My friend at WaitersWorld - Paul C. Paz calls it putting on your “game face.” Psychologists call it “emotional labor.”

Susan David, author of Emotional Agility, describes emotional labor as “the effort it takes to keep your professional game face on when what you’re doing is not concordant with how you feel.”

Sound familiar? When you’re a frontline service industry employee, this can feel maddening at times. Like you’re literally going to lose your mind, right on the floor, in the middle of service.

Ever wondered what this does to your mental health? Maybe it’s time to do something about it. Meditating before each shift might be a good place to start.