Welcome to my blog, The Harmony Shift. I am so glad you found me. This blog is about helping shift workers improve their health and increase their happiness. We discuss anything from nutrition, sleep, energy, meditation, exercise, to your overall mood and biological things going on inside you that affect your shift. Don’t worry, we have got you covered. So today we are going to talk about getting organized for shift work. Hopefully we can discover what is working and what is not. If it’s not, throw it out!
First ask yourself what is working and what do you need to improve on? Discovering this is a game-changer and will help you grasp an understanding of how to show up physically and mentally at work. A good starting place is taking notice of the small things that work for you:
Does coffee actually make you crash when starting your shift at 11 p.m.?
How cluttered is your mind when you go to sleep after work versus running some errands first?
You’re missing another family function; how do you feel at work, and do you always feel this way?
Noticing these small details can enhance the overall quality of your life when you have a job that relies on shift work.
When you’re working odd hours of the day, it may be difficult to stray away from social media. Indulging in ample amounts of blue light and diving into the rabbit hole of scrolling will not only exhaust you mentally but may leave you feeling disconnected from everyone. The digital world will always be there. Don’t forget to make time to connect with the real world, but at the same time connect with yourself. In reality, as we all know, it’s not the morning caffeine boost that gets your day going – it’s the sleep you received the night before. Insufficient sleep can leave you feeling unfocused and affects the way you get your day started. My suggestion is investing in an eye pillow. Eye pillows are great for those who might have sleep problems, as the essential oils infused in the fabric can help alleviate tension, stress, and help you achieve quality sleep.
One of the best ways to get organized for shift work is meal prep. I have talked about this on a few blogs, but it is a great way to save time, eat healthier, and stay organized. Once you get it down it is a huge benefit to a no-brainer way of grabbing your food and going to work while freeing up some mental capacity for the long week. You are also building a strong, healthy and accountable relationship with yourself.
Working inside a hospital ED on night shift, working in a warehouse on night shift or a factory all have their very unique sounds that are sometimes stressful, noisy, and obnoxious. But let me ask you this? When was the last time you stood barefoot on damp grass after the morning rain or ran your fingers through the soft grains of sand at the beach? When was the last time you closed your eyes and listened to the bird’s chirp or the leaves rustle against the wind? Now is the best time of year to do that. There’s a whole other world outside of the physical world we live and work in surrounding yourself with nature reminds you of that.
I hope this helps with finding what works and what doesn’t. Hopefully you got something out of it and be sure to let me know what you do to get organized and stay healthy while you do shift work. Look for many good things to come this coming new year! I’m excited to get started with the year and bring you many new and fun things. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. I love to hear from my readers, and I read every response and comment. I f I can be of any help with your shift work journey, please do not hesitate to contact me, I am taking on new clients. But spots fill up fast and I can only take on a limited number.
Thanks, and until next time. Stay healthy and happy!
Darren
“Inside me, I feel calm, and nobody can disturb this peacefulness”
Harmony Shift 