Anyone else worked night shift? If so what was your experience? Did you keep the same schedule on your weekends? I just accepted transferring to nights and start this Friday. I missed the extra pay.
Hi Mike,
It's funny how God shows us things we don't even know about ourselves.
I always thought I was a morning person. Even as a kid, I'd go to bed at 8 and be up by 2 or 3 AM to do my homework. I followed that pattern all through college, and often worked early morning shifts (usually around 5 AM.) During a chain of events over the next several years, I worked every shift there is EXCEPT the night shift, until I had a boss who asked me if I'd try it out during seasonal events.
I honestly didn't think I could do it, but I wanted to try. It did take a lot of getting used to, but I found out that I absolutely loved the night shift, and even fought to stay on it when they tried to move me to something else. In the places I worked, the night shift meant that I could get twice as much done because I didn't have to worry about other managers trying to get me to work in their departments instead of my own. I'm very task-oriented, so I never feel I've done a good job unless I can cross as many tasks off the list as possible.
After all those years of getting up so early, I just kind of told myself, "What's the big deal about getting up just a few hours earlier?"
Right now my schedule is a bit all over the place, but I would go back to nights in a heartbeat. In fact, even when I'm not working, I still love to try sleep early, then get up at midnight or around 2 AM by choice, because even in my personal life, I find that I get so much more accomplished in the still, quiet hours.
Granted, my sleeping seems to be permanently broken, but I honestly think it was due to various life events and constantly changing schedules, so that is a constant challenge. But the one advantage is that I don't seem to get jet lag, and can usually adjust to any time zone I'm almost immediately (but I'm still up at odd hours no matter where I go.
I also didn't make it a physical church building very often, but I would listen to podcasts or watch services online, which has ironically become the norm nowadays.
And, good news, in case anyone was wondering: I went to the dentist early this month, and unless she was lying to me, she apparently didn't find any fangs, though I can neither confirm nor deny that I may or may not be part vampire.
P.S. Just saw Lynx's post... I'm neither young nor strong, but I'd still work nights if given the choice, depending on the nature and safety conditions of the job.