This blog is about alertness strategies for shiftworkers offering practical tips and evidence-based solutions to maintain peak performance throughout your shift. Recently while discussing alertness strategies with a shiftwork client, participants expressed a keen interest in knowing what other shiftworkers do to stay alert and the evidence behind the strategies. Here is a summary of…
How to review your roster using the ABC approach. A – Assess the Current Roster • Analyse Data: Gather and review the current roster data, including a biomathematical assessment of fatigue risk, hours worked, and any existing issues like absenteeism, overtime, or fatigue-related incidents. • Identify Needs: Evaluate the needs of both the organization and…
1. Consistency for Personal Responsibilities: Working a permanent night shift provides a consistent schedule, which can be beneficial for managing childcare and other personal responsibilities. Knowing exactly when you will be working each week allows for better planning and stability in your daily life. 2. Feeling Excluded from Day-to-Day Business: Night shift workers may feel…
Creating a healthy roster is essential for maintaining a productive, satisfied, and well-balanced workforce. Here are three critical considerations to keep in mind when designing your schedule: 1. Balance Workload to Prevent Burnout Ensuring that employees have a balanced workload is crucial for preventing burnout and maintaining high levels of productivity and morale. Overloading staff…
Ant-Blue Light Lamp Improved well-being, better sleep and protection. Low blue light lamp with 3 colour settings Portable: take the lamp everywhere Premium smart touch panel display Flexible and adjustable base for the right viewing angles 2000 mAh Lithium battery for 20 hours of light Charged by Micro-USB Designed and developed by optometrists in the…
The vagus nerve is the tenth cranial nerve and is the longest nerve of the autonomic nervous system. It comprises of both sensory and motor fibers. It is a large meandering nerve with numerous branches and gets its name from the latin wandering like a vagabond. The vagus nerve controls the parasympathetic nervous system which is…
Sleep is essential for good health. In fact, we need sleep to survive just like we need food and water and we spend about one-third of our life sleeping. Why is getting enough sleep important? 1 Sleep can boost your immune system. Scientific evidence is building that sleep has powerful effects on immune functioning. Studies…
Our workshop Living With Shiftwork has been running since 1995. It has undergone multiple changes as science has evolved, measurable outcomes are utilised and shiftworkers themselves are taught how to deliver the session. To help bring this to your workplace we now have it available via ZOOM – and groups are kept small to facilitate…
Since being in lockdown I have been asked by a number of health professionals to provide in-service training. Recently I have delivered key information to Active + Rehabilitation Service and The Goodfellow Unit. The feedback has been, that many of you would like a tool kit to add to your kete so you can easily…
Over the past few months, we’ve been listening to our clients and decided it was time to bring you a range of services that are available 24/7, online, cost effective and suitable for employees in all sectors, whether they’re working on the frontlines, in an office, or at home. To do this we have teamed…
Transcript from podcast in which Dr Louise Kuegler from The Good Fellow Unit – Interviews director of Shiftwork Services, Fiona Johnston. Overview of Podcast: At some point in a health professionals, training or career shift-work will be required. 50% of shift workers will leave their position within the first six months, as they are unable…
Some people with insomnia have long awakenings during the night and some try to deal with their poor sleep by staying in bed longer in the morning to “make up” some of their lost sleep. This generally upsets the body clock and sleep patterns become increasingly disorganised. What is sleep restriction therapy? This method was…
Both natural and artificial blue light can boost your alertness and mental sharpness however too much of it may keep you awake when your body needs to wind down. What is blue light? Blue light is a colour in the visible light spectrum that can be seen by human eyes. It has a short wavelength,…
Did you know that most people sleep better when their bedroom is clean and tidy? A survey conducted for the National Sleep Foundation, looked at the relationship between bedroom environment and sleep. Here’s an overview of their findings: Seven out of 10 people said they made their bed every day or almost every day. The…
If your mind tends to wander, you’re not alone. Human brains are in the moment for just over half of our waking hours, according to a study from Harvard University. this is 53% of the time. The other 47% of the time we’re lacking focus and thinking of something else. Unfortunately, mind wandering can happen…
What is melatonin? Melatonin is a hormone that is produced by the pineal gland in the brain. Normally, your body makes more melatonin at night. Levels usually start to go up in the evening once the sun sets. They drop in the morning when the sun goes up. The amount of light you get each…
Napping at work is not allowed in many organisations and yet tired or fatigued employees can have a significant effect in the workplace, reducing both safety and productivity. What is a Power Nap? A power nap is a short sleep that ends before you go into deep sleep (slow-wave sleep; SWS); it is intended to quickly…
Many industries rely on workers being physically and mentally alert however workplace fatigue is on the rise as people work longer hours often under increasingly difficult conditions and stress brought about by COVID-19. This article explores common causes of fatigue and offers key recommendations for managers and staff. What is fatigue? Fatigue is a state…
Finding the best roster to fit your organisation can be tricky. Typically managers hope for a lean roster, staff want time off whilst health and safety professionals want a fatigue safe roster. Common questions are; how long should the shift be, should a roster pattern rotate backwards or forwards, if doing 12 hour shifts should…
Breathing Exercise to De-Stress There are many breathing exercises you can do which can help you to relax and de-stress, but also improve your lung function, particularly if you’ve suffered from a recent respiratory illness. Equally if you play regular sport, improved lung capacity will benefit your exercise tolerance. In short, breathing exercises can benefit everyone…
Did you know we have seven senses? While most people are familiar with sight, touch, taste, sound and smell, two further senses – vestibular and proprioception – round out the way we process the world around us. Using these senses to help calm us is known as sensory modulation. Focusing on certain senses while trying…
There is not a shiftworker on the planet who has not had trouble sleeping and tried to sort the problems out themselves. They have tried diets, relaxation techniques, calming through the senses, pills, herbs, black out curtains and more. By trying all these strategies many have become highly knowledgeable about sleep strategies and have been helping…
Are you thinking about starting a fitness programme? Here are four steps to get started and a free information leaflet about gold standard exercise recommendations for health. Starting a fitness programme may be one of the best things you can do for your health. Physical activity can reduce your risk of chronic disease, improve your…
The humble stretch can help calm the mind, reduce tension headaches, improve posture, reduce body aches, increase blood flow to your muscles and increase flexibility. To help us understand how to stretch Graeme Saxby from Peace and Performance Osteopathy, has produced a short video of humble stretches that anyone can use. He shows us simple…
Since lockdown in New Zealand on 26th March 2020 many shiftworkers are now working longer and harder than ever to keep our essential services going. For that we are all truly grateful. The cost for many however, is increased worry, anxiety and fatigue. This may be due to additional work demands, working from home, uncertainty…
Te Whare Tapa Whā is a well known Maori model of health that has been used across a variety of sectors (i.e health, education and justice) It compares health to the four walls of a house where all four walls are necessary to ensure strength and symmetry. This blog explores how this model can help…
The 4 Pillars of Shiftwork Success® is a wellness framework that can be used by any shiftworker to help them develop habits and skills to live a little better. It was developed in response to shiftworkers asking for a way that they could help each other in a structured and informed way. To meet this…
Have you ever wondered what mindfulness is and how to use it to help you sleep? If you have read on. This blog gives you the nuts and bolts about what mindfulness is as well as a four step plan you can use straight away to help you sleep better, feel better and work better.…
In this blog we will look at types of sleeping pills and consider their use and risks. When they can be helpful Sleeping pills may help when stress, travel or short term disruptions are keeping you awake. Types of sleeping pills All sleeping pills work on the brain to promote drowsiness. Sleeping pills may be…
Anyone who works night shift knows how hard it can be to focus and stay awake. At Shiftwork Services we recommend three key areas that can help you on night shift. Manage Yourself. Make sure you have plenty of sleep prior to working at night. While on night shift use alertness strategies including: keep moving, eat…
Keeping a healthy sleep pattern can be challenging for anyone, but for shiftworkers it is near impossible. Working nights, being on call, and early starts, can upset the body clock while potentially increasing the risk to your physical and mental health, along with more accidents and incidents. Lack of good quality sleep occurs because our…