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Top holiday hacks for night shift workers to beat the January blues

An expert shares top tips and travel deals to help shift workers beat the winter blues and make the most of their annual leave.

[People enjoying vacations in the Cala Salada lagoon. Idyllic scenery. Ibiza, Balearic Islands. Spain]

A night shift worker sees less than 30 minutes of daylight (Image: Getty Images)

The average night shift worker sees just 29 minutes of daylight on a working day during January, new research reveals. A poll of 2,000 UK workers, including 500 night shift staff, found that four in ten night workers can go at least three days in a row without seeing any daylight at all during the winter months. Nearly a quarter (24%) say this makes them feel cut off from the outside world.

To combat the lack of sunlight, more night workers are taking proactive steps to boost their mood, with 63% doing something to improve their wellbeing. Popular strategies include adjusting daily routines to catch more daylight, booking holidays to sunny destinations, and taking annual leave in January (21%).

[beach ]

A third said having a trip to look forward helps them stay motivated(Image: Joseph Walshe SWNS)

According to research commissioned by Blue Light Card, more than half of those who have booked a holiday in January say its to provide an immediate mood boost during gloomy days. A third add that having a trip to look forward to helps them maintain motivation and energy at work when January morale is at its lowest.

Travel expert Tracey Davies, who partnered with Blue Light Card, said: Navigating through the dark days of winter is hard for everyone, but it can be particularly trying when you work shifts.

If your holiday allowance is a little tight, consider your shift patterns and where you could take three or four days off. The warmest parts of mainland Europe can be reached by plane in under three hours, which is very doable for a long weekend in the sun.

Spain's Costa del Sol and Portugal's Algarve region both get a good six hours of proper sunshine each day.

When asked which destinations help them get through night shifts, mainland Spain topped the list, with 34% of workers choosing it, followed by the Canary Islands (31%) and Greece (30%).

But without a holiday to look forward to, 21% of night workers are unsure how to make up for the lost sunlight, while 34% admit they simply grin and bear it until the clocks go forward in late March.

Rebecca Clarke, head of partnerships for Blue Light Card, which estimates active members can save over 3,000 per year, added: The problem of depleted sunlight in the winter is one we all face.

But for some of our members who work night shifts, our research shows that it is having an effect on fatigue and motivation.

Its no surprise that this leads to an increased appetite to book a holiday. So weve made sure that we have affordable and flexible options for those members looking to boost their mood and reclaim some sunlight this January.

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS HOLIDAY HACKS BY EXPERT TRACEY DAVIES

Escape the short days

Of course, the best way to survive the winter gloom is to fly to sunnier climates. If you can get away, even for a few days, look to southern Europe and subtropical Atlantic islands like the Canaries, Malta and Madeira, which all have reliable sunshine in January and February. Jet2 Holidays has some great deals to all these destinations, particularly in Madeira (a week from 366 per person) and Malta (from 276).

Mini-breaks to maximise annual leave

If your holiday allowance is a little tight, maybe your shifts will align to take three or four days off. The warmest parts of mainland Europe can be reached by plane in three hours, which is very doable for a long weekend in the sun. Spain's Costa del Sol and Portugal's Algarve region both get a good six hours of proper sunshine each day, along with temperatures hovering around 16-18 degrees.

Rota-friendly deals

It can be harder for shift workers to plan holidays in advance, but many tour operators like Jet2 and Virgin Atlantic Holidays offer some good deals for last-minute winter sun, while Blue Light Card holders can save more by applying their membership discounts on top of these offers.

UK sunshine hotspots

You don't always have to venture too far home in search of vitamin D. According to the Met Office, the Isle of Wight is the sunniest place in Britain. On average, the island off the South Coast sees more than five hours of sunshine each day, beating Kent, Essex and Cornwall.

Guaranteed sunshine

In January and February, Orlando sees consistent temperatures in the early 20s - perfect shorts and t-shirt weather and it's one of the cheapest and quietest times to visit the theme parks. Blue Light card holders can also get some good last-minute deals to Caribbean destinations like Barbados, St Lucia and Antigua in February, particularly if you book midweek.

Maximise annual leave

Savvy employees everywhere can strategically use their annual leave this Easter to get 16 consecutive days off for the price of eight. Book off 30 March - 2 April and then 710 April and you'll get nearly two and half weeks off, perfect for that long haul holiday.

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