Connect with Friends and Community
"My friends know I'll call them on my days off. I know I need to be well-rested. Running a train is a big responsibility. I don't want to be tired on the job."
It may be harder to stay in touch with family and friends when your schedules don’t mesh—but it’s not impossible. Connecting with family and friends can help ease stress, boost mood, and enhance overall well-being.
Exercise with your buddies. Do you like to hunt? Play golf? Shoot some hoops? You may have to get creative with times of the day or days of the week. The benefits of maintaining strong personal relationships usually outweigh such inconveniences.
Call, text, or email family and friends regularly when you’re not working. A brief chat or note will help cement relationships.
Get together when you can, even if you meet at odd times of day. Maybe you can get together for breakfast or lunch instead of your usual dinner, or catch a movie in the afternoon instead of the evening.
Volunteer at your child’s school or in the community. Some schools have a “drop-in” parent policy. Your children will enjoy having you in their domain. Your local library, community association, or religious institution almost always can use volunteers to staff a desk, stuff envelopes, or handle other tasks.