Shift Work Fatigue – Can Your Mindset Give You More Energy?
If you’re a shift worker like me then the term ‘shift work fatigue’ is something you’d rather forget, or even better – eliminate completely. Now I don’t know about you, but I’ve spent over 15 years as a shift worker having many fights with my alarm clock, so I know exactly what it’s like to feel tired all of the time and to have no energy.
You see, as shift workers we work some pretty crazy hours and getting up in the dark and coming home in the dark is something that many of us consider to be “normal”.
Hmmm. Yes I guess we are a strange breed.
But the enormity of shift work fatigue is not only apparent on our physical health which is somewhat easy to recognise, but it’s when our mental health is disturbed that shift work fatigue can become more prevalent, and potentially more dangerous.
You see many studies have shown that there is a direct link between people working shift work and a high incidence of depression. Now depression can come in many forms and if you’re particularly worried then you should really be seeking expert medical advice.
But what I want to talk to you about today is a mild version, but potentially can lead to acute depression if you’re not careful.
Let me share with you my own personal story to help explain.
Three years ago my workplace underwent a massive change. New management changed the dynamics of the workplace entirely and resulted in a third of my colleagues either quitting their job or resigning due to stress. Now I worked for a huge organisation so those numbers were massive. For myself, well I ended up in my doctor’s office in tears and close to breaking point.
And this is when my doctor saved my life.
She handed me a flyer which simply said “Change your life my changing your thoughts”. Now when I read that I thought – “What the?” But it wasn’t until I took that flyer home and read it more deeply, that I started to understand the concept of ‘Cognitive Behavioural Therapy’. You see I had so many negative thoughts going through my head that they was making my shift work fatigue even worse then it should have been. You see negative thoughts create negative energy which in turn, adds to your fatigue.
So I got hold of any book I could on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy or ‘CBT’ and started absorbing the contents like a mad woman. I started to change my thinking and you know what started to happen? My shift work fatigue became less apparent and I started to get my energy back. I started to focus on all of the good things happening in my life instead of all of the negative ones.
To this day I still thank my doctor for opening my eyes to the wonderful world of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and I’m no longer visiting her surgery in tears!
If you’d like to learn some more handy ‘shift worker tips’ like beating fatigue, boosting your immune system and even losing weight then you can order my Free Report “Why Shift Workers Are So Tired, Unhealthy & Unhappy– And What YOU Can Do To Fix It!” at http://www.healthyshiftworker.com/ I hope you enjoy reading it because I really enjoyed writing it!
(ArticlesBase SC #1457165)
Article Tags:
shift work fatigue
,fatigue in shift work
,shiftwork fatigue
,shift work
,shiftwork
,fatigue
,shiftwork tiredness
,shift work struggles
,shift work mental health
The Risks of Working Overnight Shifts
Learn about how overnight shift work may increase the risk of cancer in this medical report. (01:20)
How to Work on Dynamic/Shifting Court Position
Coach Dinoffer will have you working on your motion across the tennis court. (01:27)
Pro Tools: How To Pitch Shift Audio
Learn how to pitch your audio regions up or down using the Pitch Shift plugin within Pro Tools 8. (04:32)
Fancy Graphing: Changes in Period, Amplitude, Vertical Shift, and Phase Shift
Professor Edward Burger explains fancy graphing with changes in period, amplitude, vertical shift, and phase shift in this video from Thinkwell's online Algebra series. (08:29)
HTC Shift - Tech Review
GetConnected TV gives you up to date tech news and reviews on products to help you at home and in the office,this video will focus on the HTC shift . (03:52)
If you experience shift worker fatigue then you know that your sleep or lack of it, has a lot to do with you feeling tired all of the time. But have you ever thought how your bed may be preventing you from getting a good night’s sleep?
If you’re a shift worker then the term ‘shift worker fatigue’ is a sensitive topic because it pretty much sums up your entire existence - fatigued. But is this really true or are we anticipating shift worker fatigue by just talking about it?
Today everyone is obsessed with being healthy and fit. Personal training is one of the aspects of health industry that has seen a significant growth in the past few years.
Do you know that 60 million Americans spend 40 billion dollars on bodybuilding supplements, vitamins, herbs, and alternative remedies? Let's face it, when it comes to results, most bodybuilders, fitness buffs, and weight loss enthusiasts are rather impatient and want instant success.Bodybuilding supplements are widely used to increase muscle mass, reduce recovery time after an intense workout, and to make workouts more beneficial. However,
Don't buy Clear Body Cleanse until you read this first. Colon cleanses are great for your body. They flush out harmful toxins that can cause fatigue, weight gain, fluid retention and many other things that keep you from feeling your best.
VTouch Massage Offers Migraine Relief as an Alternative
Finally learn how to cure panic attacks and anxiety attacks from happening and proven methods to stop them.
Alvarado Hospital's Sexual Medicine Physician, Dr. Irwin Goldstein, Psychologist Lisa Steres and Bariatric Surgeon, Dr. Sunil Bhoyrul Discuss how Weight Loss Imapacts Sexual Health and Overall Wellness
If you have been trying to get in shape but are floundering in the dark it is probably because you have no way to accurately track your progress. Also, we are only given approximations on the amount of calories we are burning or the amount of activity we have accomplished in a given amount of time.
If you've tried many types of hemorrhoid solutions then you probably understand the differences of how each is used. In this article, I'll go over what each of them do for the body, how they intend to treat hemorrhoids or piles, and the controversial, raw truth on most of them.
For someone who experiences shift work fatigue, I have been anticipating this day - the first day of my holidays! Fabulous - I can throw away my alarm clock for 2 whole weeks (actually very tempted to throw it in the trash can for good ...), but instead of bouncing out of my bed this morning - I actually woke up feeling a bit like a deflated balloon.
Are you one of these people that just have to look at a chocolate cake and you put on 2 kilo's? Are you so obsessed with "fats" that you avoid them completely? Well if you are - then it's time to change!
Now I don't know about you but I'm a bit of a tennis fan. In fact I'd actually go so far as to call myself a bit of a tennis 'nut'. And as I watch the 2010 Australian Open from the comfort on my lounge chair this week, I am in awe of the level of fitness, skills and focus which these athletes display.
Driving home after night shift can certainly be a struggle. Apart from getting stuck in traffic congestion created by our ‘Nine-to-Five Cousins’ as they head off to work, the streaming rays of sunshine as they pass through your windscreen can certainly make you want to pry your eyes open with a set of toothpicks!
If you’ve ever suffered from sleep apnoea then you’ve no doubt spent plenty of time battling with constant fatigue and tiredness. When your sleep apnoea causes you to stop breathing during the night AND you get up at odd times (shift work), then it’s no wonder that you wake up feeling like you’ve just been hit by a Mac truck!
If you’re experiencing shift work stress then you’re not alone. Just getting up at 2am is putting unwanted stress on your body because quite frankly - we’re not like nocturnal animals that come to life and thrive in the dark!
If you’ve ever experienced sleeping problems then you would almost certainly agree that any sound of disturbances whilst you’re trying to catch some shut eye is not a perfect scenario! In fact, if you work night shift or any type of shift work and you’re trying to sleep during the day, achieving the perfect slumber can become somewhat challenging.
As we close the blinds and lock up shop for 2009, many of us become obsessed with one New Years Resolution in particular – and that’s to lose weight.
