Has anyone experienced burn out due to shift work and night shift?

[Elite]

I've been working in the oil and gas industry for 15 years. my rotations usually consist of 24 days on and 10 days off, 13-14 hours a day. the amount of days I work are usually flexible as I usually make my own schedule. there's times when ill crush out 35 days in a row or more and take say 3 weeks off. I take every august off to go sheep hunting no matter what. You definitely get burnt out but being able to make my own schedule and the amount of pay makes it worth it to me.

Is that just days or nights also? I have been on shift in the oil and gas business for 12 years with no burn out. I only started having no energy or drive since going to nights


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[madcalfe]

Is that just days or nights also? I have been on shift in the oil and gas business for 12 years with no burn out. I only started having no energy or drive since going to nights


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When I first started supervising I did nights for about 6 years straight, I was also in my 20's so it didn't overly bother me. Since 2017 I've been strictly supervising day shift. I wont do nights anymore. I still get burnt out form days but i put up with it

 

[pacoalcracker]

night shift and rotating schedules might not outright kill you, but it will without any doubts shorten your life...by a lot. Ive read dozens of data reports on the subject that covers increased physical and mental health deterioration, increased domestic violence including child abuse and increased divorce rates, increased suicide rate, so it's really not a good place to be for very long. I did a bit of shift work. It is not worth it regardless of the extra money. Those increases across the board were not like 2 or 3% either....it was much much higher. Far too many people chase the money and pay dearly for it.

 

[Elkbelch]

Ive been working a modified Dupont schedule for 24 years. 4 nights, 3 days off, three days on, one day off, three nights, three days off, 4 days then 7 days off. It’s two weekends off a month. I work nights, holidays, birthdays, we work 12 hour shifts so I work 14 out of 28. The bad thing is covering vacations and sick days. Pretty much all the overtime you want. Fortunately we have some here that want it all . I work in a control room so i pretty much just monitor equipment after start up.
It has afforded us all kinds of vacations, hunts and a second home It does wear on me but i should be able to retire at 55 in two years. The benefits are awesome and i usually save the weekends for the wife and hunt/fish on the weekdays When most are at work.
Sometimes i credit the rotating shift to having been able to stay married for 31 years. We never seem to get enough time together.
She works a normal schedule but has worked from home for 3 years now.
If i had it to do over I’d probably choose the same path with only a HS education.

 

[ropeup79]

I’ve been doing 7 on 7 off (12 hr shifts with about a hr drive) rotating days and nights for close to 20 years. Switching from nights back to days is sometimes hard depending on how work went. I can’t imagine only having 2 days off at a time.

 

[MT_Fin]

I worked 4 on 3 off, 3 on 4 off 12hr shifts rotating days to nights every 3 months for 6 years. The night shift stretches were tough especially with lots of OT and with a family I would get off on my “Friday” at 7am then stay up all day and switch to a normal schedule for days off then on my “Monday” I would be up all day and roll into the night shift. Three years ago I switched agency’s and work 4 10’s, all day shift unless I want to do OT, lots of PTO and comp, and very flexible. It has its own challenges but I don’t think I could ever go back to rotating shift work or nights.

 

[Loo.wii]

3 years ago I switched into a rotating day/night shift schedule for a increase in pay.

The days are long. I leave the house at 5 am and get home at 7 pm. I only do nights once a month but it is for a 7 night stretch.

Over the last few years I have started to notice that I don’t get as excited for my hobbies or hunting trips. For example packing for a long trip seems like a daunting challenge now and the effort involved is overwhelming. I remember years ago I packed weeks in advance just on pure excitement for the trip.

So I am wondering if this could be possible burn out from the job or just getting older and not enjoying the same things in life?

I have never been a quitter and always ran with mindset of “never quit” “tough it out other people work the same shift”

Also has anyone took a reduction in pay for a better work to life balance and regretted it?


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Dude
I wouldn’t wish working nights on my worst enemy. I worked nights for a few years it messes you up . There was a period of time where I couldn’t sleep for 4 days. I was then prescribed something that was supposed to make me sleep….. I didn’t. I wanted to die.
Humans working nights is unnatural for most of us.

 

[Elkbelch]

Dude
I wouldn’t wish working nights on my worst enemy. I worked nights for a few years it messes you up . There was a period of time where I couldn’t sleep for 4 days. I was then prescribed something that was supposed to make me sleep….. I didn’t. I wanted to die.
Humans working nights is unnatural for most of us.

I guess it depends on the work, I start my shift at 5am or 5pm I usually Shut down the plant around 10pm so from 11pm I’am on the forums or scouting on Earth. I get off at 5am and after 24 years I’ve adjusted. It sucks sometimes but so does a lot of things. I have two outside guys that work for me and I let them nap after shutdown on their last night on shift I salvage the next day. When I’am on days it sucks too.

 

[Lawnboi]

2 things would fix most problems in our country.

One is drinking more water.

Two is going the **** to sleep at night.

Just my theory

 

[Elkbelch]

2 things would fix most problems in our country.

One is drinking more water.

Two is going the **** to sleep at night.

Just my theory

Just be sure to turn off your air conditioner and all the appliances before bed. Until then I guess I’ll be at work

 

[Lawnboi]

Just be sure to turn off your air conditioner and all the appliances before bed. Until then I guess I’ll be at work

I’d be out a job too. I take care of mostly people being stupid though.

 

[ceejay]

I absolutely think that there is connection with rotating work schedule causing inconsistent sleep patterns which results in lower energy. This in turn decreases your drive and enthusiasm to do things that take effort to do them because you just can't seem to find the umph to attack it and go. It's like the old saying "my get up and go has gone up and went".

 

[Dead eye BT]

Assuming full time schedule that's $650k/year!

That is some crazy .

 

[JoeB]

I work in the control room at a power plant. Rotating schedule, 12 hour shifts. I'm 58 and its tough. The best advise I can give is stay physically fit as best you can. I can handle the screwed up night shift sleeping much better when I'm working out regularly. I'm going to try and power through for another 2-4 years and retire to a part time day shift job.

 

[BLJ]

I work in the control room at a power plant. Rotating schedule, 12 hour shifts. I'm 58 and its tough. The best advise I can give is stay physically fit as best you can. I can handle the screwed up night shift sleeping much better when I'm working out regularly. I'm going to try and power through for another 2-4 years and retire to a part time day shift job.

That would be tough. When I worked outages all the guys in the control room did was drink coffee with there feet on the desk.



That’s the only one. I promise.

 

[DuckDogDr]

3 years ago I switched into a rotating day/night shift schedule for a increase in pay.

The days are long. I leave the house at 5 am and get home at 7 pm. I only do nights once a month but it is for a 7 night stretch.

Over the last few years I have started to notice that I don’t get as excited for my hobbies or hunting trips. For example packing for a long trip seems like a daunting challenge now and the effort involved is overwhelming. I remember years ago I packed weeks in advance just on pure excitement for the trip.

So I am wondering if this could be possible burn out from the job or just getting older and not enjoying the same things in life?

I have never been a quitter and always ran with mindset of “never quit” “tough it out other people work the same shift”

Also has anyone took a reduction in pay for a better work to life balance and regretted it?


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@Elite
I think it’s a combination of both burnout from job and your body’s hormone system going crazy . But I know EXACTLY how you feel..doesn’t help I only get 4 hours sleep between shifts some days

For me . I work so much, then something happens I have to take care of when I’m off I can’t devote time needed to packing and organizing and truly making sure things are “ready”

It genuinely is almost anxiety inducing .
Trying to find a solution myself .

Have our annual early Teal Trip with the guys coming up and usually I’m super pumped before hand.. dogs are usually worked 2x a day in anticipation and now … I’m just like Dear Lord let me make it there and I hope my enthusiasm jumps once I’m there..

 

[Elite]

Thanks for all the feedback and support everyone. I have been writing out the pros and cons of each scenario.

I think I will be ditching the night shift and trying to find a day shift role. Now the question is whether to stay with this company until a position opens or jump ship to another company


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[Elite]

Thanks for all the feedback and support everyone. I have been writing out the pros and cons of each scenario.

I think I will be ditching the night shift and trying to find a day shift role. Now the question is whether to stay with this company until a position opens or jump ship to another company


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[7LRM]

I came here in the USA in 1994 , I work at night for 3 years and go school during the day. After 3 years, I switched to day time and I never went back to night shift anymore. The problem with me is , I can’t sleep well during the day. That really worn me out, I feel sorry for those who work at night, it is definitely not for me.

 

[Taudisio]

Thanks for all the feedback and support everyone. I have been writing out the pros and cons of each scenario.

I think I will be ditching the night shift and trying to find a day shift role. Now the question is whether to stay with this company until a position opens or jump ship to another company


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FWIW, I think company loyalty goes a long way and being honest with yourself is step 1, then being honest with others (your employer) is step two. That was the approach I took when I brought it up. “I don’t want to leave you, but I can’t keep working this shift/position.”

Of course, for your own self, have a safety net.