How to Successfully Juggle Shift Work with Family Life - Sterling Career Concepts

How to Successfully Juggle Shift Work with Family Life How to Successfully Juggle Shift Work with Family Life The following post about shift work is a guest post by Jackie Edwards, a frequent contributor to Sterling Career Concepts blog: Photo by Nick Karvounis on Unsplash In an ideal world, everyone will be employed in jobs that keep regular hours. In reality, there are countless places such as call centers, bakeries, hospitals, fire departments and even media entities that necessitate employees to work seemingly odd shifts. At present, more than 15 million Americans work evening shift, night shift, rotating shifts, or other employer arranged irregular shifts according to the  U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. As  financially rewarding as shift work may be, it can also undoubtedly be challenging, both for yourself as well as your family at home that is trying to adjust to your irregular working hours. Luckily there are a number of guidelines that can help you to not only take better care of yourself while engaging in shift work but make your terms of employment easier on your loved ones as well. Protect your own wellbeing Sleep is of paramount importance  to your well being and even more so when you engage in shift work. Sleeping for the recommended 7 to 8 hours a day while everyone else in your household is awake can be testing at times. If you can’t manage to get all your sleep in a single go, make use of numerous naps throughout the day to replenish your energy and keep your body functioning properly. In an attempt to be a more active part of society, a lot of shift workers try to flip their sleep/wake schedule on their days off â€" sleeping at night and being awake during the day. As noble as this may be, it can  wreak havoc with our circadian levels, resulting in severe sleep deprivation and constant fatigue. Try to maintain at least 4 hours of overlapping sleep which will help regulate your body’s internal clock and provide you with the rest you need. Improve your alertness during shift work When you work strange shifts it can become very hard to remain focused, even if you do think you get enough sleep during the day. When you are unable to be alert your productivity can suffer tremendously and you can also be more prone to injuries and accidents at work. Try to engage in moderate exercise before your shift starts as it can boost your alertness. Conversation with your colleagues, where possible, can also delay the onset of fatigue  as can keeping the light bright and as close to a natural hue as possible. Don’t over indulge in caffeine when you work during the night, it may give you a temporary boost but the slump that will follow at around 4am will be one of the worst you have ever experienced. Rather  eat healthy snacks like fruits and nuts  and drink plenty of water or green tea. Prioritize your partner while making time to network   Where one partner works shift work, it is of vital importance to have open lines of communication. It is perfectly normal for the partner at home to feel somewhat neglected â€" as if your job is more important than your family.   Make an effort to spend time together when you are at home, even if just for a few minutes at a time. On your off days, you will have to bite the bullet occasionally, fighting your urge to sleep in favor of engaging in potentially-crucial networking with key players within your industry that can help boost your career in the future. Try to make these plans well in advance to give yourself enough time to make sure you are well-rested. Aim to forge friendships with your colleagues and keep in touch with them on your days off. You could all be of great moral support to one another, especially when working shifts may seem to be getting the better of you. As long as there is a need for shift work, there will be individuals working at all hours of the day and night.   Current economic trends suggest that the prevalence of shift work will continue to increase as more individuals are required to take on second jobs to make ends meets. Luckily there are many ways to negate the negative effects of shift work, allowing you to perform at your best in your job while keeping a healthy balance in your life.