I don’t talk about work much on ye old blog, because I’m not interested in pulling a Dooce, but I’ll talk a little about it today, in the most general terms possible because at the end of this pot I’m going to ask you for your advice.
So, in the past week my work world has been rocked. On Friday my boss asked me to stop by her office before I left for the weekend and when I got there she floated me a potential job opportunity. Today I got the green light, and my new job starts Tuesday. This is big news and it’s all going down at light speed. Everything about my new job will be different, I’m excited and nervous and I am going to learn a whole lot.
This new job isn’t going to be a big change for me only, but it is going to affect my whole family, because I’m making the switch to working 12 hour shifts, some days, some nights. Josh and I talked it over before I accepted and he is on board, but you know, excited (for me) and nervous (for him) too.
There are pros and cons to this schedule, longer days, yes, but longer weekends too. I’ve worked shift work before, and I know it is pretty hard on your body, so I’m not really looking forward to that part of it, but I am so excited for a new opportunity.
So here I am at the part where I’m looking for your advice. 12 hour shifts are…long. 12 hour shifts on midnights feel even longer. Because it gives Hen a rash I’ve been off caffeine and coffee since he was a few weeks old. I’m looking for some ideas for energizing snacks I can eat between my meals to keep me going. The more natural the better, but I’m looking for some variety too, so, hit me with your best stuff!
My best advice has to do with light:
- bright lights before you go to bed (including computer screens and the sun outside) will shift your biological clock and circadian rhythms to later (it will be harder to fall asleep and to wake up when you need to).
- same (but the converse) is true in the morning – bright lights in the morning (opening the shades immediately, turning on the lights, etc) will wake you up better and make it easier for you to wake up the following day by shifting your circadian rhythms earlier.
So for people working shifts (especially night shifts) I recommend very VERY dark sunglasses when you are coming home (along with closed shades and minimal screen time so that you can get to sleep. This should definitely help.
Good luck!
V
The things that come to mind are: trail mix (tons of different options with that one), clementines, granola bars, hard boiled eggs…
Congrats on the new job!! I’m sure you’ll love your 4 days off!
Congratulations on the new opportunity – I’m excited for you!
I’ve never worked shift work but I have never had a cup of coffee and I stopped drinking caffeine my first year of college. I keep honey, peanut butter and whole grain bread in my cube at work for sandwiches – which is larger than a snack but smaller than a meal…I’ve survived long days on this several times.
I second peanut butter! It has an energy wallop. I eat it on rice cakes when I need a good, solid snack. Less messy than on bread, and easier to keep in a desk drawer/locker. I also like granola bars that heavily involve oatmeal. You can make your own, but I’m lazy and just buy bars. Oatmeal in general is great.
For a lighter snack, I am partial to baby bell cheese or those 100 calorie microwave popcorn packs. The 100 calorie packs are just the right size to fill me up, but I don’t feel all stuffed and heavy.
Fruit is also good. I’m partial to apples and bananas because they are easy to eat and not too messy. Grapes are good too.
I’ve heard apples are real good.
Emergen-C is great for an energy boost. Good luck!
Liz Earle beauty boost bars are packed full of energy and are also a real skin boost! I’ve found a link to the recipe here: http://www.juliahart.co.uk/nutritional-news/liz-earles-beauty-boost-bars/ They’re really easy to make and the ingredients are inexpensive (at least they are in the UK).
Congratulations on the new job and good luck with the shifts
Congrats on the new gig! I recommend nuts, eaten a little bit at a time, and lots and lots of ice cold water.
Cogratulations on the new job!
I second peanut butter…on whole grain bread or apples or rice crackers/cakes. Also cheese sticks/baby bell cheese things. Finally, I second hard boiled eggs. Basically what all your smart friends already said.
Congrats on the new job! My favorite snacks are: greek yogurt, apple slices with peanut butter and dark chocolate chips, apple slices & peanut butter wrapped in a tortilla, and the planter’s healthy mixed nuts that have dried fruit. Also taking a vitamin B complex helped me a lot with energy. A brief 10 min walk and/or stretching also helps.
Another thing you might want to try is test coffee again. Cooper had a sensitivity to coffee (fussy and generally a miserable little guy) until about 9 months old and then it didn’t phase him if I had one cup of coffee. If I had more it was a problem.
I’ve been knoshing on Kind fruit and nut bars lately and I’m sort of addicted. If you’re at all a fan of coconut, the almond and coconut bar is amazing and puts just the right amount of pep in my step. I found them at Target in the (blech!) protein bar aisle by the pharmacy. NOM.
Lurker here coming out of hiding to ask a question.
First congrats on the new job opportunity!
I know you were struggling to pump enough while at work. How’s it going now? I’m a full-time working mom too and sometimes feel like my milk output is descreasing a bit. Were you able to boost it any?
Wish you all the best with your new work schedule!
Hooray for you! That’s great.
I second the granola bar suggestions. Smitten Kitchen has a great recipe that uses peanut butter, and I recommend adding dried fruits for all their goodness. I’ve also seen some buzz about ice cold lemon water instead of coffee. Google it and see what you can find. Anything with some good vitamin content should give you a little pep!
Congrats on the new job! I’m sure the 4 days off will make it worth it, though it will still be hard.
I am loving the KIND granola bars these days (the almond cranberry one is my favorite). Kinda pricey, but oh so delicious…
Green juices and smoothies are energy powerhouses! I had one the other day – cucumber, ginger, kale, beet, and apple – I was zooming around like I’d had 3 shots of espresso, only without the crash afterwards.
Good luck, that would be hard. Are you going to get 4 days off then? Hopefully it doesn’t impact your supply.
Here is a recipe I found for no bake energy bites http://pinterest.com/pin/112590059404002223/?utm_source=sendgrid.com&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=pinterest.com
Also have you tried introducing coffee back to see how he reacts now? I felt Leland was sensitive to coffee and diary when he was a wee baby. But now I have slowly re-introduced those foods to my diet and they don’t seem to bother him anymore.
My snack drawer has those quaker instant oatmeal packages, eating them straight is usually too sweet so I pour 1 package in a coffee cup, add 3 spoons full of plain oatmeal, fill up with hot water and it’s a perfect quick snack that has the added bonus of helping the milk supply. Other than that it’s granola bars, dried apricots and walnuts for me.
Congratulations!! 12 hours would be daunting for me but long weekends would be oh so great!
I agree about the lights. Light is so important and shift work can mess with your circadian rhythms.
Is it something about coffee rather than all caffeine? Could you have some tea? As for snacks, I would head for protein: nuts, boiled eggs, protein shakes (I love SynthaSix).
Protein! Looks like people have already mentioned a ton but edamame is a great one. Nuts of course. Bananas with peanut butter. Good luck and congrats!
Do you own a juicer? I drink this every morning for breakfast and it is wonderfully energizing and filling too
6 Leaves Kale (stalks and leaves)
2 Cups Baby Spinach (stems and leaves)
2 Green Apples (Cored, not peeled)
4 Stalks Celery (leaves too)
1 Whole Cucumber (not peeled)
1/2-Lemon (no rind, you can add a little of the rind to taste but it is a powerful flavor so try it without first)
1/2-inch Fresh Ginger (No need to peel) I would start smaller than 1/2 inch to start, another super strong flavor… Adjust to taste after you make the first batch, it can be overwhelming)
Throw it in a water bottle with ice – YUM! and Congrats!
I have narcolepsy, it is mild bit still affects my life, I am often hit by waves of exhaustion and nod off randomly.. (fun!) – I find it particular hard at present as I am doing my Bachelor of Laws full time.. – lets face it, the lecturers and readings are boring enough without narcolepsy kicking in and icing the cake for me.. I do not take medication as I find the other side effects are just too much for me, so I can 100% say that Apples work wonders!
It is the very best treatment I have ever used, seems to work better when they are fresh and cold out of the fridge. I am instantly perked up, no longer tired and feeling much better straight away after eating an apple. Yummy mix up to put honey or peanut butter on top of slices. Another effective food is honey sandwiches on a good thick wholemeal, brown, or soy and linseed bread. The honey gives you an instant kick, and the bread gives you a longer source of energy so you don’t get that ‘dip’ once the honey wears off.. Also, I try to cut out the extra coffees, they do you no favours in the long run.
Good luck on your new journey, your husband sounds supportive so I am certain with his backing your little family will have no troubles at all