Welcome to A Healthy Shift | The Shift Work Podcast, the podcast helping shift workers thrive while changing how organisations think about people working in 24/7 environments.
Hosted by Roger Sutherland, Australia's Night Shift & Sleep Specialist, this is where evidence meets lived experience.
After more than 40 years of working rotating shifts with Victoria Police, followed by years studying nutrition, circadian biology, chrononutrition, sleep, human performance and women's health, Roger is on a mission to challenge the belief that fatigue, poor sleep, burnout and declining health are simply part of working shifts.
Because they don't have to be.
Whether you're a nurse, paramedic, police officer, firefighter, doctor, aged care worker, manufacturing employee, FIFO worker, miner, pilot, flight attendant, truck driver, dispatcher, or anyone working outside the traditional 9-to-5, this podcast will give you practical, evidence-based strategies to help you sleep better, improve your energy, optimise your health and perform at your best.
If you're a leader, manager, People & Culture professional, WHS specialist, or responsible for leading a 24/7 workforce, you'll discover a different way of thinking about shift work—one that focuses on building shift work capability from within through education, leadership and practical systems that create healthier people, stronger teams and higher-performing organisations.
Each episode explores topics including:
• Shift work • Night shift • Sleep after night shift • Circadian rhythm • Fatigue management • Shift worker health • Nutrition for shift workers • Chrononutrition • Recovery and resilience • Women's health and shift work • Leadership in 24/7 organisations • Human performance • Workplace wellbeing • Fatigue risk management • Building healthier, safer and higher-performing workplaces
This isn't another podcast offering generic health tips.
It's a podcast about changing the future of shift work.
Because healthier people create stronger teams.
Stronger teams build better organisations.
And it all starts by understanding how to work with biology, not against it.
Discover the rejuvenating powers of cognitive breaks in my latest episode. I reveal how these intentional pauses can transform your work life. Drawing from nearly 40 years of firsthand experience as a 24/7 shift worker, I will guide you through the labyrinth of stress and fatigue, leading you to a haven of increased productivity and enhanced focus.
You'll find nuggets of wisdom peppered throughout the episode as I detail techniques to effectively implement these mental vacations. Whether it's scheduling frequent breaks, engaging in mindful activities, or sharing a laugh with your colleagues - each strategy serves to refresh your mental landscape. This episode is your ticket to not only surviving in the demanding realm of shift work but truly thriving. So, join me and let's navigate this journey together.
Roger Sutherland is Australia's Night Shift & Sleep Specialist and the founder of A Healthy Shift.
After more than 40 years working rotating shifts with Victoria Police, Roger now helps organisations reduce fatigue risk, improve staff wellbeing and build healthier, safer and higher-performing 24/7 workplaces through evidence-based education, circadian biology and the Shift Work Champions™ Framework.
Disclaimer: Roger Sutherland is not a doctor or a medical professional. Always consult a physician before implementing any strategies mentioned in this podcast. Use of this information is strictly at your own risk. Roger Sutherland will not assume any liability for direct or indirect losses or damages that may result from the use of the information contained in this podcast, including but not limited to economic loss, injury, illness, or death.
This is episode 99 of the podcast and I'm discussing something that may just give you an aha moment when you learn and understand it , and it will probably make even more sense when you implement it into your life . In today's episode , I'm going to be discussing cognitive breaks . What are they , what are the benefits and how do you implement them ? Shift work can be brutal , but it doesn't have to be . Welcome to a healthy shift . My name is Roger Sutherland , certified nutritionist , veteran law enforcement officer and 24-7 shift worker for almost four decades . Through this podcast , I aim to educate shift workers using evidence-based methods , to not only survive the rigors of shift work but thrive . My goal is to empower shift workers to improve their health and wellbeing so they have more energy to do the things they love . Enjoy today's show and hello shift workers . Welcome to another episode of a healthy shift podcast . I'm your host , roger Sutherland , your guide in evidence-based strategies for optimal shift work performance , and today I'm absolutely busting to get into the topic of cognitive breaks , a real unsung hero in a stressed shift workers world and something that you can implement into your life Free yes , absolutely free and something that you can do anywhere Now as shift workers , especially in today's day and age , with how things are going , you are often faced with high stress situations and a relentless schedule .
Speaker 1
Your brain is literally ticking over a million miles an hour , almost 24-7 . Overworked , understaffed , just ridiculous amounts of overtime , and you can't get away from it . And it doesn't matter what you do . It's just a way to shut down and give your poor , tired brain a break before it literally burns out . Now I'm getting lots of conversations from people saying how do I deal with burnout ? Oh , my God , I'm so stressed . Oh , I'm always at work . Oh , my shift schedule is terrible . And because of this , our brain is literally going all the time . Every time the phone dings , every time an email comes in , every time something happens , there's something to do with work . Almost every day now , isn't it ? And this is the problem you walk away from work and because you haven't had time to get , maybe , your paperwork done , or you're worried about patients in the hospital or there's things that just aren't getting done , because you are just so chronically fatigued . So today , what I really want to do is I really want to unravel what cognitive breaks are , what are their benefits and , most importantly , how do we effectively implement them to a alleviate the stress and enhance our own well-being .
Speaker 1
So , to start off with , let's understand what a cognitive break is . So , exactly what are cognitive breaks ? Well , in simple terms , they are intentional pauses or an interval where you consciously step away from what your task is to refresh your mind and recharge those mental batteries . We keep going and keep going and , if you think about it , when you go to the gym and you exercise a muscle , you exercise it and then you rest and you wait , and you might wait a minute , wait two minutes , and then you exercise it again and then you wait a minute and two minutes . You're giving the muscle a break . You don't exercise a muscle by grabbing hold of a dumbbell and pumping it for 24 hours , but by golly . We expect that from our brain all the time and we need to look after it better . These breaks that we give it aim to interrupt this continuous strain that we're putting on our cognitive abilities during our work time .
Speaker 1
So what are the benefits of a cognitive break for a shift worker ? So let's look at those benefits . It enhances focus and productivity by taking periodic cognitive breaks . It helps in sustaining attention and concentration . We can't keep going all the time and just keep our brain working it just literally we start to lose concentration and we become completely overloaded . So giving it a break results in improved work performance , stress reduction . We're all saying that we're stressed , but what are we actually doing ? We can't hope that stress goes away . Hope is not a strategy and you have to do something to break that cycle . By taking a break to alleviate stress , it gives your mind a chance to actually relax and this leads to reduced feelings of that overwhelming burnout .
Speaker 1
How often have you been sitting at your desk or you've been at a major critical incident or running lights and sirens to a job , as a paramedic , or as a fireman going into a building , or or as a nurse , when you get a I don't know what they call it I watch too much TV or code blue or code black or whatever . Just remember that that has got your brain running at a million miles an hour and it's in a fight or flight stage all the time and we need to give it a break . Just like we give that muscle a break when we go to the gym , we need to give it a break . So what else is the benefit ? It boosts creativity and problem-solving by actually stepping away from work momentarily . How often have you been looking at something and looking at something , and looking at something , and you just keep looking at it . You just can't see the solution and then you step away from it . You come back and it's right there , right in front of you . That's because of the cognitive fatigue and because you've taken a cognitive break , you've stepped away . It's giving your brain a chance to just relax , rewire and rethink and relook at things , and when you look at it again , you're looking at it with a fresh mind . This often leads to fresh perspectives and more innovative ideas .
Speaker 1
Now , physical and mental well-being . Regular breaks contribute to a much better overall health . It reduces the risk of physical discomfort as well as mental fatigue . How does it reduce physical discomfort ? We want you to walk away from what you're actually doing , and if you're at a desk and you're under pressure by getting up and having a mental break , you're actually giving yourself a physical break as well . If you're going from sitting or standing , you might go to a sit or go to a stand or just move around to give yourself a break , and this will make a massive difference to you .
Now , how do we implement cognitive break for our stress shift workers ? And here is a structured approach for you . I highly suggest that you actually schedule in regular breaks . Just plan a short break , five to ten minutes . Do it every hour or half hour and a half or every two hours there abouts . Now I'm not saying set an alarm , but that's certainly an option , but because our shift schedule is all over the place . But you really should look at it and go hey , I've been here for an hour , I've been working for an hour , I'm just going to take a little break . You're actually taking that break between sets , like you do when you go to the gym again , but you're giving that brain a break . If you set reminders or alarms , just make sure you don't actually overlook them . If you've got a desk job and you're listening to this with a desk job just set an alarm to go off every hour so that you actually get up , go for a walk , move around and do something different A change of environment .
Speaker 1
Step away from your workstation , give it the break so that you're not actually just rocking back in your chair but still looking at the same thing . Take a short walk , do some stretches or simply move to a different area so that you can completely disengage your mind from that work-related stimuli , the desk , what you're actually looking at , or if you're at some incident or you're doing something . Just by stepping away and closing your eyes , that five minutes that you take to do that might make you make a really good decision when you get back . It'll just give your brain a chance to actually function properly , implementing a mindful activity by engaging in activities that promote relaxation and mindfulness . Now you might think this is happy clapper , but I can tell you it's happy clapper because it actually works . But just breathing exercises breathing in for four , holding for seven and breathing out for eight , and just doing that a few times over and over , you will literally feel yourself calming . Now you can actually do this while you're working . You can do this when you step away or whenever trying to go to sleep . It's an excellent exercise to do just deep breathing , controlled breathing , focus on the breath . In for a count of four , hold for a count of seven , release for a count of eight . It makes a big difference .
Speaker 1
Meditation helps enormously and I know meditation has helped me enormously in myself , it seems . Even though it's not physically possible , it seems to slow down time and give you a chance to think . It gives your brain a break , or you can even just listen to some calming music . Just put that Godfather piano music on or have done there . It's no good going off and listening to some doof doof music . You're stimulating your brain again even more . Just become comfortable in listening to something relaxing to relax your body . I don't want to hear I'm stressed and then we start drilling into strategies , not strategies . We start drilling into what you're doing and how you're going about things and all you're doing is stressing your body with everything that you're actually doing , as well as work . So have a think about that as well .
Speaker 1
Hydration and nutrition . I know , I know I'm an evidence-based practitioner and I'm a nutritionist I'm always going to throw this one in , but hydration is so important to our body . Nutrition is obviously really important to fuel ourselves . Fuel ourselves properly , provide those nutrients that we really really need . Use these breaks to make sure that you're properly hydrating yourself . I understand that you can't always get to water or you don't always want to be drinking while you're , you know , kitted up in uniform or you've got your PPE gear on while you're in a hospital or something like that , because it's so difficult to go to the toilet . I understand that , but when you get that break , make sure you hydrate yourself and have some healthy snacks on hand , just some good , nutritious snacks that you can actually fuel your body adequately during those crucial and busy shifts .
Speaker 1
Not eating is contributing to the problem . It's not helping and I know you might say , oh , but I didn't have time . But you're not helping yourself . You're not putting the oxygen mask on yourself first to be able to help other people , and that's what we have a problem with . We also need to limit our screen time . You knew it was coming and here it is .
Speaker 1
If your work involves staring at screens , use the breaks to give your eyes a rest . Don't go from one screen and say I'm going to take a break . Grab your phone , walk off and start looking at the screen . That's pointless and what it's actually doing is it's overloading your brain again because you've gone from one stress and the next thing is you're looking at another stress by looking at your phone , checking work emails , checking emails and also your social media . That's going to stress you because you're feeling blot and you're looking at some hot Fitzbow that's on there and you make you feel even worse .
Speaker 1
Give your mind a break . Just go and sit quietly and leave your phone in your bag or wherever back at the desk and just do that , because you'll find that break from that phone will just make such a big difference to you . All right , that's one and I know that's big bad Rod saying that , but honestly , think about the amount of time that we're pulled to our phones and what we actually do . Give yourself a break from it . It's overloading your brain all the time and your eyes and social interactions . Connect with your colleagues briefly during the breaks . Actually have a chat with them about anything other than work . Go for a walk and talk about what you've been doing on the weekend and how you've been going about it . Engaging in lighthearted conversations with people can be a really , really good way to actually just refresh your mind and make you feel human again . It can make such a massive difference . All right , so that's basically it . I'm not going to go too long into this one today . I want this to be a fairly quick podcast .
Speaker 1
My final thoughts on this remember that implementing cognitive break shouldn't be looked upon as a luxury right . They are a necessity for your overall well-being . It's about working smarter , not just harder . You don't have to sit there and flog yourself for eight hours . Give yourself small breaks and you will be more efficient in the times that you are actually working . All right , experiment with different strategies and find what works best for you in recharging your mental energy . For some people it might be breath work . Some people it might be just stepping away from what you're doing . Some people it might be meditation or just going for a walk . And as I wrap up today's episode , I encourage you to prioritize these breaks during your shifts and don't forget them at home too . It's okay to step away and give yourself 10 minutes Now . It might be you might feel like it's being counter-intuitively at first , but you'll witness a positive impact on your productivity and , in particular , your mental well-being .
Speaker 1
Now , what I want to talk about now ? I just would like to talk about my one-to-one coaching , and I do have positions at the moment for people . If anyone's looking for one-to-one coaching , I'd love you to reach out and have a chat with me in relation to how it is that I can help you around your shift work . Now you might say to me oh yeah , but , roger , it's not the right time . We've got Christmas coming up and there's parties , and do you know what ? That is actually the right time . What's the point in waiting until it's a good time ? When is a good time ? You know that there's never a good time . It's never the right time , but what I do is I will actually put my arm around you and I will guide you through those difficult times or to help you to navigate and relax around those times , and then , when you're going really well , I will literally take a few steps away and I will just watch you from a distance and just see how you're actually going and be right there to help you as you navigate it .
Speaker 1
Now , my coaching is very holistic in an approach in every way . It's not nutrition in relation to this is what you've got to eat . This is the macros that you've got . You've got to do your meal prep . You've got to do that . I want you to remember this . I see you , I am there . I am a shift worker and I've done it for 39 years . I feel what you're feeling . I know what it's like . I've got children that I've raised while I was shift working and I know what that night shift fog , running kids around doing what it is , doing everything that's got to be done . I get it totally All right .
Speaker 1
So there is never going to be a good time . It's never going to be the right time . You're never going to be in a better position than right now , because if you start in January , you'll be gone in February . If you start now and go through the difficult times and rise above , by this time next year you will be absolutely dominating in life all around you will be thriving , not just surviving . I will help you with your mental health . I will help you with all sorts of things around that mental health . We will make you relax around dieting and stop this disordered eating that goes with looking for the right diet and what is the right diet , and the body image . And oh my God , I need to lose fat and I'm getting too big . These are the problems that are causing big problems for you and I want to help you with that , and I can help you with that .
Speaker 1
All right , I also do one-off consults where , if you don't want one-on , one-to-one ongoing coaching , you may be looking just for some advice , or you might just want your macros calculated from an evidence-based perspective as well , or to find out what is the suitable way for you to work around your schedule . I do one-off consults , one hour pro rata . You pay for the first hour you send me through what you would like to know . I will make it as efficient as I can possibly make it in that time , answer the questions for you and then on you will go from there . I will refund any unused time or you'll be charged in 15-minute blocks on top of that afterwards . I'm here to help you in your shift working life .
Speaker 1
I'd also like to talk about the Healthy Shift Seminar Experience as well , which I'm going to be pushing a lot harder to try and get out and get into some of these shift working environments . This is something that interests you . I will come to your workplace and I will deliver a live presentation which we'll talk about Meal Timing and Coronary Nutrition , strategies to help you to support meal prepping , light exposure and optimal sleep , night shift optimising it , the best way to go into it , the best way to come out of it . We'll look at your schedules at work and we will go through them and see how we can best optimise them . Remember , this is about more productivity and increasing morale in your workplace , the benefits of simple movement , warning signs for stress and how to combat them , just like we have these cognitive breaks and compassion fatigue . Identifying these things help Strategies to support your mental health , why night shift is harder for females , and also to work with females , with nutrition considerations around that and how illness manifests in shift workers and a shift in mindset when it comes to managing your own self care . The importance of a work-life balance . All of this I deliver in a live keynote . I've had tremendous feedback from these seminars that I've done and I've been running them up in Queensland for Queensland Police for some time and they are getting great feedback and I really , really enjoyed delivering them , going and doing it and meeting the troops in different states . And that's a wrap for today's episode .
Speaker 1
Remember , fellow shift workers , your health , and in particular , your mental health , is a non-negotiable . It's the foundation that allows you to excel in your career and enjoy life beyond the workplace . Remember this is about having more energy to do the things that you love outside of shift work . By taking these evidence-based steps , you won't just be surviving , you will be thriving . Keep pushing forward and remember I'm here to support you every step of the way . Stay committed to nourishing your body and prioritising your wellbeing and , as always , please remember to be patient and kind to yourself as you navigate the challenges of shift work and prioritise your mental health and wellbeing . Episode 100 next week . Thank you for listening . If you enjoyed this episode , be sure to subscribe so you get notified whenever a new episode is released . It would also be ever so helpful if you could leave a rating and review on the app you're currently listening on . If you want to know more about me or work with me , you can go to ahealthyshiftcom . I'll catch you on the next one .
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