How to balance shift work and your health

A nurse in green scrubs eating breakfast and looking out the window


Published June 2025
Expert contributor: Alexandra Shriane, PhD researcher at CQUniversity’s Appleton Institute
Words by Sabrina Rogers-Anderson

Working irregular hours can take a toll on your physical and mental wellbeing. Here are four science-backed ways to stay healthy and happy through shift work.

If you’re one of the nearly 15% of Australian workers doing shift work, staying on top of your health takes a bit more effort. Whether you work early mornings, late nights or irregular hours, shift work can increase the risk of chronic illnesses including digestive issues, heart disease, diabetes, obesity and depression.

While all those health risks might sound alarming, there are several steps you can take to reduce the impact of shift work on your health.

Prioritise sleep when you can

Alexandra Shriane, PhD researcher at CQUniversity’s Appleton Institute, says sleep should be a top priority.

“Traditional sleep hygiene tips, like going to bed at the same time every night, don’t work for shift workers,” she explains. “They need advice that’s tailored to their lifestyle.”

Here are her top tips for shift work and sleep.

  • Create a good sleep environment: Make your room as dark, cool and quiet as possible before going to bed.
  • Follow a relaxation routine: “Try to practise the same set of relaxing activities right before you go to bed to help you switch off from work and signal to your body that it’s time for sleep,” says Alexandra. “You might enjoy a warm shower, breathing exercises, music or gentle movement such as yoga.”
  • Catch up on sleep when you can: “We still want shift workers to aim for seven to nine hours of sleep, but they can spread it out across a whole 24-hour period,” says Alexandra. “If you’re a night-shift worker, you might be able to get five hours of sleep in the morning and have another two-hour nap in the afternoon before starting your shift.”
  • Nap smart: “Have a short, sharp nap of 20 to 30 minutes for an energy boost, or a longer nap of at least 90 minutes to build up the total amount of sleep per 24 hours,” Alexandra advises. “If you sleep anywhere between 30 and 90 minutes, you’re more likely to wake up feeling groggy.”
  • Get help if needed: “If your lack of sleep is starting to affect your wellbeing, talk to your GP. Signs to watch out for are significant struggles falling or staying asleep, or extreme difficulty staying awake when you need to,” says Alexandra.

Balance your diet

When you’re working irregular hours, it can be hard to make healthy food choices, but fruits, vegetables, lean protein, whole grains and healthy fats can help keep your energy levels high.

Alexandra also suggests the following tips for working night shift.

  • Stick to ‘regular’ mealtimes: “A lot of night-shift workers eat most of their daily food at night, but our bodies aren’t designed to digest food overnight,” explains Alexandra. “We see much higher rates of obesity, diabetes and metabolic problems in shift workers for this reason. Try to stick to traditional mealtimes for your main meals. Maybe that means having breakfast at 6pm before you start work, and dinner at 6am when you come home from your shift.”
  • Eat light at night: “Overnight, try to limit your food intake to light snacks,” says Alexandra. “Prioritise protein and healthy fats because they’ll keep your energy levels high without giving you a spike in energy followed by a big crash, like sugary and carb-heavy meals can. Try a piece of fruit and some cheese, or a high-quality muesli bar.”

Move your body

Research shows exercising regularly can help regulate your internal body clock, improve alertness and prevent a range of physical and mental health conditions. But how do you fit exercise into an unpredictable schedule?

Alexandra recommends doing “short bursts of activity during your shift, such as walking up and down stairs, or doing some body weight squats”.

“You only need about 5 minutes to reap some benefits,” she says.

Exercising outside of work is important, too. “You should aim for the recommended minimum of 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise [like brisk walking or mowing the lawn] each week, but try not to prioritise exercise over sleep,” notes Alexandra.

“If it’s too hard to fit exercise in on your work days, do it on your days off,” she adds. “It doesn’t matter if you do all your weekly exercise within two days, as long as you’re getting close to the recommended total.”

Try these easy no-equipment workouts you can do almost anywhere.

Look after your mental health

Many shift workers struggle with their mental health, particularly those who work in high-trauma environments like emergency services or the military.

“Shift work can be very isolating, because you’re on a different schedule than your friends and family,” says Alexandra. “Try to reinforce your support networks and help them understand how they can best support you, whether that’s helping with chores, life admin or childcare. People with stronger support networks have better outcomes, so it’s worth the effort.”

In addition to getting enough sleep, eating well and exercising, relaxation techniques including mindfulness meditation or deep breathing can help calm your mind. Try a meditation app like Calm or Headspace that features short, easy-to-follow guided meditations. The 4-7-8 breathing technique (breathe in for four counts, hold for seven and breathe out for eight) may also help reduce anxiety.

“While it’s normal to struggle sometimes, you shouldn’t have to accept feeling constantly rundown or demotivated,” says Alexandra. “If you’ve been feeling like this for several weeks, have a chat with your GP. There are so many treatment pathways that can help.”

Need mental health support?

Eligible RT Health members* can claim for online cognitive behavioural courses delivered by This Way Up. These evidence-based programs are developed by psychiatrists and clinical psychologists and can help you manage depression, generalised anxiety, social anxiety, health anxiety, panic and more.

Depending on your level of cover, you may also be able to access benefits for mental health services under the psychology annual limit of your cover. Check your RT Health Cover Guide to see what’s available to you.


Important information

* This Way Up is available to RT Health members with Deluxe Extras, Top Extras and Smart Extras cover, up to their annual limit of $120 per person, paid under Psychology benefits. The benefit payable will depend on the program you choose.


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