Planning is crucial for your non-traditional work schedule journey, as it helps you establish a routine where your body has the chance to adapt and understand when it's time to rest and when it's not. Planning is simply thinking ahead about what you want to do, writing it down in a preferred place, and following through with what you've planned.
When we keep our plans only in our heads, the chances of them being completely forgotten or sabotaged are enormous, and before you know it, your life will be nothing but work.
Of course, things won't always go according to plan—unexpected events happen all the time to remind us of this—but if you develop the habit of establishing in advance how your week will unfold, you'll likely notice positive and meaningful changes in your motivation to follow through.
We've already discussed extensively here how your body is impacted by this non-traditional work schedule. Your body becomes confused because it's not doing what it was programmed to do. This planned routine will be a powerful ally in reversing this confusion and helping you feel better, achieve higher quality sleep, and as a bonus, truly enjoy your days off doing what you actually want to do, not just "whatever worked out."
To help with this planning, you won't need anything elaborate. The calendar app on your phone, which is free, can be an easy and quick way to organize everything you need, or even a simple sheet of paper will do. Just fill in activities as ideas come to you, and for things that are fixed in your routine, like your work schedule, save the activity with the recurrence for the days you'll be working.
It's important to establish a sleep routine and maintain it even on your days off. Initially, experiment with different work and sleep patterns to see what works best for you. For example, if you're working nights, consider staying awake when you get home after work and going to sleep a bit later, waking up just before your next night shift. Alternatively, you might find that sleeping a few hours in the morning when you get home and then a few more hours later, just before your next shift, works better for your schedule.
Napping during a shift, when allowed, can provide a much-needed energy boost that will keep you alert until it's time to leave, so schedule those times as well. The trick is not to nap for too long—a nap lasting 10 to 20 minutes is considered ideal because this duration gives you several minutes of uninterrupted rest before you fall into deep sleep. Waking up during deep sleep often leads to feelings of grogginess and disorientation.
Another thing that should be in your planning is activities with friends and family. Put them on your calendar and try your best to stick to what you've scheduled so you can, even at an alternative time, enjoy your free time doing things you love with people you care about. For example, if you work nights, arrange an afternoon coffee with someone special before starting your shift, or schedule social commitments on your day off during the hours you would normally be working—this keeps your brain active during those periods.
At first, all of this may sound a bit strange, and you might naturally forget one thing or another on your calendar. The most important thing here is to trust the process and pay close attention to how your body reacts overall. Everyone is different and reacts differently, so stay alert to the signals your body sends and especially how these changes make you feel.
Summary:
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Get a sheet of paper, your preferred calendar app, or use our daily planning template
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Think about how many routines you need to consider. For example, if your days are all the same, then you only need to plan 1 routine; if Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are one way, and Thursday and Friday are different, then it's worth planning 2 routines.
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Thinking about each routine separately, fill in the following information on your schedule:
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What time(s) will you work?
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What time(s) will you wake up?
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What time(s) will you go to sleep?
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Will you take naps? If so, at what time(s)?
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What times will you have your meals?
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What other activities will you include in your routine? Some ideas:
- Commuting;
- House cleaning;
- Family time;
- Physical activity;
- Light therapy;
- Taking melatonin;
- Having coffee (or having my last coffee).
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As mentioned, at this point it's crucial to prioritize what truly matters to you. To do this, you need to reflect on 3 points:
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What will I continue doing?
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What will I start doing?
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What will I stop doing?
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After completing the previous step, reflect on whether the schedule is feasible and if it follows the best possible strategy. It's important to respect your body's rhythms and create an appropriate routine for it. For example, if you're going to practice light therapy, are the times you've set compatible with the technique's instructions? Another example, if you're including something about caffeine consumption, are those times compatible with your sleep schedule?