Survival Tips for Balancing Shift Work
Not only is today Mothers Day but it also lands on Nurses Week! So if you are reading this here’s my shout out to you to go to sleep because your kid will probably be asking for another cup of water and their 13th snack of the day anytime soon. Shift work is difficult with kids I’m not going to sugar coat it, and I get asked all the time “how do you do it?” My usual response is… “I just don’t sleep” and for all my fellow night shift mommas out there I know you’ve used that statement far too often. We do what we have to in order to make life work for our families, but sometimes we need a gentle reminder, or a giant billboard smacking us in the face to tell us that it’s important to focus on our own health and wellbeing as well. So here it is, that gentle reminder or smack in the face, whichever you need right now… also GO TO SLEEP (after you read this). Stop just surviving through life and start feeling good while you go out and live it.
Sleep when you can, wherever you can, and as often as you can.
This seems to be my favorite, maybe it’s because I seriously lack sleep and want everyone to know what it feels like to wake up rested and ready to go. I am actively working on taking my own advice here. I thought for the longest time that I was invincible, sleep won’t catch up to me, I can run on a few hours of sleep. WRONG. I promise you will burn yourself out and it will catch up to you. The dishes will still be in the sink when you wake up so no need to rush to them the minute you get home, or maybe someone will decide to put that plate in the empty dishwasher… doubtful but we can always hope right?!
Put down that 8th cup of coffee and drink a glass of water, or 6, preferably 6 but we all have to start somewhere.
This sounds basic right? I would think so too, but so many of us do not drink nearly the proper amount of water we should to feel rested, hydrated and functioning well. The more hydrated you are the better you will also sleep. So get a reusable bottle (lets save the planet while were at it) throw some nice stickers on it so everyone thinks you are not only a hydrating queen but you're cool outside of work as well and drink up. And if you do need a boost of energy my favorite recommendation are Arbonne’s fizz sticks. With 55 mg of natural caffein from Guarana and green tea as well as ginseng and B vitamins these are perfect to mix into your water and get you through the long nights.
Fuel your body with something other than a granola bar.
After 6 months of working the night shift, trying to figure out how to eat breakfast at dinner time, dinner in the morning and don’t even get me started on the midnight snack thats supposed to be lunch, my entire eating schedule was gone. Quick snacks at work and binging while being home was my new habit and my stomach felt it. Finally deciding enough is enough I switched to clean eating habits. For a list of my favorite recipes check out my Pinterest board. To kick start this I completed Arbonne’s 30 days to healthy living, check out my review post on the whole program!
Make time to live a life outside of work
Yes, sleep is important I think I have said this enough, but don’t waste your time just going to work and coming home to sleep. Find the things in life that you enjoy and make a constant effort to do them on your days off. This will make your days off much more enjoyable and you will look forward to the plans that you have made outside of work. This goes back to not just surviving through the work days but actually living.
Don’t punish yourself for being selfish
Take the time out of your day to breath, exercise, go for a walk/hike, meditate or literally be a couch potato and binge watch your favorite Netflix series. Whatever it is that you need to clear your mind, refocus yourself and catch a breath please do this. The kids can wait, that pile of laundry can wait, but your mental health can not wait.
Consider other work options
For some this type of work environment and schedule truly might not work for your family or your own mental well being. If this is the case then listen to that gut feeling that is telling you this isn’t right and it’s not for everyone. Focus on your own mental health and understand what that means for you. There are so many options out there for work you don’t need to feel stuck in something that doesn’t make you happy.
If you find yourself relating to number 6 click here to contact me and find out about more options. Working full time as a nurse has shown to be challenging to say the least and I have made it my goal to reach as many as I can to show them that there are other ways to live your life and create an income for your family. Don’t feel stuck in shift work and let me show you how you can live a life remotely, build your own team and change peoples lives in the process.