If you work in an industry or job which is typically open before 9 am and after 5 pm, then you might possibly be working swing shifts. Depending on your situation, this might not be an ideal schedule. Working in the afternoon or overnight certainly affects physical, mental, and social health – especially if you don’t make time to enhance them during your off hours/days.
We will provide an overview of what swing shift is, what are typical swing shift hours, and how you can still have a work-life balance with this type of work. It’s important to stay healthy for yourself and your loved ones, so hopefully, this article will help provide some insight!
What is Swing Shift?
Strictly speaking, the dictionary definition is a shift that’s between dayshift and nightshift. While this is true, various industries have expanded the definition to be pretty much any shift that exists to keep a place of business open beyond normal business hours. Here are some of the common swing shift examples, and the list is by no means exhaustive – just some common fields and shifts:
All of these businesses are open either 24 hours or past normal business hours which leads to employees working swing shifts. As stated, this list is not exhaustive. Some of these industries may have different hours depending on the management style, location, and other factors. Some may also have undetermined hours, such as a bartender working “until close”, which could vary depending on the night.
What Does Swing Shift Research Find?
This research study found that nurses working shift work, specifically night shift, were typically less satisfied with their job. They also had an increased probability of adverse health effects. This particular study looked at the following:
- “Work situation”
- “General job satisfaction”
- “Information on shifts”
- “Personal habits”
- “Sleep”
- “Chronic fatigue”
- “Physical health conditions”
- “General health questionnaire”
- “Injuries”
- “Demographic and professional information”
The researchers looked at two groups RNS (rotating night shift) and DS (day shift). The RNS group was typically younger, healthier, and fairly new to the field. Here is an interesting finding:
“RNS nurses in our sample presented chronic fatigue, sleep alterations, cardiovascular, and minor psychiatric symptoms more frequently, although they were younger and with less family responsibilities than others.”
While the RNS group was younger and in better health, they tended to show more problems potentially stemming from swing shift work. Knowing this issue exists is a good start, and places of employment can put measures in place in an attempt to help individuals working abnormal shifts.
Another research study looked at the biological, psychological, and personal factors of the participants. They concluded:
“The main physiological consequence of such shift schedules is disruption of circadian rhythm which can have a deleterious effect on performance, sleep patterns, accident rates, mental health, and cardiovascular mortality. Reproductive outcome effects may be linked to disruption of menstrual cycles.”
Tips to Survive Swing Shifts
1) Be Aware of Issues of Swing Shifts
Knowing you have a higher probability of a disruption in circadian rhythm, physical problems, and psychological issues is half the battle. Understand how the swing shift is affecting you and make an attempt to change some aspects of your lifestyle.
If you feel that you are getting burned out, check out this article. It offers an overview of healthcare worker burnout and offers some ideas on how to help.
2) Sleep and Take Naps
This may be self-explanatory, but getting enough sleep is important when on a swing shift (or any shift really). Reduced sleep increases the chance of making errors, and that could be very drastic when someone’s life is in your hands.
Use your break to take a nap if you have to. I’ve worked with nurses that go out to their car and sleep for 20-30 minutes while on lunch break. If you are tired throughout the week, try to sleep more on your days off or before a shift.
3) Exercise
Since workers on these shifts have increased cardiovascular problems, exercise is a great preventative measure. If you aren’t on a workout regimen, start off light. You might even start enjoying it. Here are some articles that could help:
I particularly like the idea of starting a jump rope routine. You can do this exercise anywhere and on lunch breaks. It’s more efficient and effective than many other exercises and proven to enhance cardiovascular health.
4) Eat Better and Plan Meals
It’s easy to go on break and grab something from the candy machine. If you find yourself eating fast food regularly, it might be time for a change. Try to get more healthy foods in your diet. Start one day or even one meal at a time. Here are some helpful articles:
Planning your meals for the day or week is also a good idea. This will not only save you money, but it will also make you be cognizant of what you’re eating. Try to cook a big, healthy meal one day of the week that you can eat multiple times.
5) Schedule Family and Social Time After Swing Shifts
A major problem of swing shifts is that you are home at times when other’s are at work/school. Not seeing your family and friends on a regular basis has severe psychological effects which could lead to larger problems.
Try to have a certain day and time (or several) that you set aside specifically to see your family or friends. You will notice a big difference in your mental health after doing this.
6) Make Friends on Your Swing Shifts
Having friends at work can be a significant benefit. If you have someone that shares similar problems, then you can help each other with issues. Even having someone to talk to about anything is nice when you’re at work.
Taking a mental break and having a conversation is certainly beneficial for overall well being. Vent to your co-worker friends or just have a normal conversation. At the very least, you won’t be thinking about work.
7) Listen to Music
Listening to music reduces depression and stress levels while increasing mood and making you happier in general. Many people take music for granted, as it’s a great tool that almost everyone has at their fingertips.
If you can listen to music while you work, give it a try and see if it helps. Otherwise, listen to your favorite songs on your break. It could be the difference between a good and a bad shift at work.
8) Use Workplace Resources
Most workplaces have wellness programs for their employees. If you are having physical, mental, or any other type of problem, try to use these resources. Talking to an individual whose job is to make your life easier/better can be a great tool to utilize.
If your workplace doesn’t have these types of programs, then you could talk to a professional outside of work. Discussing problems and finding helpful solutions can certainly help your quality of life.
9) Request/Talk to Managers
If you have decided that swing shifts just aren’t for you, then you can talk to your manager and request a different shift. Explain the problems you are having and try to come up with a solution with your superiors.
Starting a new shift just might be the right thing to do for you.
Benefits and Personal My Swing Shift Experience
I have worked on many different shifts and schedules in the healthcare field. I regularly had 3 pm – 7 am shifts as well as 7 am – 11 pm. Yeah, these shifts are long! Personally, I don’t mind them.
Finding what’s right for you may take some work, but I found that having an extra day off or two allows for time to do activities besides work. I get to spend time with family/friends, exercise regularly, and do housework more than I would with a typical 9-5.
Here are some of my personal benefits:
- Extra Days Off
- Option for Overtime
- Efficient Time Utilization
- Higher Pay
- Work Relationships
If these benefits are important for you, then working swing shifts might be right for you. Be sure to keep yourself healthy, as the shifts are very different from normalcy. As long as you maintain a good work-life balance, working swing shifts can have its benefits.