Uploaded October 2016 | Updated September 2026, 6 days ago
Do I regret it all? No. I would have never learnt what hard work is had I not signed up for this job. The industry though, as a whole, was just not sustainable for someone like me. I'm the kind of person who'd rather not be yelled at every 10 minutes because something isn't good enough or that I need to hurry up. The stress levels were high, and there was no time for asking anybody to do anything nicely. Chefs would yell at you to do things, and if you weren’t fast or good enough they’d threaten to fire you. They didn’t yell; I know chefs are always portrayed as being super angry and yelling all the time, but they don’t have to yell at you to get on your nerves. There was no time to sit down and have a proper meal, and for someone with a history of eating disorders and body dysmorphia that became a huge problem. I spent most of my time there shoveling bits and pieces of everything into my mouth as I worked. The chefs would tell me to stop snacking and make myself a meal instead, but every time I actually did make a meal they'd tell me to stop eating and get back to work. That alone was the most frustrating thing I had to deal with, and it pushed me over the edge.
Less than a week out of work I already feel better. I'm eating better, I actually have time to cook myself something that isn't drowned in salt and oil, and the best part is that nobody's yelling at me for eating. Is the restaurant industry really this terrible? Yes, but this is just my experience. Most of the people working there were actually very happy to do so, but we all have different tolerance levels, and mine were just not up to par.
Life’s a bitch, then you die.
That’s why we eat rye…
Music:
Squarepusher - Vic Acid
Squarepusher - I Wish You Could Talk
Squarepusher needs to write the soundtrack of my life.
Do I regret it all? No. I would have never learnt what hard work is had I not signed up for this job. The industry though, as a whole, was just not sustainable for someone like me. I'm the kind of person who'd rather not be yelled at every 10 minutes because something isn't good enough or that I need to hurry up. The stress levels were high, and there was no time for asking anybody to do anything nicely. Chefs would yell at you to do things, and if you weren’t fast or good enough they’d threaten to fire you. They didn’t yell; I know chefs are always portrayed as being super angry and yelling all the time, but they don’t have to yell at you to get on your nerves. There was no time to sit down and have a proper meal, and for someone with a history of eating disorders and body dysmorphia that became a huge problem. I spent most of my time there shoveling bits and pieces of everything into my mouth as I worked. The chefs would tell me to stop snacking and make myself a meal instead, but every time I actually did make a meal they'd tell me to stop eating and get back to work. That alone was the most frustrating thing I had to deal with, and it pushed me over the edge.
Less than a week out of work I already feel better. I'm eating better, I actually have time to cook myself something that isn't drowned in salt and oil, and the best part is that nobody's yelling at me for eating. Is the restaurant industry really this terrible? Yes, but this is just my experience. Most of the people working there were actually very happy to do so, but we all have different tolerance levels, and mine were just not up to par.
Life’s a bitch, then you die.
That’s why we eat rye…
Music:
Squarepusher - Vic Acid
Squarepusher - I Wish You Could Talk
Squarepusher needs to write the soundtrack of my life.
