7 Tips On How To Survive The Night Shift

My first time working in a BPO company was a culture shock. I've never worked in a company with such a big scale of employees and the night shift was a difficult adjustment to overcome because our body is naturally programmed to be awake during the day and asleep at night, so it took a lot of time getting used to the new routine.



Working in this industry for more than four years has taught me a lot, especially in dealing with rotating shifts. Although throughout my employment, I wasn't always in the night shift. In my first two years, my shift changes fortnightly from morning to night (and vice versa), and I thought having a straight night shift for months was a headache.

I remember promising myself that I won't work for a BPO company because of the shift and I had a stereotypical expectation that all BPO companies only offer call centers, which was very ignorant of me. I'm definitely wrong but a part of it was true. Most of them are call centers but I'm blessed that I got a job that's related to my course. The working environment wasn't a dream come true, but at least the job pays the bills, right?

I'm not a total expert but I believe I can help you if you're a fresh graduate looking for an experience and the BPO industry is your only option, maybe you're already employed for a certain period and you find yourself losing steam midway through the shift, unable to focus on your work, or counting down the minutes until you can go home and crawl into bed. Here are my tips for you:

1. Sleep and naps are your bestfriends, caffeine and carbs are just your side chicks. If you have an opportunity to take naps, go for it instead of drinking more coffee. I use my one hour break every Monday to sleep at my office's sleeping quarters. Power naps  give me enough energy to last the whole shift.

2. Mimic night during day. This helps prepare the body to sleep. Have a blackout curtains to keep the sunlight out of your room or wear a sleep mask. You can also install a relaxing white noise to somehow block outside noise or a scent diffuser to create a peaceful ambiance.

3. Keep the same sleep schedule. I know that it's difficult to do this especially when there are occasional interruptions like an on-going construction next door or an important activity you need to do or a weekend event you have to be in but the power naps help a lot. The best strategy is to be consistent whether you go directly to bed when you get home or stay awake for awhile, follow that.

4. Keep it moving. Walk around and chat with co-workers. It's not everyday that workload keeps me alert and busy. I make sure I walk around the production floor and talk to my coworkers, catch up with them (and to some office gossip lol). A 2 o'clock and a 4 o'clock exercise break for the entire floor also help wake the brain and the body.

5. Listen to energy-boosting music. I like to work with upbeat music because it keeps me awake and it encourages me to be more productive and creative. I like to listen to the same songs because familiar songs help me get the same drive to finish what needs to be done at the end of the day.

6.  Take note of what you eat. Having a giant meal can make you more sleepy because the body streams more blood to the digestive system to better digest food and there will be a shortage of blood in the brain. Eating smaller meals but more frequently can help keep energy. I also drink lots of water every meal so I feel more full.

7. Adjust your approach. A different outlook can totally help you. It's all in the mind, after all. You can always say good morning even though it's totally night time. 9pm is still morning to you and your body clock. Although you can't always have a night out on a Friday unlike before, but there is still plenty of ways to have fun after your shift without the drinks.

Getting quality sleep is important in order to stay alert, react quickly, and get home safely. By planning enough rest after every night shift, you can avoid some serious issues of chronic sleep deprivation, such as high blood pressure, cardiac disease, and depression. After awhile, you’ll find which methods work best for you. If you already have, share them with me in the comments!