5 Amazing Things About Working Nights!
When you tell people that you work nights, you are probably met with words of sympathy:
“I’m sorry! I hope you’ll be able to move to days soon!”
“That’s rough. I bet it’s impossible to get enough sleep!”
When you constantly receive these messages, it can be easy to start believing that there is nothing positive about working nights. This can quickly become a self-fulfilling prophecy, causing you to feel negatively about going to work each day and contributing to any work or sleep-related stress or anxiety that you are already facing.
The best way to combat this stress and negativity is to practice gratitude.
While the night shift certainly has its challenges, there are also plenty of advantages. Reflecting on the enjoyable aspects of working the night shift will help you have a more positive outlook on your job, and it will work wonders for your mental health.
Here are five benefits to working nights to help you get started:
1. A peaceful commute
When you work the night shift, you do not have to worry about waking up early to try to beat rush hour traffic. You can enjoy an easy, peaceful commute to and from work without worrying about stopping in standstill traffic, being late for your shift, getting irritated by constant honking, and other woes that day shift workers have to deal with each morning. With less traffic, you’ll also save money on gas!
The night shift allows you to jam out to your music, listen to a podcast, or simply drive in blissful silence without the headache of the traditional 9 to 5 commute.
2. Hassle-free errands
When you do your grocery shopping or visit other businesses to run errands during the traditional workday, you don’t have to face massive crowds, wait in long check-out lines, or struggle to find a close parking space. Think of how many hours you save over time when you don’t have to waste time waiting for other people to check out or looking for a spot that isn’t too far away from the store!
There are also many businesses that only operate during traditional business hours. If you need to go to the dentist or schedule any other appointment, you can do so without finding someone to cover your shift.
The ability to run errands quickly and when stores are least likely to be crowded is one of the many perks of working nights.
3. Free time during the day
In addition to being able to run your errands with ease, working the night shift gives you more free time during the day to enjoy things that those who work the day shift often cannot.
If your kid has a school performance or presentation during the school day, you don’t have to take a personal day so that you can attend.
If a museum has an exhibit you are interested in seeing or there is some other event that you want to experience, you can go during regular hours.
If you want to go back to school, it is a lot easier to take classes during the day than at night time.
If you simply want to go for a jog or a bike ride when the sun is still out, you can plan to go in the cool of the afternoon without worrying that you will leave work so late that it will be too dark for you to enjoy the sunlight.
This free time during the day is invaluable.
4. Meaningful work
While all jobs are important, there is a certain pride that comes from doing the work that keeps this country running smoothly. Whether you are a healthcare professional, a firefighter, a dispatcher, a police officer, or a worker on a production line making sure essential products make it out to the public, your job plays an important role in keeping people safe, comfortable, and happy.
The knowledge that you are a part of a group of people who are working tirelessly to keep the country running is an accomplishment that you should not take lightly.
5. Solitude
There is a certain peace that comes when you are up while most of the rest of the world is asleep. When you work the night shift, you never have to scramble to find a moment to take for yourself or to unwind on your own. When you’re awake in the afternoon and want to spend some time alone, you will be able to take advantage of the fact that most people are at work. If you want to relax when you come home from your shift, most people are asleep.
Working nights allows you to have moments of solitude, which can be great for your mental health.
The next time you’re tempted to listen to negativity surrounding working the night shift, take a moment and remember that these are just five of the awesome benefits of working nights!
Night Shift Nutrition is a community focused on living your best life, while working nights. We do this by sharing our experiences and science based educations. The point is to not only survive working nights but to thrive! If this sounds like something you’d like to be a part of you can apply to join our facebook group or subscribe to our email list.
