Schedule Mess

As this is a blog, I'm just going to vent a little.

My job has changed us over to 16 hours shifts and business is picking up (which means I get significantly less down time) and to boot they have us coming in at different times every other day so that if combined with my off days, I have three separate sleep schedules! Which is even more rediculous when you take in to account that the company management is a group of healthcare professionals. Yes, I let them have a piece of my mind.

So, being Paleo, I'm all about a healthy lifestyle, right? Which means regular sleep, regular exercise and regular eating, none of which are happening! Because of this, I'm being extra careful to not slip off of being Paleo. It's very tempting to want to grab a taco because all I want to do is grab a snack in the ambulance so I can crash the second we get back to our base.

But I don't.

I have been packing extra snacks (not all of which I eat, I just like options) that are portable so that I can eat when I need to and I don't end up too grumpy (which my partner is thankful for) or wanting to eat two hotdogs for 99 cents. Fruit is great if I need energy, but it doesn't always keep me from being hungry, so I'll pack some slices of turkey or make little mini sandwiches (I'll post those later!), sliced vegetables, or something of that nature. I have also bought a jump rope, because if I don't have time to make it to the gym, I can at least throw in some 2-3 minute intervals of high intensity cardio! I try to do this at least a half dozen times while I'm at work.

Eating right is very important! It's even more important if you're chronically tired because irregular sleep can effect your immune systems. That is why I go out of my way to make sure all of my meals and snacks provide the vitamins and nutrients I need to stay healthy. [When you work 16 hours shifts, if you get sick one day and have to call in, that's a lot of missing money from a paycheck and we can't have that!]

So here is to the people running the show: Shame on you!

As always when it comes to healthcare, (Everyone repeat after me) "I come first!" That's right. If we don't take care of ourselves we are useless to anyone else. So take the time to prepare what you need for the stressful days ahead, and treat yourself to what you need (like a massage) on your days off. You may or may not "deserve" this, but if you are fighting burnout, you may darn well need one! This is a great time to lean on that support network we have talked about.

*steps off soapbox and goes back to play in the kitchen*