The notorious night shift. Some of your coworkers will fight for it, others will hang their heads, readying themselves for the endeavors of what’s to come, and most importantly -- start their coffee machines! Whether you’re a seasoned night shift veteran or you’re new to it, we have some tips and tricks to help you own the night and power through like a true night owl.                                                                                

Make Healthy Choices Over Convivence

When packing for a night shift take into consideration your health versus convivence. It’s easy to just roll out of bed, change into your scrubs and grab coffee and some fast food on your way to work, but that’s not going to help you in the long run throughout the shift. Instead, an option could be meal prepping once a week to be able to bring your favourite home cooked meals to work with you. Snacks like dark chocolate, apples, pistachios, cold cuts and hard cheeses are foods that help lower melatonin levels in the body to help you stay awake. Drinks we recommend would include coffee, ice cold water, matcha or any caffeinated tea; just try to stay away from dairy sourced creamers if possible.

Create a Routine for Yourself

Create a routine for when you are getting off a shift and also for when you’re starting it. When finishing your night shift, all your body is telling you to do is sleep and it’s completely right, you should, but make sure you have everything all set out for the next day first. Fresh scrubs, your meals are all prepared, coffee machine is set, bag is packed, etc. It’s important to have the piece of mind that everything is reset for the next day and to still find structure in the lifestyle of night shifts.

What to Pack

Every person is different in what they pack for a night shift, some people tend to over-pack and others only need their phone and wallet. What you require will vary, but some recommendations we have would include:

Hand sanitizer, a thermos, a water bottle, a stethoscope (if your job requires), your planner, toiletries bag (feminine hygiene products, toothbrush, lip balm, etc), stain remover stick, lunch bag/food, phone charging cord, emergency vitamin C packets/energy bars. Let us know below what you pack in your work bag!

We hope these tips help make your life with night shifts easier. Let us know below any other tips and tricks you’ve found useful, or memorable stories you have from night shift duty.

We hope you have a great rest of your week!

 -The Rhino Team

Author: Sierra U. from the Rhino Work Boutique Team