Mindset Matters… How to Thrive on the Night Shift!
Working the night shift has its fair share of challenges. When you have to work a long shift night after night while struggling to get an adequate amount of sleep, it can be easy for you to adopt a negative mindset.
When you are already at a higher risk for mood disorders and immunity issues due to working the night shift, having a negative mindset will make it far worse. When you are always thinking negative thoughts like, “This job will never get better,” or “I’m never going to get a good day’s sleep,” or “there’s nothing good about working nights,” you can start to start to feel depressed, anxious, or frustrated. This causes you to have an even worse experience working nights, and it will start to affect your physical and mental health.
While this cycle of negativity is easy to perpetuate, this is probably not the way you want to live your life.
You can prevent the night shift from taking a toll on your mental health by trying to cultivate a positive mindset instead of a negative one.
Benefits of a positive mindset
There are countless mental health benefits that come from shifting your mindset so that you are happier and more positive while you work the night shift.
Here are a few reasons why you should try to become a more positive person:
Improved sleep
Many night shift workers struggle to get several hours of high-quality sleep each day. Working the night shift can disrupt your circadian rhythm and make it difficult for you to get much-needed REM sleep, and this issue is only exacerbated when anxiety and worry prevent you from falling asleep quickly.
When you focus on addressing your mindset and practicing ways to reduce this anxiety and embrace positivity, you will be able to improve your sleep each night.
Increased motivation
When you feel like everything you are doing is pointless or hopeless, it can be hard to find the motivation necessary to do a great job both in and outside of your work environment.
A positive mindset where you are focused on doing your best each day, staying productive, and working toward goals will give you purpose and direction, motivating you when you head to each shift.
Health benefits
Studies have shown that embracing happiness and a positive attitude can have significant health benefits including reducing your risk of heart disease, improving your body’s immune system, and extending your lifespan.
As a night shift worker, you are more likely to have a shorter life span and a poorer immune system response than your day working counterparts. Working toward being a more positive person can help reduce these negative risks and effects, causing you to have a longer, happier life.
Shifting your mindset
While there are countless benefits to having a positive mindset, you cannot simply will yourself to become happier with the snap of your fingers. However, becoming a happier, more positive person, while easier said than done, is an attainable goal.
Here are a few steps you can take to have a more positive mindset:
Practice gratitude
Practicing gratitude is a small action that can have major benefits.
It can be easy to dwell on the negative. There are plenty of aspects of working nights that can be frustrating: long hours, sleep troubles, and immunity issues are a few of the most common problems that night shift workers have to face, sometimes on a daily basis.
However, when you only focus on the negative aspects of your job or your life, it is easy to let those negative thoughts spiral and influence your mood, your mental health, and your overall well-being.
Practicing gratitude helps you move out of this negative space and appreciate the positive aspects of your job and your life instead. There are many benefits to working the night shift that some night shift workers overlook when they focus on the negative aspects instead: easy commutes with no traffic, higher pay, rewarding work, and more time during the day to spend time with family or pursue hobbies are just a few of the many advantages of working nights.
Start listing the benefits of working nights as well as other things you are grateful for like family and friends, and soon you will realize that you have a lot more going for you than you might think. As you recognize all of the good you have in your life, you will start to see more opportunities to practice gratitude and you will begin to see your life in a more positive light.
Surround yourself with positive people
One of the best ways for you to become a more positive person is to spend time with positive people. When you are surrounded by people who always look at the bright side of every situation and who share their sunny disposition and positive outlook on life, you will start to adopt these same habits and become a more positive person, yourself.
Avoid spending time with people who always have something negative to say and make friends with people who will share encouragement, laughter, and positive energy throughout your day.
Create an afternoon routine
While it might seem simple, creating an afternoon routine can make a big difference when it comes to your mental (and physical) health. When you have a set afternoon routine, it will help you become more productive when you wake up every day. Instead of spending your day aimlessly only to realize you haven’t accomplished much when it is time for your shift, with a routine, you will be able to make sure you set and achieve your goals both big and small.
When you are productive and have goals to reach, you will feel like your life has a purpose, which will boost your mental health.
Spending time outside
Many people who work the night shift have trouble getting an adequate amount of sunlight each day. Between commuting to and from your shift at night time and sleeping during the day, if you’re not careful, you could go days without spending any time outside in the sun.
Make it a priority to spend time outside in the afternoon for at least a little while each day. The fresh air and sunlight will increase your serotonin and vitamin D levels, which will not only help you get better sleep at night but also improve your mood.
When you keep these steps in mind, you will start to notice that your happiness will increase, and you will find that you aren’t just surviving, but rather thriving on the night shift.
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.
