Night Shift Blues 10pm-7am

I am a nurse that works night shift and although I love my job.  It is hard to stay motivated during the day when you are exhausted.  Does anyone have any ideas?

Drink LOTS of water, try to make healthier choices when eating & if you're too tired to do anything else make yourself walk with your child, husband, friend or whatever works for you. Good luck & I hope that you find your groove.

make sure that you put aside a block of time to sleep, where everyone knows not to disturb you. 

Bring lots of healthy snacks to work.  I use to bring a plate with half veggies, 1/4 fruit, and 1/4 protein and just snack on it all night.

got to get into the habit again since I start midnights again next week.

I am also a nurse on the night shift. It really does make eating healthy and exersizing a challenge. What works for me is to bring a lot of healthy snacks, thins like sliced cucumbers, blueberries, cherry tomatoes, grapes, baby carrots, and the like that are easy to munch on through the night. I also pack some easily portable sources of protien like beef jerky, hard boiled eggs, and low fat cheese sticks. That way, I can eat a little here and there, since I never seem to get a lunch. That prvents me from stopping at McDonalds or something on the way home because I am both starving and tired (read NO WILLPOWER).

I used to go to the gym on the way home and meet some friends who were on the way to work, and we'd hit the cardio machines to get some exersize in. It made me feel like I had to go even if I didn't want to. Work out buddies are great for holding you accountable! Unfortunately, after a while, it started affecting my sleep, and I had to stop. I have problems with insomnia anyway, and AM workouts exacerbated them, but several of the girls I work with still go in the morniong and don't have any problems. Now I get up an hour early three or four days a week and go then. For me the key is to be on my way to the gym or out for my walk ASAP, before I wake up too much and talk myself out of going.

Good Luck!

I'm sorry, but after coming off a night shift, if I don't want to do anything I won't.  If I do, then I've got the partial motivation to stay up and get it done.  As for getting the energy to do it, the good ol' fashioned way.  Liqour.  Or coffee, whichever you prefer.