Hey babes! As you all know, I am an RN, but you may not know that I work the night shift. That means that I am working 3-4 nights per week from 6:45pm to 7:15am. Bring on the sleepless days and excessive amounts of caffeine!
So, how can someone balance working night shift, maintaining the household, getting to the gym, and eating a well balanced diet? It has taken me quite some time to figure out what works best for me. Everyone is going to be different in what works for them, so try this and then tweak it so that it works for you and your family. Also, I know not everyone works night shift (y’all are missing out on some fun! haha jk jk). But I just wanted to share because this really applies to anyone that has a busy schedule and just doesn’t know where to squeeze in the time for their health.
MINDSET
First of all, your mindset HAS to be about making your health a priority (assess your needs). And it should be a priority because you are amazing and deserve great things (diagnosis). Whether that be getting out and moving more, walking, running, lifting weights, swimming, biking, competing, or Olympic weightlifting; your mindset HAS to be in it. Whatever it is. You and only you have to want to incorporate more fitness into your daily routine. Maybe you have done the diets and they don’t stick or you have followed a few fitness programs and then fell of track. Maybe you’re frustrated with failing. I can tell you, I have been there, done that. Your mindset is what will be the difference. Your health will thank you.
PLAN, PLAN, PLAN
Second, PLAN your week out! I cannot reiterate this enough. Making a plan, writing it down, and following through with it will work. Get a planner. Put it in your phone. Set some alarms. Keep going and it will become a habit and second nature to get your fitness in during the day. WRITE down your workout before you go to the gym. Having a plan in place works best for everyone. Also, plan everything you have to get done that week. Put things on specific days because you will get more done this way, believe it or not. Become a planner!
DO IT
Third, implement that plan. And finally, evaluate what worked for you and what didn’t and then reassess your plan.
See, who said nursing school didn’t come in handy for real life? Writing all of those care plans really paid off!!
Here is how I use this tool (ADPIE) for my busy schedule:
1. Assess – Want it. You have to want to be healthy, feel good mentally and physically, and gain strength.
2. Diagnosis — I know I deserve to feel these things and know that I am worthy and capable. This is where my dedication and drive come from.
3. Plan — Every Sunday I write down what workouts/activity I will do on a given day that week. As a nurse, my schedule is different every week. So, my workout schedule will be different every week (If you work Mon-Fri, you can set a routine that can be very similar each week).
I know, for me, that it doesn’t work to go to the gym right after a shift because holy moly am I exhausted! Instead, I try to wake up about an hour before I normally would and go to the gym first thing when I wake up so it is before the shift (same as if you were working day shifts and waking up early in the am). This actually gives me more energy for my shift throughout the night (I know some of you probably think that it makes you more tired; maybe going after the shift would work better for you or planning your workouts on days you are not working). I plan easier muscle groups for days that I have worked the night before and am going back in the next night (i.e. shoulders, arms, back, chest; basically just not legs haha).
I do NOT beat myself up if I am too tired to make it to the gym. I just get back on the horse the next day. I also plan all my meals for the week on Sunday. I will get more into meal prep, recipes, MACROs, etc. in the future. But, in general, I usually cook about 3-4 meals/week enough so that I have leftovers. Sometimes I eat out because, hey, I’m human over here.
So, in short, plan your meals for the week and plan your workouts. If you work nights, days, midshifts, whatever it is, make a plan and follow through with it.
4. Implement — Like I just said, follow through with your plan. Remember, being active does not have to mean going to the gym. It can be walking, running, biking, swimming, working on the lawn or the house; anything that requires you to move.
5. Evaluate — What worked for you? What didn’t work for you? Maybe you find that you can only workout 3x/week with your schedule. Or you like to work out in the morning after a night shift (or right after a day shift). Maybe you can only workout for 30 min on a day that you are working. Keep a notebook or a journal and keep track of your routines. Figure out what works for you, what won’t burn you out, and what you like. After all, your health impacts everything about your life.
LET’S COLLABORATE TOGETHER
I think it would be fun for us to all say what works for us. It can be what types of workouts/exercise/activity works best with your busy schedule, what time of day works for night shifters/day shifters, or how long everyone exercises on average when working their shifts.
Comment below and follow me on Instagram. I have the link to the right and below. I will post a comment box on my stories so anyone can comment what works best for you. I can share answers there so everyone can see what other people do and maybe find something different that they didn’t think about.
It would be so great to collaborate and empower each other on their fitness journey. I am here to support you all in every way! As always, leave a comment or email me if you need to! xoxo