Burnout on the bar: how do you last more than two years in this job?

The people who last are not tougher. They changed three things early: the physical setup, the shape of the week, and what the job is building toward. Two years is exactly when the body and the bank account both send the bill, so this is the right time to ask.

Body

• Wrist and shoulder pain is usually tamping and steaming technique, not fate. Get a leveller or a calibrated tamper, steam with the wand doing the work, and ask the most experienced barista you know to watch you for ten minutes. Most chronic pain on bar is fixable in a fortnight.
• Anti-fatigue mats and decent shoes are cheaper than physiotherapy. Ask the owner; a good one already knows.
• Opens and closes in the same week are the worst pattern for sleep. Push for blocks of opens or blocks of closes.

Week

• Four long days beat five short ones for most people on bar. Ask.
• Keep one shift a week on filter or training if you can. Variety is what keeps the machine from becoming a factory.
• Do not take the extra shift every time it is offered. Being the reliable one is how you end up doing 50 hours for 38 hours of pay.

Money

• If the pay rise did not cover rent, the shop has told you what it thinks you are worth. Raise it directly: "I am at €13.50, the market for what I do here is €15, what would it take?" If the answer is nothing, you have your answer.
• Head barista, trainer and roastery roles are where pay moves. Two years on bar is the moment to aim at one of them, not to start over somewhere identical.

Meaning

The ones who did ten years describe the same thing: at some point the job stopped being "make drinks" and became "run the bar", "train people", "roast", or "own it". Pick the one you want, tell your head barista, and give it a year. If the shop cannot give you a next step, the next shop can, and you will interview well because you know exactly what you are asking for.