Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Tips for Surviving and Enjoying the Night Shift
One of my friend forwarded this useful stuff thought of posting it here.
Whether you are a new graduate starting night shifts for the first time or an experienced night shift employee, these tips may assist you to improve your night shift experiences. The role of the night shift should not be minimised. What happens during the night shift is as important to the recovery of the individual in hospital as the activities that occur on any shift. The night shift can be a time for rich drama in nursing, with each night like a new adventure as it unfolds into a new day.
The common problems that many night shift employee face are:
· Stress - Irregular working hours and pressure to perform better contribute to high stress and sometimes it could be even traumatic.
· Disorders - Various disorders like insomnia, fatigue and disorientation accompany night work
· Obesity - Physical inactivity, excessive eating, wrong food choices and irregular eating habits make one gain weight
· Gastrointestinal and digestive problems – Wrong eating habits contribute to indigestion, stomachache, heartburn and loss of appetite
· Behavioral and emotional disturbances – Night shift working causes many disturbances in one's life like depression, decline in self esteem and resentment, anxiety, hopelessness, withdrawal from social interactions, strong urge to cry without specific incident, avoidance of previously enjoyed activities, phobia, fears and unwanted thoughts.
With a few essential changes, night shift employee can avoid the health complications of shift works and ease adverse symptoms. A healthy lifestyle and, most importantly, right nutrition choices help you save yourself from the adverse effects of night shift work.
Here are some healthy eating tips to stop weight gain and other health complications.
· Drinking at least two liters of water a day helps in improving digestion. Lack of water intake results in thirst headaches and fatigue.
· Balanced varied meals and regular meal timings keep up your health.
· Increase fibre content in your diet. Oat bran and ragi are rich in fiber content. Take in complex carbohydrates/whole grain carbohydrates instead of refined carbohydrate.
· Plan the time you take your meals carefully. Eat lightly throughout the night shift and take a moderate breakfast to prevent hunger while sleeping and get uninterrupted sleep and digestive discomfort.
· Keep a check on your fat intake: Keep out red meat and organ meat as they are high in saturated fat content. Instead opt for egg white, lean meat pieces or fish in your non-veg meal option. But, it should not be fried.
· Prefer buttermilk to aerated drink because it is a healthier and cooler option.
· Avoid heavy meals after midnight because they make you feel drowsy.
· Also avoid fatty, spicy and high fat foods during overnight for the same reason.
· Relax during meals and allow time for digestion.
· Avoid caffeine and alcohol as they affect the rate of digestion.
Apart from the above diet tips, follow these tips and techniques.
· Have a good sleep in the day by setting up proper condition for sleep. Darken your room and put your mobile on a silent mode for an undisturbed sleep. Also, tell your friends and family how important is that few hours of sleep for you.
· Avoid excessive use of antacids, tranquilizers and sleeping pills.
· Learn relaxation techniques that help in healthy sleep.
· Keep fit and stress-free. Physical fitness improves the body's ability to remain alert and helps us to relax at other times. Twenty minutes of exercise at least three times each week (though not just before bedtime) will help reduce stress and feelings of fatigue and increase our sense of well-being
"Prevention is better than cure"
"A healthy man is a successful man"
"He, who has health, has hope; and he who has hope has everything"
The common problems that many night shift employee face are:
· Stress - Irregular working hours and pressure to perform better contribute to high stress and sometimes it could be even traumatic.
· Disorders - Various disorders like insomnia, fatigue and disorientation accompany night work
· Obesity - Physical inactivity, excessive eating, wrong food choices and irregular eating habits make one gain weight
· Gastrointestinal and digestive problems – Wrong eating habits contribute to indigestion, stomachache, heartburn and loss of appetite
· Behavioral and emotional disturbances – Night shift working causes many disturbances in one's life like depression, decline in self esteem and resentment, anxiety, hopelessness, withdrawal from social interactions, strong urge to cry without specific incident, avoidance of previously enjoyed activities, phobia, fears and unwanted thoughts.
With a few essential changes, night shift employee can avoid the health complications of shift works and ease adverse symptoms. A healthy lifestyle and, most importantly, right nutrition choices help you save yourself from the adverse effects of night shift work.
Here are some healthy eating tips to stop weight gain and other health complications.
· Drinking at least two liters of water a day helps in improving digestion. Lack of water intake results in thirst headaches and fatigue.
· Balanced varied meals and regular meal timings keep up your health.
· Increase fibre content in your diet. Oat bran and ragi are rich in fiber content. Take in complex carbohydrates/whole grain carbohydrates instead of refined carbohydrate.
· Plan the time you take your meals carefully. Eat lightly throughout the night shift and take a moderate breakfast to prevent hunger while sleeping and get uninterrupted sleep and digestive discomfort.
· Keep a check on your fat intake: Keep out red meat and organ meat as they are high in saturated fat content. Instead opt for egg white, lean meat pieces or fish in your non-veg meal option. But, it should not be fried.
· Prefer buttermilk to aerated drink because it is a healthier and cooler option.
· Avoid heavy meals after midnight because they make you feel drowsy.
· Also avoid fatty, spicy and high fat foods during overnight for the same reason.
· Relax during meals and allow time for digestion.
· Avoid caffeine and alcohol as they affect the rate of digestion.
Apart from the above diet tips, follow these tips and techniques.
· Have a good sleep in the day by setting up proper condition for sleep. Darken your room and put your mobile on a silent mode for an undisturbed sleep. Also, tell your friends and family how important is that few hours of sleep for you.
· Avoid excessive use of antacids, tranquilizers and sleeping pills.
· Learn relaxation techniques that help in healthy sleep.
· Keep fit and stress-free. Physical fitness improves the body's ability to remain alert and helps us to relax at other times. Twenty minutes of exercise at least three times each week (though not just before bedtime) will help reduce stress and feelings of fatigue and increase our sense of well-being
"Prevention is better than cure"
"A healthy man is a successful man"
"He, who has health, has hope; and he who has hope has everything"
My first day in office
My first day in office:
It was July 24, 2006 when I joined the office.
I wanted to share my experience of my first day in my office. When I entered the office I remember my child hood when I first started going to school. Everyone is new and we are completely confused where to go what to do. However, around 20 people joined with me. Everybody treated me very nicely.
When I entered the training room I met my previous company colleagues and was happy to see them join with me.
I was very much excited to start my career. Things were organized and everything went on smoothly.
It was July 24, 2006 when I joined the office.
I wanted to share my experience of my first day in my office. When I entered the office I remember my child hood when I first started going to school. Everyone is new and we are completely confused where to go what to do. However, around 20 people joined with me. Everybody treated me very nicely.
When I entered the training room I met my previous company colleagues and was happy to see them join with me.
I was very much excited to start my career. Things were organized and everything went on smoothly.
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