Here I am wide awake whilst the masses get the recommended amount of shut-eye, but I know that there are subtle advantages to working night shifts. Unfortunately there are many jobs out there that require operatives to work at night and during unsociable hours. Working night shifts means my body clock is subjected to more twists and turns than an Olympic gymnast. However it is not all doom and gloom when it comes to drudgery in the darkness and labouring without the daylight. Prepare yourself for the night exertions ahead by feeding off the positivity that working through the night can bring.
Avoiding rush hour is just one advantage of working night shifts. What more of an incentive do you need? Knowing you’re not in work until the evening ensures you will evade the tailback of traffic experienced by those individuals who work standard office hours. The frustration and boredom of sitting in a traffic jam can irritate even the most introverted of personalities. It’s refreshing when you can enjoy your drive to and from work.
I recommended that you get ample amounts of sleep before you go on shift in the evening and there is nothing quite as exhilarating as a power nap. However you should still have time in the day to be productive and take care of any errands that may be on your to-do list. If you’re lucky you may even get a moment to enjoy the sunshine. Top up the tan whilst everyone else is slaving away in the soaring heat. Feel guilty? I think not.
Most companies will pay extra to workers that toil through the night. Money may not provide you with happiness, but it will provide you with options. A couple of shifts during the hours of darkness are often equivalent to working three or four day shifts. When you are struggling to remain awake, just think of your bank balance.
The word ‘delirious’ often gets brandished around when me and work colleagues are on a late shift. It is only natural to feel fatigued as the hours tick down to the end of the night. Sometimes it feels like the morning is never going to arrive, but you and your colleagues will see each other through when the going gets tough. Whether it’s just rambling gibberish or playing silly games, you really can generate a buoyant atmosphere. After all, you can’t just rely on coffee to get you to the finish.
The majority of departments in organisations only operate during the day; therefore you cannot rely on their support. Consequently those working the night are required to be confident, efficient and independent in their role. This will enable you to adapt to your surroundings and limited decisions that you have available to select from. Sometimes the hardest decisions we face are when we have little choice, as opposed to a wide range of options.
The big guns high up in your organisation will no doubt be sleeping whilst you exert yourself at silly o’clock. You can go about your business without having to worry about being disturbed, unless of course like me you work in a call centre and get the odd call in the early hours from a regular who just wants a chat. Either way, you will have plenty of opportunity to carry out your work with minimum fuss. Having no distractions makes those long nights all the more bearable.
It really is a magical feeling when you know you are not going to be struck down by a common case of the Monday morning blues. Trust me; nothing is quite as satisfying as crawling into bed on a Monday morning whilst people head to work for the start of their working week.
Many see working through the night as working the graveyard shift. However there is something exciting in being a night shift worker that makes me come alive. What other advantages do you find in working night shifts?