Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) is a huge industry in the Philippines. Because of this, a lot of Filipinos work for clients outside the Philippines. But time isn’t the same everywhere so most of the time, we have to adjust to the client’s time zone. Here’s where employees have to do the graveyard shift.Â
If you’re part of the minority who have to do the graveyard shift, staying wide awake during work hours can be a struggle. Here are some tips to help you survive the graveyard shift whether it’s onsite or if you’re working from home.
READ: Why You Should Make Mindful Meditation Part of Your Daily Routine
Build a daily routine
When we say daily routines, we might think of a morning person. But routines are for everyone, even if your hours are a bit weird. From waking to the end of the day, it’s best to have something you can stick to so you and your body can get used to your hours. However, you need to commit to your routine so that means you shouldn’t go back to the day shift during the weekends.
Don’t drink coffee near your bedtime
Caffeine can take up to 10 hours to leave your system completely. So if you want a restful sleep, you shouldn’t be drinking coffee a few hours before your bedtime. While drinking coffee in the middle of your night shift can be hard, take baby steps and try to lessen your intake near your time out.
READ: How to Have a Good Night’s Rest (Especially When You’re Stressed)
Snack healthily
One of the reasons why the graveyard shift can lead to weight gain and an unhealthy lifestyle is because it’s so easy to be tempted by fast food. Especially if you work on site and the options out there are fast food and convenience stores, you’re more likely to fall into this trap. Even if you’re working from home, it’s so easy to eat processed foods because of convenience. This is why the trick is to stock up on fruits and even veggies that you can simply cut up and snack on. Nuts are a healthy snack too!
Day-proof your bedroom
Working night shifts ruins our circadian rhythm. Because of our body, we tend to become sleepy once it’s dark and then wide awake when the sun is up. To resist our body’s natural process, you should day-proof your bedroom so that when it’s time to sleep even when the sun’s up, you’ll feel as if it’s still night. This means investing in blackout curtains (or simply using black cartolina on your windows) and using eye masks. Turning on the aircon will also help you sleep better so the heat won’t wake you up in the middle of the day.
READ: Things You Can Do/Eat That Keep You Awake (Coffee is Not One of Them)
