Shift work is a common type of work schedule, found in healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing and many other workplaces. Here’s a quick guide to understanding and managing those challenges.
How can shift work affect our mental health?
Shift work means working outside the typical 9-to-5 schedule, often including evenings, nights, early mornings, and weekends. This can disrupt our body's natural rhythm and affect both physical and mental health.
Maintaining work-life balance
Shift work can also blur the lines between work and personal life, making it tough to stick to a routine and maintain work-life balance. Tips for maintaining work-life balance:
- Share your work schedule with family and friends to help manage expectations.
- Develop routines before and after your shifts to signal the start and end of your workday.
- If you’re working from home, have a specific area just for work to keep your personal space separate.
Dealing with sleep issues
Working nights or irregular hours can disrupt your sleep, leading to poor sleep quality and deprivation. Tips for better sleep:
- Try to keep a regular sleep schedule, even on days off.
- Make your bedroom dark, quiet, and cool. Blackout curtains and white noise machines can help.
- Avoid caffeine and heavy meals close to bedtime, as they can keep you awake.
Coping with inconsistent routines
Shift work can make it hard to maintain a regular routine, leading to stress and disorientation. Tips for managing inconsistency:
- Create routines that can adapt to different shifts, focusing on relaxation and well-being activities like exercise or hobbies.
- Try to plan your shifts and personal activities in advance to bring some predictability to your schedule.
Handling uncertainty and planning
Unpredictable schedules can make long-term planning challenging, leading to anxiety and frustration. Tips for managing uncertainty:
- Focus on setting and achieving short-term goals to stay motivated.
- Discuss your scheduling needs with your manager to explore more predictable shift options.
- Appreciate the variety in your work schedule and focus on the positives it brings.
Building team connections
Switching between different teams and shifts can disrupt social connections at work. Tips for enhancing team connection:
- Participate in team-building activities and social events to strengthen relationships.
- Keep in touch with team members through regular meetings and updates.
- Promote team interaction and activities to build stronger connections.
Coping with night shifts
Night shifts can be especially tough, affecting your body's natural rhythm and increasing stress. Tips for managing night shifts:
- Slowly adjust your sleep schedule before starting a night shift.
- Eat balanced meals, exercise regularly, and stay hydrated.
- Connect with colleagues who also work night shifts to share tips and support.
- Daily D.O.S.E: Find simple ways to release feel-good chemicals like Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphins. Activities like cold showers, warm baths, massages, stretching, hugs, laughter, dark chocolate, and essential oils can help.
Recognising and addressing mental health issues
Shift work can increase the risk of mental health problems like anxiety, depression, and burnout. Look out for persistent sadness, irritability, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, and withdrawal from social activities.
If you are struggling with your mental health, there are free UK helplines listed below who are available to listen and support you. Visit our get help page, which includes information on additional helplines and talking to your GP.
- Samaritans offers a 24 hours a day, 7 days a week support service. Call them free on 116 123 or email [email protected]
- CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) has a helpline (5pm to midnight) and webchat for anyone who’s having a tough time and needs to talk.
Shift work can be demanding, but with the right strategies, you can manage its impact on your mental health. Setting clear boundaries, maintaining flexible routines, prioritising sleep, and seeking support are key to navigating the challenges of shift work. Remember, support is always available.
Content provided by Mental Health at Work
Mental Health at Work’s mission is to improve working lives by influencing attitudes and behaviours around workplace mental health. They have been supporting organisations since 2015 with facilitated workshops, webinars, and digital learning. All programmes are tailored to meet the needs of individual clients, complementing any existing mental health strategy. Last year they worked across 60 countries globally.
Contact: Marty Wightman, Managing Director
[email protected]
World Mental Health Day
World Mental Health Day is celebrated every year on 10 October. This year’s theme set by the World Federation of Mental Health is workplace mental health. The theme highlights the importance of addressing mental health and wellbeing in the workplace, for the benefit of people, organisations, and communities.
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