Page 17 - Garda Journal Summer 2019

FEATURE | Mental Health Awareness
social interaction with family and loved ones, fewer opportunities for physical activity, and the tendency for increased use of caffeine and sugary food to boost alertness can play havoc with your mental, physical, emotional, social and creative wellbeing. Shift work is also linked to a greater risk of obesity, cardiovascular disease, metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes, back problems, and depression and anxiety, and sleep deprivation.
Workers who engage in shift work or who work long hours can experience considerable disruption of family and social activities as many of these rhythms of the general population are oriented around the day. Saturday and Sunday work, for example, can preclude involvement in sporting events or religious activities. Activities such as shopping, housework, childcare, parties, reunions, and family events may also be disrupted by shift work which can cause problems and divides among family and friends.
Quality of sleep and overall fatigue are also huge issues shift workers contend with. Publications suggest that the quantity of sleep may be reduced by up to 2 hours a day but there is also an effect on the quality of sleep. Rapid eye movement (REM) sleep and stage 2 sleep have been shown to be reduced. This lack of deep and restorative sleep combined with the stress of a changing schedule can also be linked to anxiety and depression, making the 41% of shift workers who reported stress on the job at a high risk of developing these mental health problems.
A recent review of data suggests that shift workers have a 40% increase in risk of cardiovascular disease. Causal mechanisms are not well defined but contributing factors include disruption of circadian rhythm, disturbed sociotemporal patterns and social
support, stress, smoking, poor diet, and lack of exercise. The health outcomes are mainly angina pectoris, hypertension, and myocardial infarction. The effect of overtime or long hours of work has been less extensively investigated. One mortality study from California showed increased rates of arteriosclerotic heart disease for male occupational groups in increasing proportions of the population who worked more than 48 hours a week. The 48 hour week cut off was an arbitrary one with information taken from censuses, and the study has not been replicated.
There are some things shift workers can do in order to decrease their risk of the mental, physical, and social issues described above.
1. Eat well. Prepare and stock-up on healthy foods and have them ready and nearby. When doing shift work, blood sugar levels can suddenly dip which makes you want to eat the first thing you see. Plan ahead and have healthy snacks easily available.
2. Sleep. Sleeping during the day can be difficult with noise and light (ear phones and eye pads (not i-pads) can help. Try sleeping in a darkened room. Drink chamomile tea. Use meditation, mindful
breathing and Yoga Nidra to help slow your system down and sleep when you need to. Do not drink coffee at least four hours before sleeping and exercise if you are not tired after a shift.
3. Minimise Caffeine and energy drinks. Increased use of caffeine, can very easily lead to a cycle of poor sleep and lower quality of life. Sugar rushes give short term spikes in energy and then leave us sapped. Drink enough water.
4. Exercise - When you finish a night shift, it's unlikely you will want to head out for a run straight after. Do your best to fit activity in whenever you can. Exercise boosts both physical and mental health. Movement has a powerful antidepressant action, even gentle forms.
5. Think positively and learn meditation and relaxation techniques. Because you are under more natural stress, it is even more important to maintain a positive outlook. Tools such as meditation and relaxation practices that energize and calm you and can be used at any time of day are very helpful.
6. Maintain and enjoy a social life-When you work unsocial hours, including weekends, it can be hard to have a good social life. It is important to prioritise regular quality time with loved ones
7. Keep your environment clean-Shift workers, particularly night workers, are more susceptible to infections because of a low or weakened immune system. Maintaining good hygiene minimises this.
8. Have regular health checks. Prevention is the best health care.
9. Tackle stress. Stress, can have a serious impact on you physical and mental health. A certain amount is unavoidable. It is our natural response to too much pressure. Be self-aware of what stresses you and take action to address and minimise in advance where possible.
GARDA JOURNAL 17