The Health Care Blog

How to Manage Working in Night Shift

Night shift is becoming a common phenomenon now a day. Gone are the days when people only used to work from 9 am to 5 pm. Today there are jobs which need the employees working in night shifts too. What is most neglected by these night shifts people is their health.
The Problems
Health issue is the main reason for people to abhor night shift. Our body clock is set to work in the day and sleep in the night. In night shift these body clock have to work in an opposite way. Many people find it easy to deal while others find difficulty in working in night shifts. There are number of problems which are common in every person who works in night shift.
Let’s have a look at the health problems which people working in night shift face.

1. Sleeping problem: This is the most important problem to deal for those who work in night shifts. It takes lot of time to adjust body’s clock timing to sleep in the day and work in the night. Not all people find it easy to handle while the nocturnal won’t find any issues with it.
2. Weight problem: Many people tend to put on weight due to over eating during night shifts. There is also set of people who find it hard to maintain regular weight because of erratic eating habits.
3. Stomach disorders: Working in night shifts invites host of stomach related problems like stomach burn, digestion, constipation, acidity, heartburn etc. All these problems if once show there occurrences are difficult to deal with.
4. Stress: A person working in night shift is constantly faces lot of stress. He has pressure to perform better, deal with family and managing health issues leaves him with lot of stress bothering him.
5. Heart Diseases: Working in night shift can have very bad effect on the heart. Many research studies have shown that people working in night shifts are prone to heart diseases, blood pressure and diabetes.
6. Emotional & Behavioral Problems:  Nobody likes to work in the night when all the dear ones are sleeping. A person is bound to show behavioral problems because of his work pattern. He may also go through emotional stress if he fails spend quality time with his family members.

You cannot leave your job because you need to work in night shifts or grave yard shifts. Nobody likes having so many problems because of working in night shifts. The only solution to deal with the above problems is to act smart and learn ways to manage the above problems.
Managing Sleep Problem
Sleeping in the day time is not as easy as it seems. Our body has internal biological clock which makes us work in the day and sleep in the night. People working in night shifts have to do the opposite. We all are habituated to sleep in the night and work in the daytime. It is no doubt going to be difficult initially but then after few days you will adjust to your day sleeping pattern. But you can manage this with taking care of few things which are as follows:

• Whenever you sleep, ask your family member to make less noise. Ask children to watch TV with low sound.
• Also make it a point that no one enters the room when you’re sleeping or keep the entry into the room very minimal.  You can create a perfect atmosphere by putting thick dark colored curtains, as we all are used to sleep in dark rooms. You can also use eye mask to avoid the light during day time.
• Make sure that you eat properly before you sleep so that you don’t get up in the middle of your sleep. A sound 6 to 8 hours sleep is very essential before going to the shift.
• If you have inadequate sleep, you will have headaches, irritation, poor concentration at workplace, acidity etc. So a good sleep plays very important role in keep in the mind fresh and to carry other body functions smoothly.
• Switch off your mobile phone as this can cause disturbance while you sleep.
• It is strictly not advisable to pop sleeping pills to get sleep without doctor’s prescription.

Omega 3 Fatty Acids

• Brain food
• Makes your eyes sharp
• Hair follicles shiny
• Helps to regulate body weight

Those who dislike fish and have never eaten non-veg must try out cod liver tablets available at the chemist. Try out these tablets, if possible eat fresh fish, baked or fried with very little oil. The omega 3 fatty acids present in them has galore of benefits. They help you avoid cataract and makes your vision sharper. It also strengthens your hair follicles and adds shine to it. Since fish is one of the best sources of protein, you can bet that a diet composed of fish will help you get rid of hunger pangs. If you stick to this kind of diet, you may even get used to leaving your refrigerator undisturbed every night.
It is an amazing brain food. It consists of DHA and EPA which stands for docosahexaenoic acid and eicosapentaenoic acid. These are fatty acids which serves good for your tissue in the brain and your eyes. Hence, it is considered a good source for brain. Pregnant women who consumed fish such as mackerel, sardine, cod or tuna give birth to kids with great hand eye co-ordination. If you are a fish eater, then you must continue to eat them in small amount. Some fish may have consumed toxins or chemicals from water which is not good for pregnant women. You can have them in small amounts and take adequate care while purchasing them; you must purchase them from a clean place.
Omega-3 fatty acids present in fish will enhance your memory, energy, focus and mood. It also helps those with sleeping disorders get adequate sleep. Fish oil supplements may also be consumed, but make sure it is purified one. Let that be of a proper ratio: DHA or EPA should be consumed in a proper ratio. It must be around 6 grams of DHA or EPA. In addition to this, you must go on a brisk walk or slight exercise should do. This would help break down any fat that would get accumulated.
It also reduces heart disease and hence patients with heart problems must consume this food after consulting their doctors.
Other sources of omega 3s include:
Soy and tofu
Green leafy vegetables
Nuts and seeds like almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, and flax seed
Cooking oils such as flax seed oil, canola oil, and soybean oil
Some eggs, such as omega-3 enhanced eggs.

Stress Free In a Week

Stress is a chronic condition. It’s all around you,  in your workplace,  social life, and even in your home. When left to run its course, stress can intensify into chronic frustration, grief, anxiety, and depression.

Stress is a mental condition generally brought on by worrying about things you cannot change and/or feeling overwhelmed by a situation. It can erode your sense of self, and adversely affect your blood pressure and even your mental stability.

Stress, however, can be positive. Some folks actually thrive on stress. The more pressure they are under to perform, the better they do!

Stress, although often caused by external forces, is nurtured and magnified in the mind. Let’s examine what you can do to decrease, and even eliminate, it. It can be managed! There are several ways you can do this yourself. Consider this your:

Seven-day Stress Eliminating Course.

Here are seven simple steps to follow, one for each day:

1. Acknowledge that stress is good

Make stress your friend! Your body reacts to stress either by fighting it or fleeing from it. Identify your responses to stress. The extra energy you feel in fighting it can be re-channeled to enhance your performance at the right moment. Consider this; no top sportsman is ever totally relaxed before a big competition. Use your stress wisely to push yourself that little bit harder when it counts most. On the other hand, ignoring problems by fleeing from the situation will also affect your well-being. Try and identify how you can constructively alter your situation.

2. Avoid stress spewers

Stressed people spew out stress words and thoughts indiscriminately. They like to talk about their problems and, before you know it you are affected, too! Identify the ones that affect you! They include the doom and gloom media warnings of what may – never – happen!

Protect yourself by recognizing stress in others and limiting your contact with them.

3. Learn from the best

When others in your environment are not coping well, identify the ones who keep calm under pressure. What are they doing differently? What is their attitude? What language do they use? Are they trained and experienced? Study their habits, ask them how they do it, learn from the best stress managers, and copy what they do.

4. Practice breathing techniques

You can trick your body into relaxing by using this breathing technique: Breathe in slowly for a count of 7; then breathe out for a count of 11. Repeat the 7-11 breathing until your heart rate slows down, your sweaty palms dry, and you start to feel better.

5. Put a stop to stressful thoughts

As stress is a mind manipulator, you can tangle yourself up in stress knots just by thinking thoughts like: “If this happens, then that might happen, and then we’re all up the creek!” Most of these things never happen, so why waste all that energy worrying needlessly?

Put a stop to stressful thoughts; cut them off as soon as they pop up! Even if you have a ‘legitimate’ cause to worry, ask yourself: “what can one ounce of my worry do to prevent it or fix it?”

6. Isolate your trigger points and hot spots

Make your own list of stress trigger points or hot spots. Be specific. Do presentations, interviews, meetings, feedbacks, tight deadlines trigger stress for you? Then identify specifics. For instance, do only presentations to a certain audience get you worked up? Is one type of project more stressful than another? Do you drink too much coffee?

Once you have identified your stress factors, you can then take the appropriate steps to reduce them. Do you need to learn some new skills? Do you need extra resources? Do you need to switch to decaf?

7. Take care of your body!

Lack of sleep, poor diet and no exercise will add to your distress! This, although obvious, is all too often ignored as a stress management technique. Be good to your body. Give it rest, good nutrition, and go out and enjoy life!