How many of us have been able to avoid working on rotating shifts for all or most of our career? I would suspect that few of you actually enjoy working rotating shifts, and that you spend most of your career merely attempting to cope with this unnatural lifestyle.
I was one of those individuals whose career path started on shift hours itself and about 1 & half years ago I finally got the privilege of working on normal working hours How did I survive all those years & how did I manage to do it. Well I did somehow manage to overcome the dredge feelings by having a survival plan in place. Here are some tips to cope with “shift-lag” as some people call it:
- Work life balance: Have you sat down and really analyzed how those scales are tipping at the moment? You need to divide equal amount of time for other activities in life
- Reduce overtime: Try not stress yourself out by doing more overtimes, plan your overtimes if you are able
- Eat high protein meals before work: Proper food intake is required if you work on shifts as you need the extra energy for the body
- Have time to relax Take short breaks throughout your shift to use the employee lounge, take a walk, play pool or climb the stairs.
- Plan ahead: Don't leave the most tedious or boring tasks to the end of your shift when you will probably feel the most sleepy
- Interact with co-workers: Talk with co-workers while you work and exchange ideas with your colleagues on ways to cope with the problems
Other interesting ideas to improve your sleep after shift work, here you go:
- Have time to relax
- Avoid caffeine, smoking and sleeping pills
- Avoid high protein, high fat and greasy foods for six hours before bedtime
- Block out your bedroom completely by eliminating any light, have dark curtains installed in your room
- Eliminate noise
So the key is, go into work, do the best job that you possibly can and then come home and spend some time with your family and friends. Time is your most precious resource – you can never get it back.
Other than the ones mentioned above, you can also do some physical activity as part of your routine. The key to regular physical activity is finding something you enjoy and can fit into your day and then making it a part of your life. The companies fitness center is open 24/7 allowing everyone to work out at their own flexibility. Also sports leagues such as the ones organized by DCRC are very useful too. The schedule is very flexible and best of all, it’s free.
If you still have no time to have physical activity as part of your routine, a fast 30-minute walk outdoors every day is all you need to do to be active enough for health benefits.
