Shift work fatigue is certainly the bane of our existence when you work crazy and irregular hours. In fact wandering around in a zombie-like state is something that you never really get used to.

When you feel tired all of the time, you also suffer from a lack of motivation. Motivation that is – to do anything.

You may even have days when you just want to stay in your pyjamas and build a path between the fridge, the bathroom and your bedroom!

So if this is sounding familiar, what can you do to get your motivation (and life) back on track?

Well begin by incorporating more ‘Bright Ideas’ into your life.

Because whenever you are exposed to darkness, your body naturally slows down and you become tired. In fact, for thousands of years the human race has gone to sleep when it’s dark and has woken up when it’s light.

That is of course, unless you work shift work.

So how can you use the power of light to help motivate you? Well according to a study by Dr Bob Arnot, author of The Biology of Success, adding more light into your day radically improves your mood and mental state.

So here’s some Bright Ideas to help you get your motivation back:

* Get outside for a few minutes each day.

* Open all of your windows to allow more natural light into your house.

* If you’re particularly vulnerable to spending too much time inside, then you might want to invest in some good Light Therapy. For example, the Lite Book is a well known product that helps those who suffer from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) by assisting in the regulation of melatonin – a feel good hormone that makes you feel more content and energized.

So start incorporating more ‘Bright Ideas’ into your life and you’ll begin to feel much more alert and motivated throughout the day.

Of course you can never beat taking some well earned “time out” on your days off by going for a walk in the sunshine and getting some fresh air. This will always leave you feeling much more energized as opposed to spending your days off slumped on the couch in front of the telly!

If you’re struggling to get a good night’s sleep when you work shift work, then it’s highly possible that light – or more specifically too much of it, is a major contributing factor.

Of course it’s a fairly well-known fact that in order for you to sleep better, your bedroom needs to be as dark as physically possible.

In fact even the light from your alarm clock or strong moonlight can affect your ability to fall and stay asleep.

So what can you do to help improve your sleep and thereby reduce your shift work fatigue?

1. Eliminate light from your bedroom – completely. This may include installing blinds, shutters or curtains, but just make sure that they are wide enough to cover gaps around the windows to eliminate any light from sneaking in.

2. Use eye masks or eye shades. Shop around and find ones that black out the light completely and are comfortable to wear. Eye masks that are not too bulky and are made from natural fibres are best as they are less likely to cause irritation whilst you are sleeping.

3. Turn off your light when you go to bed. Might sound silly, but many people actually fall asleep with the light turned on, only to wake up a few hours later feeling groggy and disorientated.

So if you work shift work, getting enough sleep is usually one of the hardest things to overcome. But if you begin to apply the above steps into your bedroom routine, you will start to notice a dramatic difference in your quality and quantity of sleep.

Quite simply, more sleep you acquire – the more energy for you.