--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We can screw up our biological clocks a…" description: "\"“We can screw up our biological clocks a lot easier than that, too. Shift work, where employees alternate between days and nights on the job, leads to ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e68/douglas-rushkoff-2188_biological-clock_we-can-screw-up-our-biological-clocks-a_366436.jpg" --- # We can screw up our biological clocks a lot easier than… ![“We can screw up our biological clocks a lot easier than that, too. Shift work, where employees alternate between days and nights on the job, leads to a significantly higher rate of violence, mood disorders, depression, and suicide. If a shift worker is scheduled even just one night on duty…” quote by Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e68/douglas-rushkoff-2188_biological-clock_we-can-screw-up-our-biological-clocks-a_366436.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e68/douglas-rushkoff-2188_biological-clock_we-can-screw-up-our-biological-clocks-a_366436.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e68/douglas-rushkoff-2188_biological-clock_we-can-screw-up-our-biological-clocks-a_366436.jpg) > ““We can screw up our biological clocks a lot easier than that, too. Shift work, where employees alternate between days and nights on the job, leads to a significantly higher rate of violence, mood disorders, depression, and suicide. If a shift worker is scheduled even just one night on duty, urinary electrolytes take five days to adjust and eight days for the heart rate to return to normal. The World Health Organization has suggested that shift work is a “possible” carcinogen.”” [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Shift work disrupts circadian rhythms, increasing risk of mental health issues, violence, and possibly cancer. **In simple terms:** Irregular work hours harm health and safety. Key Takeaway Limit shift work or mitigate with proper scheduling. Themes health workplace circadian rhythm risk policy Mood concerned urgent Type informative warning When to use this quote - hospital staffing - manufacturing - transportation - emergency services - night shift workers Key Concepts chronobiology occupational health public health Questions to Reflect On - How can employers redesign schedules to protect health? - What personal habits can offset circadian disruption? A Different Perspective Not all individuals experience the same level of risk; lifestyle factors also matter. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Biological clock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biological-clock/) [Depression And Suicide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/depression-and-suicide/) [Heart rate](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart-rate/) [World health](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world-health/) ## Related quotes > [I think women assess time passage much better than men - because of their biological clocks - and they are much more realistic about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/danny-boyle/i-think-women-assess-time-passage-much-better-than-men-because-of/) [Danny Boyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/danny-boyle/) > [People used to think that biological clocks were not only mysterious, they were seen almost as miracles. This is no longer the case.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-c-hall/people-used-to-think-that-biological-clocks-were-not-only-mysterious/) [Jeffrey C. Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-c-hall/) > [“Let us crush these so-called biological clocks that give us nothing but fear, and encourage us to make stupid decisions. Let us crush these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osayi-osar-emokpae/let-us-crush-these-so-called-biological-clocks-that-give-us-nothing/) [Osayi Osar-Emokpae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osayi-osar-emokpae/) > [“The first morning passed, and the first afternoon, then the first shift back at work. time takes it all, whether you want it to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/the-first-morning-passed-and-the-first-afternoon-then-the-first-shift/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [“Extreme night shift work in high altitude astronomy is easily avoidable by using a split night shift where the first night shift starts before…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/extreme-night-shift-work-in-high-altitude-astronomy-is-easily/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [Shift work, where the body clock is continuously changed, is really deleterious on many levels - from psychology to physiology.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-rosbash/shift-work-where-the-body-clock-is-continuously-changed-is-really/) [Michael Rosbash](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-rosbash/) > [“My employer never told me about Shift Work Disorder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/my-employer-never-told-me-about-shift-work-disorder/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [“Reversing the sleep and wake cycles of the human through night shift work is known to cause extensive long term damage in humans.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/reversing-the-sleep-and-wake-cycles-of-the-human-through-night-shift/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [I got married when I was 16 so I had to do shift-work to make ends meet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-jones/i-got-married-when-i-was-16-so-i-had-to-do-shift-work-to-make-ends/) [Tom Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-jones/) > [What people who are doing shift work or managing shift workers or deciding to put people on shift schedules to begin with should realize…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessa-gamble/what-people-who-are-doing-shift-work-or-managing-shift-workers-or/) [Jessa Gamble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessa-gamble/) > [“Progressing mental and physical illnesses were a feature of my Shift Work Disorder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-magee/progressing-mental-and-physical-illnesses-were-a-feature-of-my-shift/) [Steven Magee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-magee/) > [Anxiety, depression, and suicide don't discriminate based on how much money you have - though it might make it easier for you to get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chelsea-manning/anxiety-depression-and-suicide-don-t-discriminate-based-on-how-much/) [Chelsea Manning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chelsea-manning/) > [“Due to these influences and many others, iGen is distinct from every previous generation in how its members spend their time, how they behave,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-m-twenge/due-to-these-influences-and-many-others-igen-is-distinct-from-every/) [Jean M. Twenge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-m-twenge/) > [“To begin with, there is an almost compulsive promiscuity associated with homosexual behavior. 75% of homosexual men have more than 100 sexual partners during…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-lane-craig/to-begin-with-there-is-an-almost-compulsive-promiscuity-associated/) [William Lane Craig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-lane-craig/) > [“A review of 850 research papers concluded that people with religious involvement and belief system have better mental health outcomes. They have higher levels…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-venn-brown/a-review-of-850-research-papers-concluded-that-people-with-religious/) [Anthony Venn-Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-venn-brown/) ## More by Douglas Rushkoff > [The first step toward maintaining autonomy in any programmed environment is to be aware that there's programming going on. It's as simple as understanding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/the-first-step-toward-maintaining-autonomy-in-any-programmed/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Digital media are biased toward replication and storage. Our digital photos practically upload and post themselves on Facebook, and our most deleted e-mails tend…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/digital-media-are-biased-toward-replication-and-storage-our-digital/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [“And spend they did. Money circulated faster and spread wider through its communities of use than at any other time in economic history.8 Workers…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/and-spend-they-did-money-circulated-faster-and-spread-wider-through/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Occupy Wall Street is meant more as a way of life that spreads through contagion, creates as many questions as it answers, aims to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/occupy-wall-street-is-meant-more-as-a-way-of-life-that-spreads/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Time has always been used against us on a certain level. The invention of the clock made us accountable to the employer, gave us…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/time-has-always-been-used-against-us-on-a-certain-level-the-invention/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [What makes a great standalone piece of hardware is not the same thing as what makes a great networking device. One can work as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/what-makes-a-great-standalone-piece-of-hardware-is-not-the-same-thing/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Digiphrenia - how technology lets us be in more than one place - and self - at the same time. Drone pilots suffer more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/digiphrenia-how-technology-lets-us-be-in-more-than-one-place-and-self/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [A currency designed for long-term storage and investment doesn't do so well at encouraging transactions and exchange in the moment.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/a-currency-designed-for-long-term-storage-and-investment-doesn-t-do/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Since the 1960s, mainstream media has searched out and co-opted the most authentic things it could find in youth culture, whether that was psychedelic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/since-the-1960s-mainstream-media-has-searched-out-and-co-opted-the/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Children are being adultified because our economy is depending on them to make purchasing decisions. So they're essentially the victims of a marketing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/children-are-being-adultified-because-our-economy-is-depending-on/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [In spite of my own reservations about Bing's ability to convert Google users, I have to admit that the search engine does offer a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/in-spite-of-my-own-reservations-about-bing-s-ability-to-convert/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [“Limbic consonance is the little-known process through which the mood of a room changes when a happy or nervous person walks in.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/limbic-consonance-is-the-little-known-process-through-which-the-mood/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Think 'Game of Thrones.' In the old days, this sort of show might be considered bad writing. It doesn't really seem to be moving…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/think-game-of-thrones-in-the-old-days-this-sort-of-show-might-be/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [We have the alternative. "Do I want to be on the subway looking at these people, or do I want to be in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/we-have-the-alternative-do-i-want-to-be-on-the-subway-looking-at/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) > [Digiphrenia”—the way our media and technologies encourage us to be in more than one place at the same time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-rushkoff/digiphrenia-the-way-our-media-and-technologies-encourage-us-to-be-in/) [Douglas Rushkoff](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) [Explore all 180 Douglas Rushkoff quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-rushkoff/) ## More Biological clock quotes > [“She faced him. “I have to, Lee. In a few weeks, you’ll be gone. Until then, there’s nothing more between us than sex.” “You…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachel-grant/she-faced-him-i-have-to-lee-in-a-few-weeks-you-ll-be-gone-until-then/) [Rachel Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachel-grant/) > [Time is an experience in consciousness. It is metabolized as our biological clock. Changing our experience of time can reverse aging.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/time-is-an-experience-in-consciousness-it-is-metabolized-as-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Why limit yourself to the experience of your own relatively brief time on earth, according to your biological clock, when the whole realm of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-mccullough/why-limit-yourself-to-the-experience-of-your-own-relatively-brief/) [David McCullough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-mccullough/) > [The way we metabolize our experience of time influences our biological clock.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/the-way-we-metabolize-our-experience-of-time-influences-our/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Biological clock? I don't even own a watch.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-mlynowski/biological-clock-i-don-t-even-own-a-watch/) [Sarah Mlynowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-mlynowski/) > [If you can wiggle your toes with the mere flicker of an intention, why can't you reset your biological clock?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/if-you-can-wiggle-your-toes-with-the-mere-flicker-of-an-intention-why/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [Why should I worry about the biological clock ticking? Saif is 10 years older. He should be worried.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kareena-kapoor/why-should-i-worry-about-the-biological-clock-ticking-saif-is-10/) [Kareena Kapoor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kareena-kapoor/) > [It is easier to wiggle the toes than reset the biological clock, but that is just a belief that is rooted in superstition. If…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deepak-chopra/it-is-easier-to-wiggle-the-toes-than-reset-the-biological-clock-but/) [Deepak Chopra](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deepak-chopra/) > [The realisation that all things that society gives us is an illusion is the only way to free yourself from the tribe. All these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-limn/the-realisation-that-all-things-that-society-gives-us-is-an-illusion/) [Jeremy Limn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-limn/) > [I never went through a biological clock experience. I never even heard it ticking.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-lynch/i-never-went-through-a-biological-clock-experience-i-never-even-heard/) [Jane Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-lynch/) > [“Let us crush these so-called biological clocks that give us nothing but fear, and encourage us to make stupid decisions. Let us crush these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/osayi-osar-emokpae/let-us-crush-these-so-called-biological-clocks-that-give-us-nothing/) [Osayi Osar-Emokpae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/osayi-osar-emokpae/) > [“Mama Ginger came calling, to set the alarm on my biological clock. Oh, and to remind me that there’s no point to me being…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/molly-harper/mama-ginger-came-calling-to-set-the-alarm-on-my-biological-clock-oh/) [Molly Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/molly-harper/) > [Only when the clock stops does time come to life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-faulkner/only-when-the-clock-stops-does-time-come-to-life/) [William Faulkner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-faulkner/) > [I've been broody since I was only one-year-old. My biological clock started ticking almost straight away.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jamie-demetriou/i-ve-been-broody-since-i-was-only-one-year-old-my-biological-clock/) [Jamie Demetriou](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jamie-demetriou/) > [Do men have a biological clock? I feel like I do. Something is definitely ticking!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-wilson/do-men-have-a-biological-clock-i-feel-like-i-do-something-is/) [Luke Wilson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-wilson/) [Browse all 44 Biological clock quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/biological-clock/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“We can screw up our biological clocks a lot easier than that, too. Shift work, where employees alternate between days and nights on the job, leads to a significantly higher rate of violence, mood disorders, depression, and suicide. 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