A Healthy Shift
A Healthy Shift Podcast with Roger Sutherland
Welcome to A Healthy Shift, the podcast dedicated to helping shift workers and night shift workers take control of their health, well-being, and performance.
I’m Roger Sutherland, a veteran of over 40 years in shift work. I know firsthand the unique challenges that come with working irregular hours, long nights, and around-the-clock schedules. I combine my lived experience with the latest science to help shift workers and night shift workers not just get through the job, but truly thrive.
In each episode, you’ll learn practical, evidence-based strategies to improve your sleep, nutrition, movement, stress management, and overall health. Shift work and night shift don’t have to mean poor health, fatigue, and burnout. With the right knowledge and tools, you can live well and perform at your best.
If you’re working shifts or nights and want to feel better, sleep better, and take back control—this podcast is for you.
Episodes
339 episodes
[342] - Part 3 - When Discipline Replaces Leadership
We confront how discipline gets misused as a management shortcut across police, nursing, paramedicine and the military, and why that destroys trust on the floor. Roger shares personal experiences from four decades on shift to map the pattern an...
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Season 2
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Episode 288
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28:01
[341] - Your host on Radio 3AW - NEW TIME - Talk Back Radio 2-02-2026
We dig into how breath shapes stress and sleep, why weekend late nights wreck Monday, and how to reset your body clock with light and routine. Roger shares how breathwork helped him move past PTSD and offers a simple exercise drivers can use ri...
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Season 2
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Episode 287
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37:24
[340] - The Pause That Changes Arguments, Eating and Stress
Stress shuts down the thinking part of the brain and pushes us into automatic reactions. In this episode, I explain how nasal breathing helps bring the prefrontal cortex back online so you can pause, reset, and respond instead of reacting. I sh...
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Season 2
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Episode 286
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19:28
[339] - The Fitness Industry Is Failing Shift Workers — Here's How
Most fitness plans are designed for people with stable schedules, not rotating rosters. In this episode, I explain why one-size-fits-all programs collapse for shift workers and what actually works instead. I break down an evidence-based, flexib...
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Season 2
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Episode 285
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18:20
[338] - Shift Work, Stubborn Weight, and What Actually Works
Night shift weight gain is not about discipline. It is biology. In this episode, I explain how circadian disruption affects metabolism, why insulin resistance rises after dark, and how hormones like cortisol, leptin, and ghrelin drive cravings,...
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Season 2
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Episode 284
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28:44
[337] - I've got a challenge for you...
Feeling better on shift does not start with strict diets or perfect routines. It starts with habits that actually fit real shift work life. In this episode, I share the approach that kept me healthy through more than 40 years on rotating roster...
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Season 2
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Episode 283
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23:35
[336] - Your host on Radio 3AW - Talk Back Radio 22-01-2026
We explore FIFO life through real rosters, heat, and health, then pivot to policing priorities, youth crime, and whether small rules can shift big behaviours. Practical tips on hydration, sleep, and electrolytes sit alongside a candid look at b...
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Season 2
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Episode 282
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40:56
[335] - Part 2 - What Happens to Police Officers After the Job Stops Caring
There is a persistent myth that officers leave because they cannot cope. In this episode, I challenge that belief and explain why it is culture, not character, that pushes good people out.I talk about what happens after the badge comes o...
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Season 2
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Episode 281
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13:18
[334] - Part 1 -The Cost of Silence in Policing How Speaking Up Ends Careers
Silence in the workplace is often mistaken for professionalism or resilience, but in my experience, it’s one of the biggest drivers of burnout, resignations, and long-term psychological harm.In this episode, I share my personal experienc...
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Season 2
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Episode 280
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17:20
[333] - If You Work 2 Days 2 Nights 4 Off — This is for you
We break down how to live inside a two days, two nights, four off roster so you feel human again. I share a practical plan for swing days, night shifts, and the first day off using light, timing, and targeted naps to reduce fatigue and protect ...
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Season 2
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Episode 279
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27:17
[332] - Why Daytime Sleep Never Works And How to Fix It
We unpack why day sleep so often fails for shift workers and how to align rest with biology instead of willpower. Practical rules cover darkness, cooling, expectations, caffeine timing and a simple wind-down that sticks.• circadian misa...
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Season 2
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Episode 278
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16:00
[331] - She's a Nurse Working Nights and Then Came the Diagnosis
A raw look at how artificial light at night raises cancer risk for shift workers, told through the story of a veteran nurse and the science of melatonin. We share practical steps to protect circadian health at work and at home, and why workplac...
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Season 2
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Episode 277
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21:37
[330] - Guest Appearance on 6PR Perth with Christina Morrisey - 04-01-2026
In this episode, I guest on 6PR Perth weekend radio with Christina MorriseyWe dig into why shift work collides with human biology and how to reclaim energy, sleep, and family life with small, smart changes. Practical steps on light, meal...
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Season 2
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Episode 276
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13:33
[329] - How Creatine Helps Your Body and Brain Work Better
Creatine isn’t just for athletes. In this episode, we explore how creatine supplementation supports cellular energy, brain function, and decision-making during night shifts, long hours, stress, and sleep loss.You’ll learn h...
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Season 2
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Episode 275
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12:36
[328] - Guest Appearance on 3AW Melbourne "Nights" with Karalee Katsambanis - 29-12-2025
A guest appearance on 3AW "Nights" with Karalee KatsambanisWe share practical tips for making shift work sustainable using light, timing, movement, and breathwork. I explain how to anchor your body clock, fuel smarter, and use naps to cr...
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Season 2
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Episode 274
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44:49
[327] - The Quiet Cost of Frontline Work No One Talks About
We call out the quiet signs that shift work is changing you, from short fuse to numbness, and lay out simple, science-backed steps to get you back to steady. Sleep, light, movement, food, boundaries, and connection form the plan you can start t...
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Season 2
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Episode 273
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16:59
[326] - 3 Health Markers Shift Workers Must Track
Shift work disrupts circadian rhythm and quietly increases the risk of heart disease, hormonal imbalance, fatigue, and metabolic disorders. In this episode, we explain The 176 Rule for shift workers - a simple health framework desig...
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Season 2
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Episode 272
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17:19
[325] - Fatigue and Burnout Will Not Wait For The Next Budget Allocation
We make a direct call to leaders of 24/7 teams to stop relying on recruitment and start building real support that reduces fatigue and burnout. Practical education, risk-aware supervision, and retention-first strategy create safer, more stable ...
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Season 2
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Episode 271
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15:23
[324] - Shift Work Health Risks - How Long-Term Shift Work Impacts Your Body and What You Can Do About It
We break down how shift work disrupts circadian rhythms and why that drives metabolic, cardiovascular, gut, immune and mental health risks. Then we lay out practical, evidence-based steps for sleep timing, light control, meal timing, movement a...
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Season 2
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Episode 270
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26:45
[323] - Shift Work, Circadian Disruption And Its Impact On Your Mental Health
We unpack how circadian disruption drives low mood, anxiety, and poor sleep for shift workers and why timing—not willpower—is the real lever. Roger shares lived experience and simple anchors that steady the mind: light, routine, food, movement,...
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Season 2
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Episode 269
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19:35
[322] - Managing Night Shift Better
We challenge the myth that you can flip your body clock and share a practical plan to work with biology instead of fighting it. Simple changes to food timing, light exposure, caffeine, sleep setup, and training can make night shifts survivable ...
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Season 2
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Episode 268
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22:17
[321] - Your host on Radio 3AW - Talk Back Radio 11-12-2025
We unpack how light shapes sleep, mood, and performance, then connect it to the real strain on shift workers and police. Practical tools for anxiety, pain, and late-night routines give listeners immediate steps while we challenge how systems va...
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41:39
[320] - The Real Cost of Night Shift for Women And How to Protect Yourself
In this episode, we break down what’s really happening when women work nights and why the research shows a higher risk of breast cancer in long-term night shift workers. More importantly, you’ll learn what you can do right now t...
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Season 2
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Episode 266
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19:08
[319] - Jesse Stathakis - The Glass Bowl Method for Shift Workers
We show how structure beats willpower for eating well on a chaotic roster, then unpack the Glass Bowl Method: simple one-bowl meals that keep you full, reduce decision fatigue, and help weight loss stick without obsessive tracking.• Jes...
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Season 2
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Episode 265
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52:57
[318] - What Are IPRGCs and Why They Matter for Shift Workers
Light is the most powerful signal for your body clock—but most shift workers never train it on purpose. In this episode, I explain how your eye’s light-sensing cells set circadian timing and show you exactly how to use morning light, controlled...
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Season 2
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Episode 264
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19:50