Shift Workers - Juggling Everything!

tumush

Hi there, I work with many 24 x 7 operations and can see that often the hours provided by some organisations are really challenging - to juggle everything - especially exercise and the "right" diet to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
What techniques do you use to get motivated, stay motivated, and regain some enjoyment out of life - especially when working 12 hour night shifts constantly?
How do you manage getting decent sleep (without popping pills)? How do you fit everything in!!!???
We have generational shift workers in our family and all seem to struggle...type 2 diabetes, weight issues, motivation problems etc...
Thanks

Cate1898

I work 12 hour rotating shifts, 6 week cycle. It sucks, but it's great for getting things done while the M-F 9-5ers are at work! However, it's really hard to get in a routine for anything, especially working out. The food is workable, albeit difficult when you have to pack up your entire day's (or night's) food at one time and have food ready until you finish your set of shifts. But it can be done. Once again for me it's the exercise that suffers. I guess motivation is part of it. Being busy is another part.
Friend me if you want to lose together and motivate each other!

lyninit2winit

Hi I work Nites from 10-630am Sun - Thur nites. Eating appropriately has become a task. I sit at a desk all night long ... Blah

cnt21811

7pm to 7am.... sitting at the console the whole time!! sitting here now.

Hypurchick

I worked night ( 12 hours shifts) for the last 3 years, just recently went to Days and Nights alternating every 2 weeks on a 6 week rotation. My life was perfect with the nights, a bit more challanging with the switching back and forth.

Never had a problem with social life, as my weeks go ( 60 hrs 1 week, 24 the next) so one of the 2 weeks, I work only 2 shifts.

Sleeping was never a problem either, as I just got into a regular routine of staying awake until 7 am and sleeping until afternoon, permenantly. However, I can sleep anywhere at anytime.

I would get up in the afternoon, eat a snack before work. I would eat my first meal around 9-10 pm, have another meal around 1 or 2 and then I would have breakfast type meal ( eggs or cereal) around 6 pm-7 pm and then go to bed.

Never affected my weight or anything

ejohndrow

I work nights as well 5:45pm-about 7am. Lately I've been lazy on my food choices, but I've found that taking the time to cook my meals and bring a home lunch/dinner works well for me. Some days we're forced to work out after work, but most of my exercise comes from working out an hour or so before shift. It's tough, but it works.

ejohndrow

7pm to 7am.... sitting at the console the whole time!! sitting here now.

I hear that. I'm sitting here in dispatch, waiting for the day to end.

Sporttster

Steelworker. Get a taste of every shift including 12hr weekends,two on,two off a month. Rotates days, afternoons, midnight, days, etc. 7 dayturns, f, sat sun off, then 5 afternoons, sat, sun,mon off, then midnights 7 days, tues, wed, thurs off. Days and midnights include the 12hr shifts on weekends. Gotten used to it but still hard to do. When I was married/no kids, we could travel on the days off and have little traffic, few crowds. Was nice. Now with the kids in school, that's over with. So the benefits are slim to nil. Look with envy at those who have reg jobs with reg hours. Found it's very difficult to maintain a normal eating cycle at all. I get off midnights and find myself hungry in the middle of the night. Thankfully I sleep pretty well when on mids. Diabetes runs in the family so that's why I'm watching my weight. With this goofy work schedule and the associated stress and sleep cycle distruptions it makes it more likely to develop problems. I'm sure I've lost what, years of my life working this shift work. Pay and benefits are excellent and only thing keeping me here....