How to Survive Working 12-Hour Shifts

Tips for surviving a 12-hour shift

Although a 12-hour shift may be unavoidable due to your company’s demands or your job’s unique requirements, compromising your health is never an option. It’s crucial to find ways to practice self-care and stave off the negative repercussions of extended work hours.

Consider the following tips to make 12-hour shifts more manageable.

1. Pack your food and eat right.

When struggling through a long day, you might want to reward yourself with a sugary snack from the vending machine or a greasy burger from the cafeteria. However, these momentary pleasures will ultimately lower your energy level and spell disaster for your day.

Maria-Teresa Daher-Cusack, a clinical development consultant at Health Assured, also cautioned against excess caffeine consumption. “Although it can be tempting to combat a midday energy crash with extra caffeine, don’t consume too much,” Daher-Cusack counseled. “While moderate caffeine intake can boost awareness and keep you feeling peppy, too much can disrupt sleep.”

Your diet is key to surviving extended shifts. For optimal results:

• Pack wholesome, protein-centric meals to enjoy during your shift so you won’t be tempted to indulge in unhealthy options.
• Include several high-energy snacks and focus on whole foods that will help you maintain your energy levels instead of dragging you down.
• Package your meals and snacks conveniently so you can access them when you don’t have much time to spare. For example, pack bags of nuts, apples, bananas and crackers with peanut butter.

2. Get enough rest.

Getting a full night’s sleep before a long shift is essential. To enjoy a restful evening before bed, avoid drinking alcohol or caffeine at night.

If you have a 20-minute-or-longer break during work, consider taking a quick nap. According to the National Library of Medicine, taking a nap on the job during a break can boost productivity, improve moods and provide cardiovascular benefits.

3. Set definitive work-life boundaries.

Stoyan Mitov, CEO of Dreamix and co-founder of the Citizens app, emphasized the importance of setting boundaries to create a positive work-life balance to counteract the draining effects of 12-hour shifts.

“I make it a priority to spend time outside of work doing things that help me rest, recharge and enjoy life with my family,” Mitov shared. “When I leave the office, I leave work behind — no laptop, no emails — so I can be fully present with my family, no matter how demanding the day has been.”

4. Use your breaks wisely.

A lengthy shift can put you under excessive mental and physical strain. For this reason, breaks are crucial. Make the most of all the breaks your schedule allows to ensure you alleviate as much stress as possible.

To ensure your breaks refresh you, avoid potentially stressful activities. For example, don’t watch crime drama snippets or read intense thrillers. Instead, take a walk or focus on restful activities that restore and rejuvenate you.

Mitov turns to physical activity to help get rejuvenated. “Every day, I make time for sports. Even if it’s just 15-20 minutes a day, it still gets me energized,” Mitov said. “In the morning, I walk to the office — those 30 minutes are my time to reflect, clear my head, prepare for the day ahead or listen to a podcast. It’s a small but meaningful part of my day.”

5. Take nutrient-rich supplements.

The right supplements can significantly affect how well you handle lengthy shifts. For example, low vitamin D and vitamin B levels can lead to fatigue. While eating vitamin-rich foods is always a great idea, supplements can be a quick, effective solution. A well-rounded multivitamin is always an excellent choice. Also, omega-3 fatty acid supplements can contribute to brain cell development and help you stay on top of your game.

You should always speak to your doctor when introducing a supplement regimen. Your doctor can advise you about the best supplements for your needs.

6. Make friends at work.

Lengthy shifts can be draining and mentally and physically exhausting. You may want to vent to someone or seek support and understanding. Work friends who understand exactly what you’re going through are an excellent resource for support.

Your workplace compatriots likely understand your unique, extended-shift situation better than even your partner or closest nonwork friends. When people work alongside you for 12-hour shifts, a unique camaraderie full of mutual understanding ensues.

Make an effort to build a support network among your co-workers to help you get through long shifts together. And, if you wind up spending time with your work friends off the job, these folks will likely be OK with your unusual schedule and limited free time. After all, they’re probably living similar lives.

7. Plan vacations.

It can be challenging to determine when to take a vacation, especially when your job is demanding. However, planning vacations is crucial ― especially if you work 12 hours a day. Vacations are a great way to refresh yourself, reconnect with loved ones, and balance your mind and body.

Even if you love your job, long shifts will deplete you in ways only an extended break can solve. You’ll likely return with a clearer mind and better-rested body, so you’ll be more prepared for your lengthy shifts.

8. Adjust your regular days off.

Many employees have compressed work schedules where they work longer shifts several days a week. These alternative schedules can improve work-life balance and provide additional downtime. But, sometimes your days off can be scattered throughout the week instead of on subsequent days. Having scattered days off can be problematic because you don’t get sufficient downtime and rest.

If your days off are scattered and you’re not getting the downtime you need, request a schedule change that accommodates at least two days off in a row. Many employers are amenable to arrangements with flexible working hours, which can also increase morale and team productivity.

12-hour shift health concerns

Lengthy shifts, such as 12-hour workdays, leave workers vulnerable to specific health concerns. For example, an often-cited, peer-reviewed study from the World Health Organization and the International Labour Organization found that people who work at least 55 hours a week are far behind the eight ball. They’re at a 17 percent higher risk of heart disease and a 35 percent higher risk of stroke compared to those who work 40 hours a week.

“Long shifts can be grueling and mentally demanding, which is hard to sustain over an extended period of time,” Daher-Cusack explained.

Here are some of the top health concerns to be aware of when working 12-hour shifts:

• Sleep issues: Long shifts and unusual schedules can take a real toll. “Being on rotating schedules can interrupt the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle, meaning your sleep could be disrupted,” Daher-Cusack noted. “And if these are overnight shifts, then lack of vitamin D due to sleeping during the day can also have a significant impact on health.”
• Limited opportunity for exercise: Missing out on regular movement due to long shifts is another common health concern.
• Poor diet: Long shifts can make it hard to cook balanced meals or stick to healthy eating habits. With limited time, workers may rely on fast food, which is often high in saturated fat and sugar.
• Stress and burnout: Completing 12-hour shifts can be incredibly taxing physically and mentally, increasing the risk of employee burnout. Mitov’s long days in IT roles made that risk feel very real. “That’s why I believe having a healthy routine that incorporates movement and mindfulness is so important,” Mitov explained. “Many of my partners have burned out, and it took them over a year to fully recover, so taking action before it gets too far is essential.”

Business owners and managers can watch out for their teams and implement measures, such as health and wellness programs, to help them stay healthy. If you’re a worker concerned about the physical and mental health impacts of your lengthy shifts, discuss the situation with your physician. Your doctor can evaluate your health, monitor any concerns, and order blood work to determine blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

Types of jobs that require 12-hour shifts

Some jobs require longer hours due to the nature of the work. Note that all employees must be informed about shift requirements before accepting the job.

“Legally, employees are entitled to at least 11 consecutive hours of rest between shifts,” Daher-Cusack explained. “If this isn’t possible, for whatever reason, employees should receive ‘equivalent compensatory periods of rest.'” For example, employers could mandate longer breaks when an employee works shifts longer than eight hours.

Regulations and labor laws exist to protect employees’ rights and safety ― and the public’s safety. For example, truck drivers are only allowed to drive for a specific number of hours before they are required to take a break.

These are some jobs that often require 12-hour shifts:

• Truck drivers
• Nurses
• Startup and tech
• Police officers
• Warehouse employees
• Power plant workers
• Dispatchers

Workers in these industries agree that business owners and leaders should model and promote a healthy work-life balance. When fast-paced industries expect workers to meet tight deadlines while avoiding burnout, they should support employee well-being physically, mentally and emotionally.

Julie Thompson contributed to this article.