My love/hate relationship with the early shift

[katiegirl]

This is my second week doing a couple of graveyard shifts (5am - 2pm) and its definitely a love / hate relationship

The night before my first shift I can't sleep as I get that 'I have to get up in a few hours and I don't want to miss my alarm' anxiety. So I spend the whole night tossing and turning and checking the time which makes me cranky as hell. Getting up at 3.30am to have a shower and try make myself look decent seems like such a chore and I curse and swear on my drive in.

Once I get to work and make an insanely strong coffee I feel a little more human. Surprisingly at 5am it is often pretty busy in here which means game face on - smiley and happy to be here Katie is awake.

The early shift means I get to speak to some of the ladies I don't otherwise get to see, which is an amazing perk.

Being able to watch the sunrise is a rarity for me these days, but starting at 5am means I get to enjoy that. AND the best perk is finishing at 2pm and getting the afternoon to do whatever I like.

How do you all cope with nights/early shifts? Do you love it?

 

[HappyPirate]

Ahoy;- Yep, ever noticed how it gets a little colder just before Sunrise!!!!!!!! Anyway I used to do early mornings, I started at 1.00am finished at 6.00am, then go home and have a shower, have a coffee and breakie, then go to my day job. Get home, make some tea watch the news then go to bed. 3 out of 5 days a week.
After doing that for a few long Years, I became a Pirate

 

[katiegirl]

Ahoy;- Yep, ever noticed how it gets a little colder just before Sunrise!!!!!!!! Anyway I used to do early mornings, I started at 1.00am finished at 6.00am, then go home and have a shower, have a coffee and breakie, then go to my day job. Get home, make some tea watch the news then go to bed. 3 out of 5 days a week.
After doing that for a few long Years, I became a Pirate

So that's how you became a pirate!

3 out of 5 days a week .... that's some long hours you must have been exhausted or did you get use to it after a while?

 

[HappyPirate]

Yeeeeee get used to it, I did it for years, but, you do have to sacrifice your social life and usually wake up very late during Saturday and let not forget, you go to bed early on Sunday evening. Then repeat the whole week again.
Cheers and Pass the Rum

 

[Dallas]

Wow no wonder you need the rum HP, that's some schedule!

I sometimes have to start at 6am Katie, I prefer early starts but not in winter and like you I usually end up waking at 4am and can't get back to sleep

 

[Tania Admin]

I loved the Graveyard shift. No traffic, nice drive to Perth from the country, the colours and smells when the dawn breaks, the craziness of the GY shift when it was still busy when I arrived, getting to see the night staff, the day staff, the night ladies, the day ladies and the awesome cleaning crew. Yep, I loved graveyard shifts

 

[SashaFabulous]

too confusing! I like there to be clear definition...day or night