Working with an NDIS provider or in a frontline care environment often means managing a demanding shift-work schedule.
If you live in a regional hub or a major city, you might take on shifts across multiple organizations to boost your income. In fact, you might finish an overnight shift supporting an in-home client and immediately drive to a facility to work the next day.
Needless to say, maintaining a heavy workload like this can leave you feeling completely exhausted. Managing exhaustion as a shift worker can feel nearly impossible, leading many carers to accept constant tiredness as their reality.
While you cannot control every job variable when working with an NDIS provider, simple adjustments to your routine can make your downtime far more restorative and abundant.
1. Draw on technology to optimise your personal time.
For many people, household and family obligations outside of work can take up a lot of time, and when we’re tired, we actually tend to do them more slowly and less efficiently.
By taking a look at the aspects of your life that you could refine and optimise, you can save yourself time and energy, and either get to bed faster, or spend some much needed time snuggled up on the couch.
A great way to approach optimising your personal time is to write a list of all the household and other obligations you have. Look at which tasks might be made easier by calling in some help or by using technology to be more productive.
For example, meal planning apps allow you to select meals with a tap, and with one more tap, add all the groceries to your grocery list and send off the order to your supermarket for delivery.
So, rather than spending 30 minutes or an hour compiling your list and planning your meals, and a further hour or more at the grocery store, you spend two minutes and gain back more than 60!
Likewise, you can minimise hours spent after work catching up on timesheets, by drawing on apps like VisiCase (if it is used within your NDIS provider) to record your shifts and submit to management.
2. Work as a community to share the load
The introduction of services like YouFoodz and Light’n’Easy have been welcomed eagerly by busy Australians who are short on time and energy, but want to eat good, healthy meals.
The problem is, not everyone can afford to spend hundreds of dollars on food every week – even if it is pre-cooked for you!
One building community (residents who live in the same apartment block) in Sydney tackled this problem by putting their heads – and their kitchens – together.
Realising each household was short on time and money, they each agreed to bulk cook one meal for several other families at the start of the week, and in return, would receive four days of cooked meals for their own families.
Draw on your community, whether it’s your building, your family or even your work colleagues, to determine how you can make household tasks more efficient.
3. Go to sleep faster when working with an NDIS provider.
A major cause of shift exhaustion when working with an NDIS provider is that work stress often stays on your mind well after your shift ends.
Writing down lingering thoughts in a diary or on your phone before bed brings mental clarity and helps you fall asleep faster.
4. Stretch and exercise regularly while working with an NDIS provider.
It might sound counter-intuitive, because you are already tired, but moving around can help wake you up – especially if you are working a physical or long shift in a care role.
Many health specialists recommend stopping and stretching regularly while at work so you can loosen up your body, reduce the likelihood of injury, keep the blood flowing, and stay alert and focused.
Read our recent article for NDIS carers, featuring sports therapist Rachael Leek, for some easy stretches that can protect your body and help fight off tiredness.
5. Talk to your manager.
Organisations, including your employer when working with an NDIS provider, have a duty of care to look after their employees – and managing fatigue falls under this remit.
If you have tried everything but just can’t seem to shake that feeling of exhaustion, it’s time to talk to your manager.
Being open and honest can help a manager, as they may not even be aware of the problem. Working together, you might be able to find different ways to reorganise your shifts or even identify shifts that will result in less exhaustion.
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VisiCase provides an NDIS-ready business automation platform, built on powerful workflows. It helps you manage, streamline and optimise every component of your business, and its modules empower a positive employee and client experience.
Image by Kinga Cichewicz
Frequently Asked Questions
How does working with an NDIS provider impact shift worker fatigue?
Working with an NDIS provider often involves back-to-back frontline shifts, overnight support, and travel between multiple care locations. This heavy workload leads to physical and mental exhaustion, making it essential for workers to optimize downtime, streamline personal routines, and manage fatigue proactively.
What technology helps NDIS care workers save personal time?
NDIS care workers can use meal-planning and grocery delivery apps to save hours on weekly chores. Additionally, using workforce management applications like VisiCase streamlines timesheet submissions and shift tracking, reducing admin tasks after long shifts.
How can community meal sharing reduce exhaustion for care workers?
Community meal sharing involves groups or colleagues bulk-cooking single meals to trade with one another. This strategy cuts down on cooking time, provides four to five days of pre-made meals, saves money compared to commercial services, and preserves energy after long care shifts.
Why is stretching recommended during physical care shifts?
Stretching during care shifts improves blood circulation, keeps muscles flexible, and reduces injury risks. Regular movement also increases alertness and fights off operational tiredness during long, physically demanding duties.
What should you do if shift work exhaustion becomes unmanageable?
If shift worker exhaustion persists, speak directly with your NDIS provider manager. Employers have a duty of care regarding workplace fatigue and can work with you to adjust shift patterns, reorganize schedules, or reduce overall workload stress.
