Thriving as a Shift Worker

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Hello and welcome back to A Healthy Shift , the podcast dedicated to helping shift workers not just survive , but absolutely thrive .

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I'm your host , roger Sutherland , veteran shift worker , evidence-based nutritionist and one-to-one coach .

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Today I'm heading in to a practical , evidence-based strategy that can help you get more energy and improve your overall well-being while working shift work . So , whether you're on the commute prepping for your next shift or just unwinding , stick around . This episode is packed with tips to supercharge your shift working life . 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 rigours 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 .

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Enjoy today's show . It gives me great pleasure to welcome you and thank you for listening to the show . This is your podcast , our podcast , the podcast where we stick to evidence-based strategies for thriving in shift working environments . I'm your host , roger Sutherland , and today I would just like to talk about three areas that , if you take small steps to improving you too , can thrive in your shift working environment . Now , let's be real Shift work is tough . It messes with your sleep , it messes with your eating habits and sometimes most of the time these days it actually feels like it's messing with your sanity . But fear not . With the right strategies , you can , in , in fact , turn things around , and today I'm going to cover three main areas sleep , nutrition and your mental wellbeing .

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So let's get started First up . I've got to cover it , and you know what's coming it's going to be sleep . Sleep , literally , is the foundation of everything , and without quality sleep , you're always going to be fighting an uphill battle . And so here are some tips to improve your sleep . And I know you're going to say to me I'm a shift worker , I can't sleep properly , but what we do do is we literally self-sabotage in so many areas . That sabotages our sleep , and we really do need to turn this around and start to make sleep our priority . It's got to come before everything else . It's got to be made our number one , and we must work in the direction of getting quality sleep . It's not about the quantity , it's about the quality of the sleep that we actually get . So number one , the first tip we've got to create a sleep sanctuary .

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Have a look at your bedroom . Stand there in the doorway and look at your bed . Does it look like somewhere that you would really want to sleep ? Is it uncluttered ? A cluttered room is shown to create a cluttered mind . Is your bedroom completely dark ? It needs to be completely dark . Is it quiet ? Is it cool ? Are you using blackout curtains to create that darkness ?

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Earplugs , and if you don't and you can't wear earplugs and a lot of people can't have you considered a white noise machine ? A white noise machine has changed our lives . It makes such a difference to your sleep because it actually gives your brain something to focus on and with its focusing on that , it doesn't tend to hear all of the outside noise . If you haven't tried a white noise machine , give it your best , get one and try it . You may find it makes a massive difference because it literally drowns out background noise and that incidental noise . The other bonus of a white noise machine is what it does is as your brain is focusing on that . You don't hear the fridge clicking in and out . You don't hear the heater clicking in and out . You don't hear all of those sudden noises , because it's a constant noise that you're hearing all the time and your brain gets very , very used to it .

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Tip number two is to stick to a schedule . I know and don't come at me , I get it , you're a shift worker and you can't . But what we do have to try and do when we can control it , is to try and go to bed and wake up at the same time every day , especially on those days off . This consistency is what helps to regulate your internal clock . A regular nine to five , going to bed and getting up at the same time or roughly the same time within an hour or so , makes such a difference , and I mean makes a massive difference . Regulating your circadian rhythm and synchronizing with that makes a huge difference . Now , if we're on night shift , clearly we can't , but what I'm asking you to do is to control those controllables .

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Tip number three is we got to have a pre-sleep routine . You need to develop a pre-sleep routine that signals to your body that it is actually time to wind down Now . This might include reading a book , taking a warm bath or just practicing some kind of relaxation techniques . A book , taking a warm bath or just practicing some kind of relaxation techniques , a meditation , some deep breathing . Or Ladies , as you go into the bathroom or the en suite and you take your face off and you're putting your night creams and things like that on , that is literally starting to set a routine . Those smells and that activity will teach your brain that it is time for sleep . Go into your room , spray your pillow with lavender yes , guys , lavender , it actually works . It's very calming and relaxing and that odor actually triggers the brain for sleep as well . Now we have to avoid stimulants . We need to limit caffeine and also nicotine close to bedtime as well , because both of these will keep you wired when you should actually be winding down and getting ready for sleep .

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So remember , folks , it's not just about the quantity of sleep , but it's actually about the quality , and this is why I say that we shouldn't be using medications for sleep , because , yeah , you get a great quantity . You can sleep for seven , eight hours and wake up and go . I've slept for seven or eight hours , but there's zero quality in it because you're actually being unconscious . So if you're using medications to sleep , you need to find alternatives . You need to not be using medications to sleep in any way whatsoever and don't put pressure on yourself to sleep and if you wake up , get up . Don't put pressure on yourself to try and go back to sleep and get frustrated with that .

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All right , now onto our next segment , which is actually nutrition . Now , as a nutritionist , clearly this is my bread and butter , and the pun is absolutely intended here and I'm sorry , it's probably a bit of a dead joke , really , but anyway . Now , nutrition can make or break your shift work experience . Here's how to fuel your body for energy and also for resilience . Balance meals Aim for a balance of protein , healthy fats and complex carbohydrates in every meal . Now what happens is this keeps your energy levels steady and helps to avoid crashes . When you're using simple carbs or you're using processed carbs , what you're doing is you're going to spike your glucose and then it's going to crash , and then you end up having to go back and repeat that cycle again . And this is where eating chips and chocolates and lollies and freaking Jenny's cake , which causes us problems all the time , will cause a spike , but it will also cause a crash as well .

Healthy Eating on Night Shift

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Now another little tip that you can actually do that will really help you is to stay hydrated . Dehydration can mimic the symptoms of fatigue and it can actually make you feel really sluggish . So if you keep a water bottle handy , remember out of sight , out of mind . So keep it right in front of you and sip that right through your shift . Now I understand some people are in a position where they can't get to the bathroom all the time , but make sure that you are properly hydrated outside of your normal shift .

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The next thing smart snacking Now . Often nutrient-dense snacks like fruits , nuts , a yogurt . What we have to do is we have to avoid sugary snacks that give you a quick spike in energy followed by a crash , which is like what I spoke about before with those balanced meals Now . Veggie sticks with some hummus ideal . Having , like a Yopro yogurt with some berries in it absolutely ideal . Nuts fruits be careful , but fruits are never going to cause you a problem on night shift , all right . Just avoid those highly processed sugary snacks that are going to cause you big problems . And meal timing if possible , we've got to try and eat your largest meal before your shift starts . That is the best tip that I can give . This gives you the energy to power on through and means that you can have lighter and easy to digest snacks during your shift or later .

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And remember , it's about making small , sustainable changes . You don't have to completely overhaul your whole diet and make it a change overnight . You know as well as I do all or nothing always ends up as nothing . So , lastly , let's talk about the mental well-being side , because this is as crucial as sleep and nutrition . Shift work is mentally taxing , it is physically taxing , but it is mentally taxing as well , and we have to find ways to build our own resilience . The first thing I recommend is a mindfulness and meditation , now even a few minutes a day , and research shows that 10 minutes a day can help to reduce stress and improve focus . You can use an app like Headspace or Calm or Insight Timer . There are so many that can guide you through easy mindfulness exercises that you can just shut down just for 10 minutes , and if you do that every single day , you start to build a really good and solid practice .