The Dark Path

[labelwench]

The voracious desires and demands of our society are increasing the numbers of persons that are needed to fill night time occupations.

Working through the dark hours on a regular basis goes against our natural biological rhythyms. Physical and psychological adaption is necessary.

The changes that come from such a choice are not well documented. I have been participant and observer in this venue for over three and one half years now.

Many come to night shift; few stay the course.

Objective and subjective comments on this topic could prove interesting.

[ggullet]

The wants of the wealthy, always dictate the needs of the poor. Never doubt, you are always on the one in the rhythm of life.

[Mikal]

The voracious desires and demands of our society are increasing the numbers of persons that are needed to fill night time occupations.

Working through the dark hours on a regular basis goes against our natural biological rhythyms. Physical and psychological adaption is necessary.

The changes that come from such a choice are not well documented. I have been participant and observer in this venue for over three and one half years now.

Many come to night shift; few stay the course.

Objective and subjective comments on this topic could prove interesting.

Hi labelwrench...just wanted to comment on the changes that come through working in the dark hours on a regular basis...

My friend began to do this 6 years ago. In 6 years time, she has aged in appearance immensely. She will work for about four weeks and then comes down with illness like colds, infections, flu's...etc. Her sleeping patterns are all disarranged and even if she gets a day off she says she never reaches a state where she feels well rested. She is always now a person with no color in her face, dark shadows under her eyes, very listless and has difficulty being attentive to the kind of information that requires one to focus attention. Her eating patterns she said make no sense and somedays she lives with a general feeling of nausea.

It seems like both her psychological and biological adaptation are affected and she tells me that she can breakdown emotionally at the drop of a dime over next to nothing...

I think the overwhelming needs of our society to push constant consumerism is making people very unwell and could very much determine quite possibly a shortened lifespan...


Mikal

[labelwench]

Thank you, Mikel,

This was exactly the sort of content that I was seeking. In my study of persons who seem most suited to grocery retail night shift in a corporate structure, I have researched nutrition, blood type, genetics, pschology, astrology and more.

I have observed persons of different gender, ethnicity, age and education and determined that there are definite cycles and symptoms that occur, quite predictably.

My title for this thread is quite purposeful and leads toward one of the more dramatic symptoms of extended night work: personality shift. More specifically, a shift toward the more negative personality traits that most of us harbour and tend to keep in check.

If this is an inappropriate forum or topic, I request one of the moderators to intervene. Otherwise, I solicite the broader community to share their knowledge on this topic.

Best regards,

Labelwench

[Mikal]

You mention here a shift towards what you call negative personality traits. I have known my friend for eleven years and can assure you she used to be a calm, relaxed and quite happy person. However, 6 years has seemed to definitely pull her into the kind of negative traits, where everyone who works with her in a 2nd job comprised of a 5 hour day shift feel that she is explosive and so one is walking on thin ice in work relationships to her. I have witnessed her break down into tears over work problems that do not even fiz on a person not involved in night work at all.
I find your study interesting because statistically there are many occupations which now entail nightshifts.....I don't think everyone stops to consider the many effects that has on the wellbeing of the worker...


Mikal

[dolly]

Hi Labelwench. Welcome, hope you find this site as open and educational as i have. As to your study of the effects of evening/night shifts experienced by some, i have personal experience. For 10yrs i worked from 6p.m. to 2p.m. and never felt irritable, unhealthy or irrationable. That's not to say some or even a majority do. Always been in exceptional health. Find that my vision and concentration works better in the evening. Though ancestors are northern european my complexion has been healthy. Perhaps the negative effects felt by some may result from a change in nutrition and/or the work itself. Some of those who i worked alongside with did exhibit problems, but quite often they had difficulties outside of work.

[labelwench]

Your reply is greatly appreciated and leads me to add the following points.

The shift I have been researching is graveyard shift, from midnight until 8:30 or 9:00 a.m. The job is stocking the grocery shelves at our local outlet of the nation's largest Canadian food retailer. The work is incredibly physical, with the desired benchmark of 40 cases per hour of product to be spotted, case cut, placed on the shelf, and faced.

The hours of work isolate the individual from having any kind of a community or social life as most recreational activities are timed for early evening and weekends to accomodate the 9-5 sector of our society. Regular weekends off do not occur in this trade as most shopping is done on these days.

Labelwench

[racecar]

http://www.divinecaroline.com/articl...t-owls-morning

I've always been a morning person. Even as a teen, when my only free time was staying up/out late, I preferred getting up early (5 or 6) and going to bed early. It is very difficult for me to stay up late.

Getting up at 2 or 3 a.m. to get the baking done was no easier for me even when my body was fully rested. I fought it for awhile, but....well, it didn't work.

However my son is another animal (so to speak). He needs very little sleep and stays up very late. This was difficult for me when he was a baby. I had to honour his schedule. This could all change. Right now he's more nocturnal.

Would that be considered a chemical difference between us?
What about blind people? I think there may be differences in sleep patterns even then, too.

[labelwench]

Thanks for the link, Racecar. The article and comments were interesting and reflect much of what I have learned or observed to date.

Those who last the longest at this particlur venue are of "night owl" predisposition. The physical aspects of this job seem easier to accomplish than those tasks which require consistent logical and cognizance skills.

The use of caffeine, nicotine, cola, sports drinks et al is persistent.

I seek a full understanding of the short and long term effects of graveyard shift for myself and others who are employed in "securing the food supply" for a large percentage of the population in Yukon.

Labelwench

[Mikal]

Hi all....interesting link Val...at the end it states studies reveal that true morning people and true night owls..so to speak are rare. That would leave a huge percentage of the working population in varying degrees of vulnerabilty to high levels of work stress with the possiblity to do harm to workers on a psychological/biological and personality level...

I always said..."if we were meant to work at night we would have been born with a flashlight sticking out of our head".....lol...


Mikal