The night shift can be brutal. Doctors, nurses, truck drivers and other professionals can be subject to the most gruelling shifts. Working a night shift can take its toll on your social life, your sleep cycle and your health. The limited exposure to the rest of society, perhaps even missing out on family time, can make you feel isolated and depressed. Furthermore, night shifts can throw off your routine as much as your circadian clock. If you switch between shifts, then your sleep cycle is hindered as is your ability to balance tasks.
Night shift workers can often feel like they are missing out. They also suffer from stress and tiredness. This is why it is important for the night shift worker to schedule his day to ensure socialisation, relaxation and task accomplishment. The night shift worker should ideally decompress after work, allotting around an hour and a half to concentrate on eating, relaxing, journaling and similar activities. Workers of all kind need to unwind and night shift workers need to do it in special ways. The following are some activities a night shift worker should schedule within his daily routine.
- Socialisation
You should schedule a breakfast date or lunch with a friend at least once a week. Try to maintain a sleep schedule that allows you to connect with your family and children at least for an hour in the day. Plan an activity with your children on the weekends and follow through. Go on a date with your significant other. Planning such excursions can help prevent the monotony and loneliness that often arises in a graveyard shift.
- Hobby
Practice a creative habit like drawing or playing music. You can read a book or listen to music as well. You can also play video games, watch movies or television shows, but the consumption of these media can often deteriorate creative thought processes and engagement. It is much healthier to cultivate hobbies that call for activity rather than passivity.
- Relax
Disconnect from the office after getting home. You must also remember to have a regular sleep routine, setting aside a time slot such as 11 to 7 for sleep. To regulate sleep patterns, you must consume caffeine sparingly as stimulants can negatively affect your routine. Limit light exposure while sleeping so that your body can adapt to the night-to-day switch in your sleeping cycle. Meditation and yoga can also help soothe overwrought nerves if you are stressed or tired. When decompressing, you can also treat yourself to an at-home spa treatment. Check out here for a spa for sale in Brisbane, so they can help to settle your nerves after a long night.
- Exercise
Get involved in morning yoga classes and gym sessions. Exercise can leave you happier, healthier and more capable of taking on a gruelling work schedule. Jogging or even walking outside can help you get Vitamin D as well as the much-needed energy.