Night shift work can sometimes worry employees who fear feeling out of sync with their family life. Yet it's entirely possible to maintain a balance between family life and night work with a bit of organization and plenty of communication!
Here are our best tips for making the most of this unconventional schedule while staying active in your family routine.
Our tips for balancing family and night shift work:
Plan your activities
Communicate with your partner and those around you
Express your needs and expectations
Write everything down so you don't forget anything
Sleep while your children are at daycare or school
Take time for yourself
Talk to people who understand your reality
Find your balance
1. Plan your activities
Set up a clear, predictable schedule for yourself and your family.
For example, you can use a calendar to note down your daughter's soccer practice times, the time you need to pick up your son from a friend's house, your work schedule, your rest periods, your days off, and so on.
This way, it will be easier to visualize everyone's schedules and identify the best times to spend quality time together as a family.
2. Communicate with your partner and those around you
Communication is essential to successfully balancing family life and night shift work. Let those around you know about your work schedule, the hours set aside for sleeping during the day, the time devoted to your well-being, and so on.
You can also divide up daily household tasks as a family based on everyone's respective schedules. This way, there's no ambiguity, and the family routine can keep running smoothly, even if you work nights!
3. Express your needs and expectations
Explain to your whole family that it's important to respect your sleep time during the day by avoiding asking for your help with tasks during that period, since that's your "night."
It's also important for you to understand that your "night" happens during the day, so you need to set limits on what you'll be able to accomplish during the rest of the day.
4. Write everything down so you don't forget anything
Making lists is a great way to simplify sharing information within your family. You can create lists of anything useful for keeping your household running smoothly: groceries to buy, ideas for family activities, simple meal ideas, and so on.
5. Sleep while your children are at daycare or school
The trick is to sleep while your children aren't around, so you can make the most of your time with them when they're home. If you get back from work around 8 a.m., it's a good idea to rest quickly so you're in top shape when your children get home from school. You'll then be able to do activities with them, drive them to their sports practices, and maintain a strong bond despite your unconventional work schedule.
6. Take time for yourself
It's important to set aside time in your schedule dedicated to your well-being — whether that's seeing friends, relaxing at home with your favourite show, or getting some physical activity. These activities come naturally with a typical work schedule, so it's just as important not to neglect your personal time when working nights! It will be to the great benefit of your family… and your mental well-being!
7. Talk to people who understand your reality
You're certainly not the only one navigating this unconventional schedule. Talk to your colleagues to swap tips on finding a healthy balance at home. After all, they're the best people to talk to about this, since they understand your reality!
💬 At Roy., we've created a private Facebook group that brings together our 2,800 employees. This space is used by employees to share work tips, ask questions, and connect with colleagues who share similar experiences.
8. Find your balance
When you work nights, it's important to find a life balance that works for you and your family. Feel free to adapt our tips to your family routine and to what already works for you. This way, you'll be able to build a routine that fits more smoothly into your family dynamic.
During this period of adjustment, don't forget to be kind to yourself. Prioritize your sleep, maintain a balanced diet to keep your energy up, and build healthy lifestyle habits. Remember that success with night shifts comes down to good overall lifestyle habits.
Discover more tips on night shifts:
Want to grow at Roy.?
Feeling reassured about what everyday life looks like for a night shift worker? If this adventure appeals to you, don't hesitate to apply to one of our job openings. The Roy. family is just waiting for you!
Roy. offers a full range of employee benefits and paid onboarding and development training at Campus Roy., and does everything possible to promote its employees' well-being at work.
We even have a few certifications to our credit that highlight the constant efforts made for our teams' well-being!
In addition to our new recognition on the list of Canada's best-managed companies, we have a few accolades to our credit that highlight our commitment to our teams' well-being. Roy. is recognized as one of the « Best Workplaces Managed by Women in Canada », « Best Employers in Quebec in 2022 » and « Best Workplaces for Mental Wellness in Canada ». We also won the Workforce Training and Development award in 2022 at the Mercuriades!
Discover job openings in your sector!
