Much fuss is made about routines. And I won’t deny their importance.
Routines are powerful because things become automatic: we know exactly what action to take because the preceding action, or the time of day, tells us. This allows us to form good habits with greater ease.
The problem is that routines are fragile. They rely on control. And, as this pandemic has just shown, very little is under our control.
Maybe the normal sequence of events that make you feel productive is triggered when you drop your kids off at school. Not only is that prompt no longer there, but now your kids are present as you try to pick up the pieces of your broken routine.
While disrupted routines may be a new experience for much of the population, for shift workers, routine has always been slightly out of reach.
All shift work is rotational. Even if you work solely night shifts, your schedule rotates between night shift and days off.
Sure, you’ll often hear that the best way to cope with night shifts is to keep the same schedule on your days off. But how practical is that? You can’t foster relationships and fulfill family obligations with strict adherence to this “best” practice. That’s why complete adaptation to night shift is so rare.
We can’t rely on routines as we march towards our personal goals. So what can we do when routines are disrupted, or, as in the case of shift work, were impossible to begin with?
The answer: value practices over routines.
Practices are different. They don’t need to be done in the same way, in the same place, or at the same time every day. All that matters is regularity.
Waking up everyday at 6 a.m. and watching the news while you have your coffee: that’s part of a routine. Prayer or meditation: that’s a practice. Eating at the same lunch place and same time everyday is a routine. Being vegan or eating kosher is a practice. Journaling is a practice. Going to the 9 a.m. CrossFit class is a routine. Exercising regularly is a practice.
The difference is in the flexibility.
One is about daily rhythm. The other is a lifelong pursuit. One can be ruined by something as simple as hitting the snooze button one too many times or getting called into work unexpectedly. The other can adapt accordingly. One is something you made up. The other is something you do.
When top performers in any domain are interviewed, they’re often asked about the routines that led to their success. What you’ll notice is that all these high achievers have wildly different routines. The practices, however, are nearly universal: exercise, journaling, reading, walks, etc.
Of course routines help, and some things are better done at certain times of the day than others – shift workers especially need to pay attention to timing. But what’s most important is that you put in the reps, regardless of time and setting.
Routine might be out of reach, but practices never are.
It’s Not About Routine, but About Practice | Ryan Holiday
Night and Delay
How do you start your day?
For many people, the answer is “with breakfast”. After all, it is the most important meal of the day… Right?
But what if, like many shift workers, your day starts unusually early? In fact, individuals who begin work between 04:00 and 07:00 make up the largest population of shift workers in the United States. In this situation, your breakfast habit may cause some problems.
“recent studies suggest that the circadian timing of food intake may have a larger impact on body composition than the local clock time of food intake. If sustained, the imbalance resulting from this behavioral pattern, may lead to weight gain over time.”
“early morning caloric intake after one night of insufficient sleep, when melatonin levels are high, leads to a small increase in glucose levels, when compared to the same meal, after sleeping and awaking at habitual times.”
Although (as always) more studies are required, the researchers suggest delaying breakfast as a possible strategy for improving the metabolic health in the largest population of shift workers.
Overnight Shift Workers Must Contend with the Negative Aspects of Their Work | 4WWL
Effect of Diet on Exercise
You’ve probably heard this before: “I exercise so I can eat whatever I want.”
It sounds reasonable in theory, but a crappy diet may not be the only issue with this sentiment.
A new study published in Nature Metabolism suggests that a diet high in sugar and processed foods may render our exercise efforts less effective.
Is Your Blood Sugar Undermining Your Workouts? | New York Times
Permanent Decline
I’ve made the case before that permanent night shifts aren’t better than rotational schedules.
Dementia risk may be another factor in this argument.
“If lack of sleep causes dementia to develop, a dose-response relationship would probably be expected. But this relationship is all or nothing. If you always work at night, you have a higher risk, but if you occasionally work at night, you have the same risk as everyone else.”
This was a small study and the researchers were cautious with their conclusion. Still, night shifters could benefit from support whether the higher risk is the result of night shift work or not.
Permanent Night Workers Develop Dementia More Frequently | Science News
The Cold Light of Night
A new study published in Epidemiology investigates the relationship between artificial light at night and colorectal cancer (the third most common type of cancer worldwide).
“…participants with the highest exposures to blue light had a 60% higher risk of developing colorectal cancer than the less exposed population.”
Wear your blue-blockers folks.
Night-time exposure to blue light associated with increased risk of colorectal cancer | Medical Xpress
Five to One
Psychologist and relationship expert John Gottman on marital stability:
The difference between happy and unhappy couples is the balance between positive and negative interactions during conflict. There is a very specific ratio that makes love last. That “magic ratio” is 5 to 1. This means that for every negative interaction during conflict, a stable and happy marriage has five (or more) positive interactions.
While the 5:1 ratio is aimed at couples, it’s a good rule of thumb for all your relationships.
Use the Magic 5:1 Ratio to Improve All Your Relationships | Inc.
On Money and Life
Learning how to lose gracefully, without being ruined and while learning something new can be far more valuable than learning how to be right.
The 12 most overlooked truths of money and life no one teaches you in school | CNBC
Stay Healthy-
Jason Glenn