Read about the real life experiences of shift workers below. They are living the life and the struggle. Check out their hacks and experiences and see what you resonate with. Remember, you are not alone, there are between two and five million people in Australia and New Zealand who work shift work. Feel free to check out our social media for other tips, tricks and experiences

Mel - Paramedic 15 years, Shift Focus Co-Founder.

"My husband and I are both Paramedics and we have 2 primary school age children. While I am on a part time rotating roster (2x dayshifts and 1x nightshift) my husband is full time. We work it so there is only 1 cross over. Usually I'll drop the kids off to a friend on my way to NS and husband picks them up after finishing DS.

The challenge with our work is the finish time, it’s common to get a “late” job and we end up doing 1-3hr extra on top of our 10-14hr shifts. Not getting enough sleep or sleep ins as we still have our kids to take to school, activities, general life etc.

"A coping hack for shift work is some form of consistent exercise - for me its running I find the mental health benefits help me cope with shift work."

We aren’t guaranteed a long or healthy life so make the most of your time away from work. Appreciate the time you have and get after those bucket list items!"

Rich - Paramedic and Shift Focus Co-founder.

"I’ve been a paramedic for more than 15 years, but I’ve worked shift work since my first job at a 24-hour servo when I was 15 years old (petrol was 32c a litre).

I work a full-time rotating roster of two days, an afternoon and then a night before going into my days off at the end of the night shift. The shifts vary between 10 and 14 hours if we don’t get overtime and we get 3.5 days off after working our 4 shifts. Our lives take place on an 8-day cycle, and this makes it hard for the “7-day week” people to understand.

The biggest challenges have been related to other people, non-shifty’s don’t get it. “Just ask for the day off” doesn’t exist in our world. I’m also not a morning person; I deal far better with nights and afternoons than day shifts. We are all different and one size won’t fit all."

"My best hack is about light. Block it out if you’re sleeping during the day and expose yourself to it as soon as you wake up on days off. If you have the luxury (no kids) have at least a couple of days a week where you don’t set an alarm and let yourself wake up naturally."  

Kahukura, Train Guard - 8 years, Queensland.

"I started Shift work in the railways at 19, as a young mum with a then 4-month-old baby, now with two primary-aged kids. The last 8 years balancing rail work, parenting, and survival mode. It hasn’t been easy, but somehow, I’ve made it work.

The hardest part about shift work is the lack of consistency. My start and finish times change daily, so having a routine is almost impossible. Sleep deprivation adds another layer of difficulty. While I find night shifts physically easier, early mornings worked better for my family – because school runs meals, and everything else life throws at me still need doing, and I’m both mum and dad rolled into one.

"My shift work hack – is keeping active. I’m a fitstop member, and I love that I don’t have to think – just turn up and get it done. Exercise helps me manage stress, clear my head, and reset after long shifts. After 8 years of juggling chaos, I’ve learned that keeping active is my best way to stay balanced and handle whatever shiftwork and life bring next."

Shiftwork is hard for everyone, especially people with families/young kids. Really make use of your days off with family."

 Kim - Paramedic, 18 years, Melbourne.

"The reality is that shift work, especially shift work that involves constantly changing shift times, is hard. There is no perfect answer or perfect set up. I work the rotating roster of 2 days, afternoon, night, and then 4 days off. I tend to sleep until 12 after nightshift so I can then go to bed at a reasonable time that night.

I aim to stay consistent as possible: drink plenty of water, with/without electrolytes, have my meals prepared, and with me always. I try to be consistent with sleep on my days off. Most importantly for me, I get my training in, even when I’m on shift."

"My best shift hack is making sure I get out and move my body, either before or after shift, and get into as much of a regular routine as I can on days off."

Hopefully you got a little out of the stories from your fellow shift workers. If you want to be a part of this page, or if you want to be featured as our Shiftie of the Month on social media, please DM us on Instagram or use the Contact Form here on the website.