter on long nights.

During the shift, hydrate, moderate, delegate 

Make a drink station for humans

If we can establish par for vermouth, we can establish par for water. Label a big cooler “Team Hydration.” Keep it in the walk-in. Refill when you have down time. Make it part of your culture. Stop drinking tepid water from the tap. Treat your team and treat yourself. 

Manage the heat

If the line is really a sauna, change stations every 45-60 minutes whenever possible. Keeping a cool, moist towel in a sealed quart container in the lowboy isn’t “soft”; it’s service insurance.

Grab a 90-second meal

This is not entremetier scraps but rather something in between staff meal and end of night. Think bar nuts, a banana, a yogurt cup, or rice, egg, and greens. 

Make the “Are you good?” pass

All managers should make a sweep of their respective teams — not to catch errors, but to ensure a humanizing moment. It’s a thumbs-up, an extra water bottle filled, a “switch with me for two seconds.” That lap does more to save service than any pre-meal speech.

De-escalation is a discipline, not a vibe

For my kitchen friends, find a one-liner you can repurpose with your chef if they are a vocal disciplinarian. “I understand (or I hear you); let me fix this.” Then fix it. You can thank your nervous system in the morning. Address it. Acknowledge it. Make it right. Move on. 

After the shift, shut your system down

It’s a 10-minute cool-down, not two hours of cool-off. Stretch your calves, hips, and wrists. Take three breaths. Shower right away. The idea is to tell your body, “Service is over.”

Try the journal debrief

Get a good journal you will actually use. Keep notes of what worked, what is going to change, or may need addressing tomorrow. No blame, just adjustments. Write it down. If it only exists in your head, then it dies there. 

Sign a sleep truce

Night shifters, say goodbye to the doomscroll. Make the room pitch black with fan noise, and an eye mask. If morning is your service, push caffeine later so that it lasts you through the peak.

Make a weekly rhythm of operator maintenance

Schedule a standing “life admin” hour

Pay that bill, book the dentist, text the friend back. When life is stacked, the job gets heavy. Lighten your load. Be your best. 

Fit in movement you’ll actually do

It doesn’t have to be aspirational CrossFit perhaps it’s a 20-minute walk around the block, podcast in ear. Consistency > intensity.

Eat food that isn’t family meal

I batch cook beans, roasted veg, and chicken thighs. Turn your home refrigerator into an ally, not a museum of dying relics. 

Commit to a money check-in

Tip-out is not an “entitlement plan.” Automatically transfer a bit each week. You need to save a spot at that pass for future you.

(Manager’s Corner) Be kind and still get things done

Separate urgency from emergency

Ticket times are urgent. Your self-worth should not be. Create habits and improve how you live outside of the restaurant. Create a new cadence. Repetition breeds success. 

Name the win

Begin pre-shift with one thing that worked. “Last night we 86’d the chaos by communicating really well. I’m proud of all of you.” The brain will begin to create opportunities for patterned improvement. 

Trade perfection for high standards

Perfection burns your people out. Clear standards train them. “This is the plate-up; here’s why.” Always cement expected actions with purpose and intentionality. 

Handle conflict with care

Giving feedback just lands better in private, near to the moment and anchored on the goal. “You’re working that station well, but we’re missing a couple things. Here’s the gap and here’s your next step.”

(Manager’s Corner) Make wellness operational

Schedule the recovery

Post the schedule earlier, respect days off, and rotate the crap shifts. The single best wellness policy is a sane schedule for anyone. 

Normalize breaks

Put another timer on expo, but this one is for hydration. One ding, everybody drinks water. Make it weird not to.

Put resources on the wall

It can be EAP, crisis lines, local clinics, resources, and tools to help your team manage themselves and their own wellness. Give them tools, and don’t shrug it off. 

Coach the whole human

Inquire with your team and be vulnerable. Ask “What do you need to do your best work?” and then do one of those things this week. Support matters just as much as clear direction. 

Make up small silly things that make you say “Weird, but it works.”

Take the citrus oath

We all do one full body stretch session, as the bar manager juices the first limes of the day. Yes, it’s goofy. No, you won’t forget it.

Palm the pocket potato

An underbaked potato kept on top of the oven can be a warm hand compress at the ready for anxious servers. (Just make sure you wash your hands, please. )

Take a walk-in affirmation

At some point during each shift, take a stroll to the walk-in — where you should chill not only literally but also figuratively — and say one good thing about yourself. Then skedaddle before the pastry chef starts yelling at you to get away from the tarts. 

When it’s not OK (and that’s OK)

See the red flags

You’re crying on your way in, not sleeping for days, or are “numb.” That isn’t grit. Learn to recognize what’s normal and what isn’t. Feeling pressed? Ask for help. 

Slow down to speed up

If you lead people, make it normal to say, “I need a minute,” and take one. Re-centered focus and occasional space from the mundane or madness can help your folks execute more effectively. 

Get help early

If it gets serious, try therapy, peer groups, text threads —  whatever works. It’s a true act of service to ask for help. Ultimately, you protect the guest experience by protecting you.

“OK” is not a luxury in hospitality; it’s a performance standard. Guests taste your culture. They feel your systems. They can tell when a team really enjoys working together and when the people calling the shots are sleeping, eating, laughing, and learning like pros. I always used to say that a happy kitchen makes happy food. The most astute guests can taste it. 

So tape this up somewhere. Share it at pre-shift with the whole team. And adjust it and make it your own. We’re in the business of delight, and that begins with not grinding ourselves into dust. 

Take care of your people. Take care of yourself. Let’s create a new standard. If we give our best to each other, the guests will appreciate it. I promise.