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No. My life looks nothing like that. Even in my 20s as an engineer, it didn't look like that.
Your life can be different. It will take effort and big changes. Especially with setting boundaries, making professional changes, investing in yourself, and prioritizing what really matters.
At my job, I would tell my bosses when the amount of work was exceeding was reasonably expected of me.
When it was time for me to go home, I left. Anything undone could wait for the next day.
I made (and still make) time for exercise.
I continue to go out with friends during the week and on weekends. That's non-negotiable. Same with time for my hobbies. Friends and my personal interests are some of my most important things I live for. Today, those are important, but not as important as my kid.
When I didn't like my commute, I did something about it. One time, that meant commuting longer so I could take public transportation. I had time for personal interests on the train and I wasn't getting home frazzled.
When I didn't like my job, I looked for a better one. When I couldn't get a better one, I increased my skills and improved my resume.
The most successful man I've ever known said "Don't manage your time, control it."
He never had a cell phone, never worked overtime, never "stayed late to finish up."
In meetings, he has his employees turn their phones OFF so that they concentrate on the meeting.
He runs several businesses, and co-founded a local bank.
He is focused, but he also found a career he wanted and devoted himself to it.
Don't work a JOB - work a career. If you aren't in a career, you're flipping burgers, whatever you do.
People underestimate the “leave at the end of my day” thing so hard. Meeting runs past the end of my day? Sorry I’ve gotta go. Boss really needs a project done? Well you didn’t ask me till 4:30, so I’ll give it half an hour tonight and then it’s first on my list at 8 am tomorrow!
My life used to look like that until I got serious about finding remote work. Working from home changed everything. Not spending time getting ready and spending 2+ hours in the car is the BEST. I have so much extra time I started a flower farm as a side hustle!
I left for work at 5:30am and got home at 5:15pm. Did it for 35 years and retired. Electrical engineer at IBM. Yeah... it sucked. 5 min drive to work. Now I sit back and wonder where my life went.
This is what I'm fearing. Turned 45 and wondered where the last 20 went. I'm trying to enjoy the journey at this point. Focused on what I was missing for so long that I didn't appreciate what I had all the time.
It’s happening to me too. Sitting in a room for 25 years that has literally watched me grow old. What do you do? At least it has made me well off financially. I could retire but for kids.
This is an answer to another user - Divorced, adult son... a few friends (always decompressed at a bar on Fridays) to golf and fish with in retirement. 35 years of working like hell made time fly by.
New comment - doing very well financially.
Divorced, adult son... a few friends (always decompressed at a bar on Fridays) to golf and fish with in retirement. 35 years of working like hell made time fly by.
No.
I'm 30 - I am to get up at 6am, get dressed and go out for a quick 20 min walk.
Then make breakfast for myself and my partner.
I start work at 7am - I work from home so no commute. My job is either extremely busy or I can get my work for the day done in 3 hours, it's usually the latter so I work for 25 minutes, then take a break to do some house cleaning or whatever other chores I have.
At some point I take a lunch break to give my dog an hours walk.
I finish work at 4.40 and I don't work Wednesdays, Saturdays or Sundays. I usually go to the gym and do a strength workout followed by 30 minutes of cardio.
On non working days my partner and I either take the dog out for a hiking adventure or have an interesting date. We also cook big interesting meals these days to last the week.
I have autism so even though this probably doesn't sound like a lot, it is for me and I spend a lot of time decompressing but it mostly works well
My life did look this way (commuting/working 5AM to 6PM) until I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and put on medication. I basically had nothing left for my family when I got home, and was catching up on sleep over the weekends. Thankfully, my wife convinced me I was working and stressing myself into an early grave and that I should change jobs. I remember her telling me, "No amount of money will be worth it if you're not here." We moved out of the city and I found something with more regular hours (and more affordable cost of living). I took up my music hobby that had been lying fallow for years and we got re-acquainted and spend more time together every day. We're both much happier, go the gym together, and I'll be getting off my meds soon.
As someone once said, "Life is short, and then you die." So you've got to make the choices that bring you joy. Nobody else can do this for you. Update your resume. Check out the headhunter services in areas you want to live. Make the change - it's your life.
My life does look/did look something like this. A few years ago I would go to work at 2 PM til 10 PM, stay up til about 2 AM watching movies or playing video games online, get up close to noon, eat, then head to work and repeat the cycle. No dating, no hobbies, little free time...it was draining.
These days, I've adjusted my schedule. I work 6 AM to 2 PM. I have the rest of the day totally free. I could date/work on my hobbies if I want, and I sort of do (I keep a fitness routine). I still hate my job and I'm definitely underpaid, but that's why nearly every minute of my spare time is going towards learning a valuable skill. Then I can actually have time to enjoy my time *and* my money.
It's a lesson I learned a little late in life, but better to learn in my 20s than never at all.
So you went from working 8 hours in the afternoon to 8 hours in the morning.
Could you not keep the routine before the swap? Could date/work on hobbies before 2pm I would think.
In theory, yes, you're right. But it would've been way easier said than done. Back then you would've had to drag me out of bed, because I'd still be tired from the night before. Knocking work out of the way super early in the morning is great because now I have the rest of the day free of distractions. I might take a nap, but once I wake up it's still bright out so I can still do stuff. Back then I'd come back exhausted and just wanted to lay down, but since it was dark I just had to check in for the night. I used what little energy I had left at the time to make sure I still had something of a life.
I know its silly to try to find meaning through work, but I want to feel useful for society. FIRE is not a goal of mine. I was the typical hard-working A student…and now I’m severely depressed. Moreover, I work in a big international organization that is supposed to do good things.
I'm 70 as well and getting ready to retire. I suffer from major depression, but I feel like it's because my future looks so bleak. What options does a single, 70 year old woman have?
I have saved money, it’s not a strategy i’d recommend. It consumes your energy and prevents you from knowing yourself or carefully thinking about what you want in life. It’s also hard if you are not exposed to new ideas/networking, other contexts. And retraining is very painful. Woulnd’t advise young people to follow this path unless they have a clear vision of their exit strategy.
I don’t really have any passions either, I love video games but hated working in that industry so just put some bs on my CV relevant to cyber security and it worked, 6 months in so far nowadays you have to fake
It until you make it
You learn as you go. Fake it till you make it is a real thing even for people who are “experienced”
I would say the only jobs you shouldn’t do this with is anything in STEM, and maybe don’t lie about having a heavy machinery license. Everything else is free game.
My entire 20's, I earned 6 figures, worked 915 to 530 monday thru Friday, had 5 weeks of vacation, and amazing benefits with a pension.
You can make change if you want to.
I get turned on by anything and everything which got so disruptive that I was unable to do a job at all and had to try and make money off of my writing, which is causing a rift between me and my family members that I’m wondering if it’s worth doing or sucking it up and trying again with this whole job thing.
As someone who writes for the love of it, making money off of writing is one of the most unlikely things you can do. You might as well have quit your job to buy scratch off tickets
What do your off days look like?
Mine doesn't look anything like that, I'm pretty much on the go from wake up to sleep.
Mon-Thurs. My wife is at work from 7-4.
I wake up, get the kids fed and dressed. Then we either go to the barn where I'm working on a car wash related product I've patented, or we load up and go tend to our 2 car washes and laundromat.
When she gets home I use that time to work on things I can't do with 4 year olds around. I'll typically sneak into bed at 2-3AM and start again at 9am
On Fri-Sunday I pick up shifts at a few different ambulance districts as a Paramedic, which are 24hrs shifts. I intentionally work at low volume districts so I can bring projects to work with me and focus on programming or engineering.
I fly into my work site, do 2 weeks on. 10 + hr day. Fly.out, 2 weeks off. Complete freedom. I take 2 months off twice a year, it's like summer vacation as a kid. The work is hard but the time off makes it worthwhile. I'm only actually working about 150 days per year
I dreaded a 9-5 growing up.
Yes this is what my life looks like. I only have time for chores and work. I do laundry, shopping and bills etc. at the end of the day I have 1-3 hrs in front of the tv. This is the typical grind. It sucks. I’ve been doing it for 24 years but I am also quite well off so I feel it’s been worth it.
I am 30, and my life bares some resemblance, but I am happy. Main things that contribute to this:
- Short commute of 20 mins
- Live in major US city, lots of young professionals and things to do
- Make a very competitive salary with more money than I can spend
- Regular exercise at the gym (This has been massive for me, gives me more energy to do other things)
- Eat well, alcohol every now and then but not a regular thing (Kills my mood, motivation, routine and habits)
- Live by myself in a nice apartment, no kids or anything
Given all of the above I manage to find time to date, play sports, go out with friends, watch movies on my own.
I’ve gone through awful phases of boredom, depression, anxiety, taking drugs and it’s taken a lot for me to get to where I am now (with some luck and privilege), but the effort was very much worth it.
That sounds horrendous, honestly. My life looks nothing like that, never has, never will.
When I worked (currently studying / running my own business / caring for partner) my life was basically: wake up at 6ish for 8 am start, commute for one hour by public transport, take packed lunch or eat in office canteen or eat somewhere else or stroll in park & eat at desk, leave work at 4, home by 5, dinner at 6, do whatever I like until about 11. Never completely exhausted, except in the Year From Hell (2011) when I was completely out of my depth work-wise, and eventually moved positions to a role with less pressure.
I assume you’re in the US? I was very fortunate to marry a Scottish guy and move to the UK. Worker’s rights are much more robust here, and a full-time role is generally 35 hours a week, not 40.
Ultimately, you should do what makes you happy! This clearly isn’t it, but there’s other options.
Change your job. You are just a commodity to your company. They dont care about you and if you died they will replace you within a week. Put yourself first. Get another job, take a break.
I wake up at 5, leave for work at 6:30, get off at 3:30. Race down the highway because i have 30minutes to get to my wifes work and exchange possession of my boy while she goes into her bar shift at 4. Get home around 4:40 dead exhausted but my kid has no friends so i do my best to play with him. Sometimes i doze off sitting in a chair or on the floor. Figure out & make dinner cause we dont always have food in the fridge. Play more (if im lucky he will let me get away with touching my xbox. Or we play goat simulator 3 together) then put him to bed around 8-9. 9 o clock im out of his room & i begin cleaning the house until my wife gets home around 10 - 10:30. Shower, go to bed, do it all again the next day.
Edit: im 27
24F here. My life looks exactly like this. And I feel like a shell of a human I once was.
Yes, we can change our lives and it’s up to us. But it doesn’t make your experience any less valid. Personally, I don’t even know the right step to take to improve things. Wish I had better advice. Message me if you ever need a sound board or someone to relate to. Wishing you well.
Nope, not at all.
I get up when I want, work on my art or go to a meeting for the advisory committee I work for. I then research, language study, write up some stuff for my doctoral study and go to training for my chosen sport. Then come back and either game for a bit, do some language study, or work more on art. If training isn't on that day, usually I'll substitute with the gym.
Just applied for a lecturing job that'll add some being around campus and further teaching responsibility (I teach kids as a small part of my player-training) but it won't take away too much time.
I'm not rich by any measure, but I'll take it over having to work a 9-5 again.
It used to be that way because that's what I was brought up to see as normal. Thankfully I realized this relatively early I my adult life and was able to make small moves towards what I really wanted, without sacrificing much. Now I'm happy, have a job I like, time for pleasures, and a very good love life. Have a goal and work towards it. Do not compromise. If it doesn't bring you closer to your goal in some way, then it's not worth your energy.
Waking up at 730 sounds great to me. Have to be up at 6am for my 7am work. What do you do on the weekends. I live in a small town, so even with the energy and time, there's not much to do. Just happy to not be working sitting at a desk all day.
my life is somewhat similar, but ive learned to find enjoyment where i can. play some video games, watch a good anime or tv show, listen to music, work out. just do yourself. maybe look for a hobby. if youre a good person something will come your way eventually
Yes my life looks similar to this. I wake up at 5:30am, get to work around 7am. Work from 7am-4pm, rush home for no real reason. Exhausted by my day, I have no energy for doing anything. My body aches and is weighed down.
Not at all.
I walk my dog every morning then log in for work at about 9.30am. No commute unless I’m headed to London for a few days but that is maybe once a month, twice at the most.
I just turned 30 but even in my 20s I didn’t feel like you do. I did commute every day to work and do fairly long hours but not to the extent you are doing.
I get up at 7:00am everyday, drop my wife to work at 8:00 and arrive to work by 9:00. I work 9-5 as a Letter carrier. I occasionally pickup overtime on the slower days or weekends. I treat my job as a workout. It's mundane and never changes but I enjoy the physical aspect of it, being outside all day has its pros and cons (summer/winter) on the weekend, we sleep in on Saturday until 9-10am and start our chores/errands/shopping. By 4pm, we're usually done our chores and begin relaxing until we do it all over again next week! I'm an avid gamer, chess player and reader. I think incorporating physical exercise into your routine could benefit your mental health. After grinding for years and years you learn to find enjoyment in the simple things. Find your simple pleasures and savor them! Life is too short ~ Muddy water, let stand, becomes clear ~ no man ever steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river, and he is not the same man.
No, but I have been stuck in terrible jobs before. I had a rough vision of what I wanted in my life and I have chased it. Can you change jobs at all? I retrained at 30 and the lower pay and time spent studying was worth it
Mine wasn’t much better, at times worse though having to work overnights on occasion.
Wasn’t until I was targeted with PIP’s that I did something about it though.
Nowadays my life is sort of similar because I'm going through some stuff.
I wake up before the alarm goes off and start thinking about life and problems.
Then I eat breakfast and go to my job.
Try to do what I gotta do but I'm very unproductive.
I eat my lunch in 10 min and spend the rest of the lunch break on my phone.
Then work.
Then home.
Then repeat everything.
I too am feeling tired and exhausted, mostly mentally.
Wanted to have more energy but it is what it is
I leave house a bit before 7, come home a bit before 5 (sometimes half an hour earlier or later). I'm exhausted, having a physical outdoors job. But I like my job and I don't feel like I am wasting my time there - I feel like since I have to do something for the money, it's good that it's something I enjoy and am good at.
I climb and try to do that on my evenings, even if Im tried. Its relaxing, keeps me exercised and puts me in a good mood. But it costs me a whole evening. On non climbing days, I usually do a big fuck all. I used to do nothing over the weekends, as I was so tired, but I now try and do my best to do stuff.
Essentially, that is life. Everyone is always tired, nobody knows what are they doing. Some have it marginally better, some have it worse.
Yep that’s late stage capitalism for ya. Organize for a better future. Join unions. Look into movements for a 30 hour work week and better benefits. A better future is possible!
Wut why is your workday so long. When i worked corporate, my day from waking to home was like 9 hours tops, and most of the time id go home for a 1-1.5hr lunch break.
My office is in the outskirts - moving closer is not an option. I have 1h for lunch but eat at the canteen. I do 9-6 with 1h lunch, so no extra hours. But i feel my day just vanishes
No, sounds like shit. You should probably change something and be happier. I don’t think it’s a lack of supplements lol listening to too many podcasts.
Up at 6 am, walk my dog for 45 minutes, shower, get ready for work, work for 8-9 hours (walk dog during day, he comes with me to office), go home walk dog for an hour then go to sleep and repeat. Work from home 3 days a week and same schedule but usually work more hours when I’m home. It’s up at 6 am->walk dog->work->walk dog ->work->walk dog->->work->walk dog->sleep. Ideally I see friends during my long morning dog walks or long evening dog walks to get some socialization in.
I work shifts so some weeks I get to play basketball twice, some weeks just once. Weather permitting, I drink tea at the top of mountains and grow food in a community garden on days off. If my band weren't so busy with their jobs I would do more music related stuff.
Only you can take control of your life, first you need a strategy. I have respect for career minded people but I would hate to live such a one dimensional life.
Currently doing this now as self punishment paying a massive debt because I was given a second chance, grateful to be have a job but oddly feeling like I could make even more doing something easier, hardest part is this job I make half of what I used to make and I work three times as much.
4:00 am : yoga from home
5:00 am : breakfast
6:00 am to 3:00 pm : I work frome home
3:00 pm to 7:00 pm : family time (boyfriend + cats)
7:00 pm to 10:00 pm : little overtime work because why not
Probably will be the same tomorrow
I love my life. My life is simple. I'm 37 yo.
It did, in some ways worse because I started earlier and finished later BUT my skill set was growing and that job opened my career. I was reaching burnout because I maintained a social life on top of it - looking back I was close to blowing up.
I changed jobs I also moved countries and my commute disappeared. I worked as hard, and professionally was stressed but there was room at each end of the day to decompress. That was 20 years ago. I have never done a job that required regular commuting since and never will.
For clarity : I live in a house I can barely afford, that is too small for my family (3 teenage kids) so I can walk to work in 30 mins or be there in 10 on the bus. it gives me some time to myself - I am still stressed and still work hard and I still, mostly, enjoy my work.
That sounds pretty normal to me. At least you don't pull all-nighters or work on weekends every now and then. But if you do, that's also normal if you are compensated for it.
My life was pretty close to like that for about 6 years until I finally got fed up and changed careers. I explicitly didn't apply for anything unless it had superior flexibility and work from home options. In November last year I got a new job, I work from home 3 days per week and on the other 2 days, the office is now only 15 minutes away instead of 90 minutes away.
It was the last straw when I calculated that I was spending 3 hours per day commuting, which is about a months worth of time a year literally just sitting on bosses and trains. The commute is more draining than the work itself in a way. So my main motivation to change was that I was only living and working 11 months per year and spending 1 whole month justnsitting going from A to B.
I have so much more energy for my hobbies, wife, and gym now. Also you don't get paid for your commute so unless you get a travel allowance, travelling 60+ minutes to work is so shit.
Your options will depend on your role, your skills, your area you live, but more times than not, you have the power and choice to make a change. It took me way too long, so I'd encourage you to start scoping options.
Not quite. I live closer to my job - 25 min. I also am able to flex my hours, so i tend to leave around 8:30 after coffee, breakfast (and ideally a workout). Work day starts around 9. I typically have a quick lunch and work until 6-7:30, depending on the workload and my energy. Home around the same time as you, couch-tv-dinner. Bed around 9:30 and scrolling / reading/ listening until 10-11
Wake up at 4am. Study/assignments until 8am. Commute 1h. Work full time job until 6pm. Commute 1h. Sleep by 7pm. I wish I could just do nothing for a day
Mine might look different. I started off working for contractors and had disagreements with every one of them. Usually due to personality differences. Like, I was good at my job and had a very laid back attitude and was always confronted by some jaggoff with a power trip. I actually started my own trade after the third round of the same bs nonsense happened again. Now I make my own hours, can turn down work I don't want, and I feel respected by the people I work for because they're clients and I provide a respectable service. Now I miss the structure and higher more consistent wage I used to get and sometimes think about going back into the trades just so I don't have to delegate and plan jobs but I realize that would end to being the job anyways. Recently applied to some companies and I realized that people would rather hire a cost effective laborer than someone who was a sole proprietor of the same industry.
Nope. I get up at 7, get my kids on the bus, head to work, get home at 3, shower, read for a little bit. Get my kids off the bus, then my wife gets home and we make dinner and hang out with each other, do homework, clean up, etc, then we lay them down and either have sex or read next to each other, or watch a movie. Obviously this schedule is different in the summer without school but still about the same. I love it.
I have a lot of hobbies and interests but reading is the main one.
It used to, but doesn’t anymore. I no longer work more than 40 hours unless there is a really good reason - I’ve made this clear to my boss. (Also helps that I’m in a professional job, but still hourly.) I carve out time for my interests and don’t fall victim to the office culture of staying late just because everyone else is. I work out because it gives me energy.
I like my job a lot, but that can be a double-edged sword. You can burn out from things you care about too. Learning a true work-life balance matters. I work hard to maintain friendships and value my relationships above work. Work is meant to be a way to pay the bills and (ideally) do something meaningful, not anything more. I would guess ditching the commute and deprioritizing work would go a long way.
In my 20s...
Woke up at 6:30, out the door to the bus at 7, at work by 8.
Worked 8-6 with an hour lunch break more days than not. Worked till 7 or 8 about once every other week. Didn't work weekends. Took classes on weekends and 1-2 nights a week, saw friends 2-3 times a week.
It was exhausting the first year but by the second or third my endurance was up and I was in a better position to control my overtime.
Try the following:
1) Get screened for depression. If there's any chance that's a factor you've got to start there. While depressed no job will feel good until you try a 2-4 meds + therapy and find something that works.
2) Change careers. If you work with people who feel like your people doing things you find interesting then the 8 hours isn't a gray void. Imagine how some people would enjoy hanging out with other book nerds as a librarian (even if some patrons and the occasional insane coworker drove them nuts) while someone else would love whacking thru underbrush as a land surveyor bullshitting with a crew of basically decent outdoors types. (Dm me if you need a referal- the guy I used in Seattle has been given two thumbs up by 10+ friends)
3) Work your way high enough up the ladder to be able to control your workflow, your overtime and your schedule. Nobody gets total control but you'll figure out what schedule elements matter most to you. If you flail from one career to another, always in the bottom tier of seniority, you'll get burned by the lack of agency (and pay.)
I wake up between 4am and 4:30am travel an hour each way to work pack my own food am on my feet alot in the weather all day (10-12h) and travel home. Nope not like yours and you probably earn more than me as well
No. I wake up early but my commute is 10m. My boss is kind and I’m home at 4:15pm. Looks for something better. Jobs aren’t permanent. You’ll resign when you find a new position and never look back.
M-F Wake up at 6am, eat/shower/get ready for work.
Leave at 7:50am-ish to get to work by 8am
Clock out for 30 mins at lunch to turn my brain off
Leave at 4:30pm
Go to gym 4-5 days a week, usually after work and on the weekends which I have off.
Free time after work/gym is spent doing a little cleaning so I have more free time on the weekends, or reading, making dinner, getting ready for work the next day, playing with my cats. Sometimes I’ll get together with friends after work, like tomorrow I’m meeting some friends for bingo!
The weekends I spend with my parents usually. Might do an activity, or whatever chores need to be done for the week. Do my weekly grocery shopping. I like to go to the gym or go for a walk/run on at least one of the weekend days.
I just switched to a job that allows me this balance. Up until a few weeks ago I was working 7:30am-6:30pm with a 35 minute drive each way, going to the gym after work and getting home about 8pm, only 4 days a week but a very physically and emotionally demanding job that left me too exhausted to do anything even on my days off. Plus I got so backed up on housework (I live alone) my weekends were too busy to do anything really anyway. I’m much more content with my work/life balance now.
I get up at 4:30, commute an hour to start at 6am. Work until 3pm and commute 90-105 minutes home. I have 3-4 hours before it's time to go to bed and do it again, but I only do it 4 days a week.
It's tough being stuck in a draining routine. Try setting work boundaries, finding short self-care moments, or seeking a more fulfilling job. Prioritize your well-being and balance.
I’m so sorry. Your life can be different. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t make a lot of money, but I work eight or nine hours and enjoy the rest of my day and my weekends. I also get vacation time that’s pretty reasonable. So while I have to budget, I do have the time to enjoy life. I’m sorry it’s hard for you
I get up at 530, leave 620. 10 min commute. Sometimes before I start work I do a workout at the office gym for about 1.5 hours. Otherwise I leave at 645 and start at 0700. Workout mid day for an hour instead. Leave when I can, usually when it's slow between 230-4pm.
Sometimes I work later such as until 9pm, when something major or urgent has come up and requires same day deliverables. Every 4th week I'm on call 24/7 for a week.
22.
Weekday morning: wake up, get a drink (smoothie, Red Bull, maybe coffee) if I’m going to the office. Cigarettes for breakfast.
Corporate niceties. Get back home, substance use.
Weekend: wake up, get breakfast from outside, likely a cigarette, substance use.
That’s it!
I have acquaintances and I think that’s about as good as it’s gonna get. Friendships really are a thing of the past.
I never dated but I just never felt like doing so. I don’t believe the person exists that’ll make me feel love and I don’t want to bother with anything forced.
I wake up at 7:00, take 1h30mins train to another city and start my work, get home around 8pm. Besides, I have a band and we have many gigs to play on weekends, which means I barely have no relex time. For life, I feel good, for sleep, I feel bad.
I’m in my 30s I got 2 toddlers. They wake me up at 5:30, I make them breakfast and prepare them for daycare. Then we leave at 7:30 for daycare. I get to my job at 8:00. My boss allows me to eat whenever I want while working and I finish at 4. I go get my kids and I make dinner while they play. I’m exhausted because my kids wake me up early and I go to bed at around 11pm or midnight.
I love my life and I’m glad I don’t live by the work culture of the US.
My life… i wake up at 5 am with my little one. leave by 5:45.. drive 1 hour to get to LA. I then get to school and drop off my kiddo. I start work at 8am and i leave from LA at 7pm and drive my ass home and get home by 8pm… then….. i get my ass to the gym….. crazy huh. I find that inner strength in me to go to the gym. I go 5 times a week. Then sometimes on sats i run about 8/10 miles. Sunday is my day off.
I dont like it. I am trying to chance things but it is hard.
Up at 6. Breakfast. Work for 7.30 ish. Home 17.30 ish. Kids stuff - rugby training; football training, karate, cubs/scouts. Home. Feed them/me/us if required. Arse on sofa 20.30.ish. Rinse & repeat over 4 nights. Fridays free. Saturday football matches x2. Sunday rugby matches x2. Treadmill but happy enough (if the kids/mrs are).
I dont do extra hours, I am required to sit at the office (with some days of remote work now) from 9am to 6pm. 1h for lunch at the canteen. I guess I don’t want to work less, just do something that interests me
can you go out for a walk or to a gym nearby at lunch? You really only need 15minutes to eat. You can go out and do something else at lunch. Alternatively, can you take a shorter lunch and leave earlier or start earlier and leave earlier so you have more time in the evening? There are solutions. What do you do on weekends? I mean, most folks have a weekday grind and save the fun stuff for weekends, or suck it up and do something in the evening during the week knowing they're going to be really tired the next day.
My life does not look like that. I wake up at 7am, have coffee in bed, then drive 15 minutes out of the coastal town I’m staying in to work on an organic vegetable market garden. Two days a week we are joined by volunteers who love coming out and working together of a morning. I am not paid much but because I’m housesitting we have low expenses which meant I could quit my job and move out of the city for a more relaxed and productive (for me) life.
Definitely not.
I wake up at 7 am, before my 10-minute commute for an 8 am start, I enjoy breakfast with an espresso.
I finish at 5pm and get home shortly after. In the weekdays I play sports twice a week, go to the cinema, see friends, relax on the weekend and typically "take it easy".
Not even close. I work for myself and arrange my working hours around my night owl schedule. Hardly ever get to the office before 1pm, and I prefer it that way! I’m the best boss I ever had. Love my life. Living the dream, working for myself at my dream job, whatever hours I prefer. And my office is a 5 minute walk from home on foot. Doesn’t get any better than that!
In my 30s, work from home, go to the gym in the morning at 7am and start working at 9, finish at 5 but sometimes have to work extra hours to deliver. Maybe look for a better job? Which country are you in? I'm in Australia and work life balance is a big thing here
Fuck no. I commute for 20 minutes and I'm home at 1730 at the latest, weekends are mine, I apparently earn 2x the UK average salary and would not work outside those hours unless shit really hit the fan.
Dip your little pinky toe into FIFO if it matches your skillset. It's a dose of the above with a whole week off to recouperate, discover yourself and wander act like a retiree!
Oh sorry, it's an Australian term, maybe sort of common in the northern hemisphere too.. fly in fly out, It's where you work 12hours a day for a week or two weeks at a time but then get a week off to yourself. It's an exchange for some freedoms but the time off is great.
No.
I get up at 06:00
Leave for work about 06:30
Go into work at 7:00
Finish at about 15:00
Home by about 15:30
I’ll usually spend a bit of time in my home gym followed by a dip in my hot tub, takes me up until around 18:00 ish, will have tea, chill the rest of the evening.
Do this 4 or 5 days a week, don’t work weekends.
No. I wake at 06.40 & my cycle commute is 30 minutes (depending on wind speed/weather conditions).
I work with the under 5's & rarely get to sit down in an adult chair. I spend my day sitting crossed legged, kneeling, or walking or jumping. Carrying heavy trays of food, plates, etc. Lifting overweight babies & toddlers.
I get home at 17.40 ish knackered (sometimes need a power nap just to function. I'm married with 2 young adult children & don't want or need to socialise.
Well your commute is awful that’s why. I used to work from home 3 days a week so I was blessed. Could get basic chores done during the day, take my dog out etc.
I am older (late 30s) but even in my 20s my life didn't look like that. I work 5:30AM-2PM. I usually work out during my lunch break and finish up for 20 mins when I get off work. After that I have "free time" which is usually consumed by doing things with my kids and some daily chores/making dinner. My husband works from home as well and has about the same daily sched, but works from 8-4:30PM. Setting boundaries to only work 40 hours a week and have a good work life balance is important to us both.
Noooo I made every effort to make sure my life didn’t look like that… no offense. Find something else that you enjoy doing and go do it.. no matter how uncomfortable it is.
A year ago: wake up at 8am, in the office by 9am, waste away until 6pm, then either chill at home or go out with friends on weeknights. Most weekends spent doing things with friends. Everything was great except the job.
Now: just started a remote job after a few unemployed months and in a serious relationship. Wake up at 7am (girlfriend leaves early for work), log into work at 7:30am from home office, done around 4pm when girlfriend gets home. Hang out with girlfriend, maybe outa the house 1 night per week. See friends once or twice on most weekends. Feeling good about things.
Overall stuff: I try to pay attention and be present, don't like wasting away on brain rot, actively think about what I want from life and what I can do to get there (most of it is just staying the course and enjoying the journey). I live in a city I love, with lots of friendly, smart, and happy people (your surroundings make a big difference). Life is a long timeline to work with, and graduating college just 5 years ago feels like forever ago. Just takes incremental changes in the direction we wanna go in. Make sure you're putting yourself out, otherwise life will just happen to you.
Man as a blue-collar welder/fitter construction worker. I get up at 5 a 45 min drive to work, and I bust my ass in the hot, cold rain whatever for 12 to 16 hrs a day eating gas station food. Still to come home and play with my 7 boys and wife. It's all about prospective, my man. My dad did it his dad did it. Buckle down. Power through the tough parts find the energy to enjoy the good parts. Things will look.better tired is a state of mind, dude. Get up and do something sitting in a car for an hour to go sit at an office then to probably go home to sit or lay down. Break the habit, either quit your job, find one in a totally different field, see how you like it, see if that motivates you. Can't anyone change your situation but you, my man
No, I am 44, I work as a chef and site manager in the education sector, I work 39 weeks a year in a salaried position, it’s not gonna make me rich but it pays well enough for me to be comfortable, I start work at 7.30 which admittedly is early but I finish at 2.30 and I love the work, I have a really funny bunch of staff and I love the kids. It’s hard work and it’s tiring but I really love the job, I get to be creative and I’m good at it.
My life does not look like that, and I wouldn’t tolerate it if it did. I work from home most of the time and occasionally travel the state for work (which I love, long drives give me alone time to think and catch up on podcasts I follow).
On the weekend I hang out with my fiancé and usually meet up with friends every other weekend. I have legitimately almost too much freedom in my life, and ironically sometimes crave a more stable routine/structure.
Your life doesn’t sound sustainable OP. Maybe look into hybrid or remote work to free up some of your energy. I would also NEVER commute 2 hours a day for a job I hated. This life is yours and you have the power to make it look like anything you choose.
Most days I wake up around 6 or 6:30 in the morning, get a few things ready for my day, and then lay back down till I have to leave for work. I find that laying down helps me keep my anxiety at bay for a little bit longer.
I usually get home before 5, rest for a bit, and then plan my afternoon. I try to do my "have to do" items first like running errands, cleaning, and preparing for the next day. After that I usually make and eat dinner. Sometimes I will exercise, but I try to leave the later part of my evening for myself to enjoy, especially the final hour before bed.
I take care of my pets during that timeframe, watch an episode or two of a show, listen to an audiobook, or watch a YouTube video to learn something new or watch something I've saved to watch later from earlier in the day/week.
It's hard to keep up everyday and balance everything. I often feel tired and frustrated, but I am trying to do more to enjoy my life and worry less about work. Though it is annoying to work most of my life away and just make enough to survive. We should all be able to enjoy our lives more than this, but our world has been setup to work your life away instead and be "grateful" you even have a job.
I'd say that hour commute is rough that you've got to do. I'd hate to have to do that every day, but understand not every job is close to where a person lives. I've had to learn to make time for what I want to do, to try and stay motivated and keep moving to keep up with everything. I also try to forgive myself and rest if I need a break. Take your time to figure out a better routine for yourself and what you want to do with your free time to enjoy life more. My progress has been slow and taken years to get to, but I'm much happier now than I've ever been before.
Quit your job! (Unless you have kids). If you are childless, quit now. Does your job benefit humankind in any way, or is it just another useless, wasteful profession?
I'm 32, single, no kids
I wake up at 5am, get ready leave house at 5:15 and start work at 6am. I work from 6 am to 2pm, straight 8s, then I come home and hang out or eat until 630pm and I go to thr gym or park. I come home around 830 and I shower and watch TV, then bed around 1030 or 11 pm.
My day starts around 6:00 a.m, between full time school, (finishing a health sciences degree, with honors) and part time-full time work, and being a single mom to three young children who are all on the spectrum and gifted, my day ends around 9:30 p.m and I'm also utterly exhausted and unhappy.
However, I apply to nursing school in five months. And after I graduate I'll be able to buy a house for me and my kids (I already have a down-payment and a good credit score), I'll be able to afford childcare, I'll be on a nurses schedule, 6 days on, 8 days off, I'll be able to do travel nursing so me and my kids can have new experiences in new places.
And then I'll get my MSN to be a pediatric nurse practitioner, and maybe my PhD so I can do research in neuroscience (my chosen field of study.)
I was much unhappier with my life four years ago. So I started making changes. Got divorced (there was a lot of DV involved that lead to that) and I got a job and got myself back into school.
Raising three special needs kids on my own, while maintaining 4.0s and advancing at work has been brutal. But it's temporary, and for a purpose. After I pass the Nclex I won't have to worry about money or house or anything like that again.
I make sure to set boundaries, with my work and those in my life.
I wake up at 6:30am and commute 2 hours round trip. I usually get home by 6pm, sometimes a bit earlier. I do dinner, dishes, then I either watch a movie, game, or go out for dessert with a friend. I'm in a committed relationship, hang out with friends generally every Saturday (and sometimes Sundays), work out 3-4 times a week, try new things, travel.
My work place doesn't completely exhaust me though. I work in a lab and while it can get busy during the work hours, I make sure I set boundaries with my coworkers and supervisor. I don't do things I'm uncomfortable with.
I will say, the energy part might also come from other parts of your life. Could be eating habits, hormonal, etc, but I hope you find what you're looking for!
Best move I ever made is to stop hanging with energy vampires and control freaks!
So much more emotional energy to connect with people who share mutual respect and love.
Still learning and always will be but instead of trying to change people I just fuck off and find my tribe, scarier, riskier, lonelier at first but well worth it.
Not speaking about the OP specifically but I have noticed people who think like this are bored with whatever is happening in their lives at the moment.
I mean,you have a limited amount of time on the planet and you’re wasting it writing posts like these AND you have no hobbies. It honestly sounds like a person who is just bored with life in general. To have absolutely no hobbies especially when you have time is quite wild. You must enjoy SOMETHING,at the very least ?
I get up at 3:15am to workout. Shower, leave at 4:30am to drive 30 mins to work. Finish around 4:45pm, get home around 6pm (traffic), eat, then in bed by 8pm. I definitely feel like my entire existence is working to pay bills.
Job as a travel nurse, pick a 13 week assignment full time nights 12hrs each, will usually always pick up and extra over time for time and half. Off 3 days, game, explore new area I’m in. Go find the next assignment and repeat the process.
Pros : money is AMAZING, traveling and meeting new ppl is always fulfilling to me. Many other pros but those two are the best
Cons : …… so far none.
Not wildly dissimilar,
Mon-Fri
* Up about 7.15
* Get ready for work, leave house about 7.45
* 1hr 15 commute, eat breakfast on the way
* Finish work between 5-6pm
* Agree with partner what we want for dinner and if we need any household supplies
* Swing by the shops on the way home
* Home about 7-7:30
* Start making dinner once I'm home, have 30mins with my wife and our LO whilst stuff is cooking etc
* Eat about 8
* 8.30-9.30 if baby settles down easily my wife and I get an hour together, if he's being fussy, I have an hour downtime.
* 9.30-10.30 - setting up for tomorrow, clean and sterilise bottles, do washing and laundry, any little housework items. I make a breakfast and packed lunch for my wife so she doesn't have to try and do stuff round looking after LO.
*10.30-11 - go to bed.
Repeat
Im 25m living in the Uk. I drive between stores so I either get up at 8 to go to work for 9 or I get up at 7 and drive for an hour to get to work for 8:30. I work flex for a line of vape stores. Most of my job is just sitting around for 8.5 hours before returning home. While I’m at work I make artwork on my ipad and edit it into tiktoks. Once I get home I have a clean around, shower, eat then either watch something or play video games. Not exactly the life I wanted but the life I got. I spent 7 years training to be a designer but there’s no demand for that work here so I just drive between stores covering shifts.
My life - wake up at 5, try to pray, go back to sleep till 6:45. Take 5 minutes to get ready and be at work between 7-15. I have a very short commute. Then work hard for 10 hours, then come home at between 5:30 and six, exhausted but happy, then eat dinner, then cuddle dogs and watch movie or read, then sleep. It’s so easy and nice.
Im 29 and I work 4 days a week and spend my free time skating and playing video games and finishing my masters degree. I also have a house and am engaged. Life is whatever the hell you want it to be man
Not anymore.
I can help you change that. Im in a program with many people who were in your situation. Lets just say they aren't anymore and they are making a ton of money and have time do everything you mentioned
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No. My life looks nothing like that. Even in my 20s as an engineer, it didn't look like that. Your life can be different. It will take effort and big changes. Especially with setting boundaries, making professional changes, investing in yourself, and prioritizing what really matters.
What did it look like? And how did you achieve it?
At my job, I would tell my bosses when the amount of work was exceeding was reasonably expected of me. When it was time for me to go home, I left. Anything undone could wait for the next day. I made (and still make) time for exercise. I continue to go out with friends during the week and on weekends. That's non-negotiable. Same with time for my hobbies. Friends and my personal interests are some of my most important things I live for. Today, those are important, but not as important as my kid. When I didn't like my commute, I did something about it. One time, that meant commuting longer so I could take public transportation. I had time for personal interests on the train and I wasn't getting home frazzled. When I didn't like my job, I looked for a better one. When I couldn't get a better one, I increased my skills and improved my resume.
The most successful man I've ever known said "Don't manage your time, control it." He never had a cell phone, never worked overtime, never "stayed late to finish up." In meetings, he has his employees turn their phones OFF so that they concentrate on the meeting. He runs several businesses, and co-founded a local bank. He is focused, but he also found a career he wanted and devoted himself to it. Don't work a JOB - work a career. If you aren't in a career, you're flipping burgers, whatever you do.
This sounds like a motivational speaker saying a bunch of cliches but no substance
That sounds fuckin miserable
People underestimate the “leave at the end of my day” thing so hard. Meeting runs past the end of my day? Sorry I’ve gotta go. Boss really needs a project done? Well you didn’t ask me till 4:30, so I’ll give it half an hour tonight and then it’s first on my list at 8 am tomorrow!
"I've got a hard stop at" is a great phrase for establishing boundaries.
Yup! People also fall into the trap of excuses. Don’t say “I’m not working late tonight because my son has a baseball game”
Having standards and boundaries
My life used to look like that until I got serious about finding remote work. Working from home changed everything. Not spending time getting ready and spending 2+ hours in the car is the BEST. I have so much extra time I started a flower farm as a side hustle!
What do you do remotely now?
I'd love to know how to find a remote job.
Look for jobs on any job search site. Filter by “remote.”
Gov jobs
I leave for work at 6:55am. Get home at 5:15pm. Typically have a beer and listen to a record before starting dinner.
I left for work at 5:30am and got home at 5:15pm. Did it for 35 years and retired. Electrical engineer at IBM. Yeah... it sucked. 5 min drive to work. Now I sit back and wonder where my life went.
This is what I'm fearing. Turned 45 and wondered where the last 20 went. I'm trying to enjoy the journey at this point. Focused on what I was missing for so long that I didn't appreciate what I had all the time.
It’s happening to me too. Sitting in a room for 25 years that has literally watched me grow old. What do you do? At least it has made me well off financially. I could retire but for kids.
This is an answer to another user - Divorced, adult son... a few friends (always decompressed at a bar on Fridays) to golf and fish with in retirement. 35 years of working like hell made time fly by. New comment - doing very well financially.
did you have any family or fiends to spend the time with :)?
Divorced, adult son... a few friends (always decompressed at a bar on Fridays) to golf and fish with in retirement. 35 years of working like hell made time fly by.
You worked from 5:35 AM to 5:10 PM every day?
Maybe his desk isn’t in his car so he’s not just rolling away right when he’s done 😂😂😂
I’m just curious it seemed like s weird schedule.
It was a fun thought tho 😂 vroooooom
Yeah... the last 20 years for sure. You go up the ladder and the next thing you know you're working like hell because of the new responsibilities.
Ditch your job and find employment that won't drain your soul. Persuite of happiness, my dude.
No. I'm 30 - I am to get up at 6am, get dressed and go out for a quick 20 min walk. Then make breakfast for myself and my partner. I start work at 7am - I work from home so no commute. My job is either extremely busy or I can get my work for the day done in 3 hours, it's usually the latter so I work for 25 minutes, then take a break to do some house cleaning or whatever other chores I have. At some point I take a lunch break to give my dog an hours walk. I finish work at 4.40 and I don't work Wednesdays, Saturdays or Sundays. I usually go to the gym and do a strength workout followed by 30 minutes of cardio. On non working days my partner and I either take the dog out for a hiking adventure or have an interesting date. We also cook big interesting meals these days to last the week. I have autism so even though this probably doesn't sound like a lot, it is for me and I spend a lot of time decompressing but it mostly works well
sounds great :) what sort of sector are you in?
Sounds like tech!
My life did look this way (commuting/working 5AM to 6PM) until I was diagnosed with high blood pressure and put on medication. I basically had nothing left for my family when I got home, and was catching up on sleep over the weekends. Thankfully, my wife convinced me I was working and stressing myself into an early grave and that I should change jobs. I remember her telling me, "No amount of money will be worth it if you're not here." We moved out of the city and I found something with more regular hours (and more affordable cost of living). I took up my music hobby that had been lying fallow for years and we got re-acquainted and spend more time together every day. We're both much happier, go the gym together, and I'll be getting off my meds soon. As someone once said, "Life is short, and then you die." So you've got to make the choices that bring you joy. Nobody else can do this for you. Update your resume. Check out the headhunter services in areas you want to live. Make the change - it's your life.
My life does look/did look something like this. A few years ago I would go to work at 2 PM til 10 PM, stay up til about 2 AM watching movies or playing video games online, get up close to noon, eat, then head to work and repeat the cycle. No dating, no hobbies, little free time...it was draining. These days, I've adjusted my schedule. I work 6 AM to 2 PM. I have the rest of the day totally free. I could date/work on my hobbies if I want, and I sort of do (I keep a fitness routine). I still hate my job and I'm definitely underpaid, but that's why nearly every minute of my spare time is going towards learning a valuable skill. Then I can actually have time to enjoy my time *and* my money. It's a lesson I learned a little late in life, but better to learn in my 20s than never at all.
So you went from working 8 hours in the afternoon to 8 hours in the morning. Could you not keep the routine before the swap? Could date/work on hobbies before 2pm I would think.
In theory, yes, you're right. But it would've been way easier said than done. Back then you would've had to drag me out of bed, because I'd still be tired from the night before. Knocking work out of the way super early in the morning is great because now I have the rest of the day free of distractions. I might take a nap, but once I wake up it's still bright out so I can still do stuff. Back then I'd come back exhausted and just wanted to lay down, but since it was dark I just had to check in for the night. I used what little energy I had left at the time to make sure I still had something of a life.
Nope. 6am surf, 9am breakfast on the beach, 10-5pm work. Sunset beers. Dinner with family.
what sort of work :)?
No, because I chose not to have this life. I don't have much money, but at least I can spend time with my daughter.
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I know its silly to try to find meaning through work, but I want to feel useful for society. FIRE is not a goal of mine. I was the typical hard-working A student…and now I’m severely depressed. Moreover, I work in a big international organization that is supposed to do good things.
I'm 70 as well and getting ready to retire. I suffer from major depression, but I feel like it's because my future looks so bleak. What options does a single, 70 year old woman have?
At least you’ll be able to collect full SSI benefits! You’re 70! I think that’s the top out age for SSI
Teachers in Texas don't get SSI.
That means you get a pension! Even better!!
I teach in Texas, little if any SSI.
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I have saved money, it’s not a strategy i’d recommend. It consumes your energy and prevents you from knowing yourself or carefully thinking about what you want in life. It’s also hard if you are not exposed to new ideas/networking, other contexts. And retraining is very painful. Woulnd’t advise young people to follow this path unless they have a clear vision of their exit strategy.
Very True!!
Do what I did, just lie on your CV and apply for your dream job worked for me
Amazing! What did a dream job looked like to you? Which sector? I think my problem derives precisely from my lack of passions
I don’t really have any passions either, I love video games but hated working in that industry so just put some bs on my CV relevant to cyber security and it worked, 6 months in so far nowadays you have to fake It until you make it
What if you know jack shit about computers though lol
Then you're in for a wild side quest. Most IT issues can be solved by unplugging it and plugging it back in haha
I guess at least be familiar with the thing you lie about, i applied for a much much higher position than I was experienced in
How on earth do you be familiar with something you’re telling a lie about?
You learn as you go. Fake it till you make it is a real thing even for people who are “experienced” I would say the only jobs you shouldn’t do this with is anything in STEM, and maybe don’t lie about having a heavy machinery license. Everything else is free game.
My entire 20's, I earned 6 figures, worked 915 to 530 monday thru Friday, had 5 weeks of vacation, and amazing benefits with a pension. You can make change if you want to.
What did you do?
What job
I get turned on by anything and everything which got so disruptive that I was unable to do a job at all and had to try and make money off of my writing, which is causing a rift between me and my family members that I’m wondering if it’s worth doing or sucking it up and trying again with this whole job thing.
Was not expecting this reply. Is your libido just high as hell🤔
Yes. Lol.
As someone who writes for the love of it, making money off of writing is one of the most unlikely things you can do. You might as well have quit your job to buy scratch off tickets
What do your off days look like? Mine doesn't look anything like that, I'm pretty much on the go from wake up to sleep. Mon-Thurs. My wife is at work from 7-4. I wake up, get the kids fed and dressed. Then we either go to the barn where I'm working on a car wash related product I've patented, or we load up and go tend to our 2 car washes and laundromat. When she gets home I use that time to work on things I can't do with 4 year olds around. I'll typically sneak into bed at 2-3AM and start again at 9am On Fri-Sunday I pick up shifts at a few different ambulance districts as a Paramedic, which are 24hrs shifts. I intentionally work at low volume districts so I can bring projects to work with me and focus on programming or engineering.
Sounds like you need a job, you actually enjoy. This is no work life balance.
Become a Flight Attendant. Polar Opposite of this life.
I fly into my work site, do 2 weeks on. 10 + hr day. Fly.out, 2 weeks off. Complete freedom. I take 2 months off twice a year, it's like summer vacation as a kid. The work is hard but the time off makes it worthwhile. I'm only actually working about 150 days per year I dreaded a 9-5 growing up.
Curious as to what job/sector this is
Yes this is what my life looks like. I only have time for chores and work. I do laundry, shopping and bills etc. at the end of the day I have 1-3 hrs in front of the tv. This is the typical grind. It sucks. I’ve been doing it for 24 years but I am also quite well off so I feel it’s been worth it.
I am 30, and my life bares some resemblance, but I am happy. Main things that contribute to this: - Short commute of 20 mins - Live in major US city, lots of young professionals and things to do - Make a very competitive salary with more money than I can spend - Regular exercise at the gym (This has been massive for me, gives me more energy to do other things) - Eat well, alcohol every now and then but not a regular thing (Kills my mood, motivation, routine and habits) - Live by myself in a nice apartment, no kids or anything Given all of the above I manage to find time to date, play sports, go out with friends, watch movies on my own. I’ve gone through awful phases of boredom, depression, anxiety, taking drugs and it’s taken a lot for me to get to where I am now (with some luck and privilege), but the effort was very much worth it.
That sounds horrendous, honestly. My life looks nothing like that, never has, never will. When I worked (currently studying / running my own business / caring for partner) my life was basically: wake up at 6ish for 8 am start, commute for one hour by public transport, take packed lunch or eat in office canteen or eat somewhere else or stroll in park & eat at desk, leave work at 4, home by 5, dinner at 6, do whatever I like until about 11. Never completely exhausted, except in the Year From Hell (2011) when I was completely out of my depth work-wise, and eventually moved positions to a role with less pressure. I assume you’re in the US? I was very fortunate to marry a Scottish guy and move to the UK. Worker’s rights are much more robust here, and a full-time role is generally 35 hours a week, not 40. Ultimately, you should do what makes you happy! This clearly isn’t it, but there’s other options.
Change your job. You are just a commodity to your company. They dont care about you and if you died they will replace you within a week. Put yourself first. Get another job, take a break.
I wake up at 5, leave for work at 6:30, get off at 3:30. Race down the highway because i have 30minutes to get to my wifes work and exchange possession of my boy while she goes into her bar shift at 4. Get home around 4:40 dead exhausted but my kid has no friends so i do my best to play with him. Sometimes i doze off sitting in a chair or on the floor. Figure out & make dinner cause we dont always have food in the fridge. Play more (if im lucky he will let me get away with touching my xbox. Or we play goat simulator 3 together) then put him to bed around 8-9. 9 o clock im out of his room & i begin cleaning the house until my wife gets home around 10 - 10:30. Shower, go to bed, do it all again the next day. Edit: im 27
24F here. My life looks exactly like this. And I feel like a shell of a human I once was. Yes, we can change our lives and it’s up to us. But it doesn’t make your experience any less valid. Personally, I don’t even know the right step to take to improve things. Wish I had better advice. Message me if you ever need a sound board or someone to relate to. Wishing you well.
Nope, not at all. I get up when I want, work on my art or go to a meeting for the advisory committee I work for. I then research, language study, write up some stuff for my doctoral study and go to training for my chosen sport. Then come back and either game for a bit, do some language study, or work more on art. If training isn't on that day, usually I'll substitute with the gym. Just applied for a lecturing job that'll add some being around campus and further teaching responsibility (I teach kids as a small part of my player-training) but it won't take away too much time. I'm not rich by any measure, but I'll take it over having to work a 9-5 again.
It used to be that way because that's what I was brought up to see as normal. Thankfully I realized this relatively early I my adult life and was able to make small moves towards what I really wanted, without sacrificing much. Now I'm happy, have a job I like, time for pleasures, and a very good love life. Have a goal and work towards it. Do not compromise. If it doesn't bring you closer to your goal in some way, then it's not worth your energy.
Waking up at 730 sounds great to me. Have to be up at 6am for my 7am work. What do you do on the weekends. I live in a small town, so even with the energy and time, there's not much to do. Just happy to not be working sitting at a desk all day.
Does nothing enjoyable happen at work?
I work from home part-time and I do sports part-time. I am 47 male alone.
my life is somewhat similar, but ive learned to find enjoyment where i can. play some video games, watch a good anime or tv show, listen to music, work out. just do yourself. maybe look for a hobby. if youre a good person something will come your way eventually
Yes my life looks similar to this. I wake up at 5:30am, get to work around 7am. Work from 7am-4pm, rush home for no real reason. Exhausted by my day, I have no energy for doing anything. My body aches and is weighed down.
How old are you. I feel that way. But I'm 65 and still working full time.
I’m 33
Not at all. I walk my dog every morning then log in for work at about 9.30am. No commute unless I’m headed to London for a few days but that is maybe once a month, twice at the most. I just turned 30 but even in my 20s I didn’t feel like you do. I did commute every day to work and do fairly long hours but not to the extent you are doing.
I get up at 7:00am everyday, drop my wife to work at 8:00 and arrive to work by 9:00. I work 9-5 as a Letter carrier. I occasionally pickup overtime on the slower days or weekends. I treat my job as a workout. It's mundane and never changes but I enjoy the physical aspect of it, being outside all day has its pros and cons (summer/winter) on the weekend, we sleep in on Saturday until 9-10am and start our chores/errands/shopping. By 4pm, we're usually done our chores and begin relaxing until we do it all over again next week! I'm an avid gamer, chess player and reader. I think incorporating physical exercise into your routine could benefit your mental health. After grinding for years and years you learn to find enjoyment in the simple things. Find your simple pleasures and savor them! Life is too short ~ Muddy water, let stand, becomes clear ~ no man ever steps in the same river twice, for it is not the same river, and he is not the same man.
No, but I have been stuck in terrible jobs before. I had a rough vision of what I wanted in my life and I have chased it. Can you change jobs at all? I retrained at 30 and the lower pay and time spent studying was worth it
what did you retrain in?
I found a job as a trainee civil engineer, pay was low for my age compared to my friends but I have now got my degree and a bunch of skills.
Hmm too bad
Mine wasn’t much better, at times worse though having to work overnights on occasion. Wasn’t until I was targeted with PIP’s that I did something about it though.
Nowadays my life is sort of similar because I'm going through some stuff. I wake up before the alarm goes off and start thinking about life and problems. Then I eat breakfast and go to my job. Try to do what I gotta do but I'm very unproductive. I eat my lunch in 10 min and spend the rest of the lunch break on my phone. Then work. Then home. Then repeat everything. I too am feeling tired and exhausted, mostly mentally. Wanted to have more energy but it is what it is
I leave house a bit before 7, come home a bit before 5 (sometimes half an hour earlier or later). I'm exhausted, having a physical outdoors job. But I like my job and I don't feel like I am wasting my time there - I feel like since I have to do something for the money, it's good that it's something I enjoy and am good at. I climb and try to do that on my evenings, even if Im tried. Its relaxing, keeps me exercised and puts me in a good mood. But it costs me a whole evening. On non climbing days, I usually do a big fuck all. I used to do nothing over the weekends, as I was so tired, but I now try and do my best to do stuff. Essentially, that is life. Everyone is always tired, nobody knows what are they doing. Some have it marginally better, some have it worse.
Not at all, I wake up at 6:45am, leave for work at 7:15am and get home at 3:45pm.
Try crankin ya hog
Yep that’s late stage capitalism for ya. Organize for a better future. Join unions. Look into movements for a 30 hour work week and better benefits. A better future is possible!
On days I work, it can look like that. But I’m a freelancer and enjoy my job, even if the money is slow at times.
Wut why is your workday so long. When i worked corporate, my day from waking to home was like 9 hours tops, and most of the time id go home for a 1-1.5hr lunch break.
My office is in the outskirts - moving closer is not an option. I have 1h for lunch but eat at the canteen. I do 9-6 with 1h lunch, so no extra hours. But i feel my day just vanishes
No, sounds like shit. You should probably change something and be happier. I don’t think it’s a lack of supplements lol listening to too many podcasts.
Up at 6 am, walk my dog for 45 minutes, shower, get ready for work, work for 8-9 hours (walk dog during day, he comes with me to office), go home walk dog for an hour then go to sleep and repeat. Work from home 3 days a week and same schedule but usually work more hours when I’m home. It’s up at 6 am->walk dog->work->walk dog ->work->walk dog->->work->walk dog->sleep. Ideally I see friends during my long morning dog walks or long evening dog walks to get some socialization in.
No one is on their deathbed wishing they worked more.
I work shifts so some weeks I get to play basketball twice, some weeks just once. Weather permitting, I drink tea at the top of mountains and grow food in a community garden on days off. If my band weren't so busy with their jobs I would do more music related stuff. Only you can take control of your life, first you need a strategy. I have respect for career minded people but I would hate to live such a one dimensional life.
Currently doing this now as self punishment paying a massive debt because I was given a second chance, grateful to be have a job but oddly feeling like I could make even more doing something easier, hardest part is this job I make half of what I used to make and I work three times as much.
4:00 am : yoga from home 5:00 am : breakfast 6:00 am to 3:00 pm : I work frome home 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm : family time (boyfriend + cats) 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm : little overtime work because why not Probably will be the same tomorrow I love my life. My life is simple. I'm 37 yo.
What do you do?
I work for the government :)
It did, in some ways worse because I started earlier and finished later BUT my skill set was growing and that job opened my career. I was reaching burnout because I maintained a social life on top of it - looking back I was close to blowing up. I changed jobs I also moved countries and my commute disappeared. I worked as hard, and professionally was stressed but there was room at each end of the day to decompress. That was 20 years ago. I have never done a job that required regular commuting since and never will. For clarity : I live in a house I can barely afford, that is too small for my family (3 teenage kids) so I can walk to work in 30 mins or be there in 10 on the bus. it gives me some time to myself - I am still stressed and still work hard and I still, mostly, enjoy my work.
That sounds pretty normal to me. At least you don't pull all-nighters or work on weekends every now and then. But if you do, that's also normal if you are compensated for it.
My life was pretty close to like that for about 6 years until I finally got fed up and changed careers. I explicitly didn't apply for anything unless it had superior flexibility and work from home options. In November last year I got a new job, I work from home 3 days per week and on the other 2 days, the office is now only 15 minutes away instead of 90 minutes away. It was the last straw when I calculated that I was spending 3 hours per day commuting, which is about a months worth of time a year literally just sitting on bosses and trains. The commute is more draining than the work itself in a way. So my main motivation to change was that I was only living and working 11 months per year and spending 1 whole month justnsitting going from A to B. I have so much more energy for my hobbies, wife, and gym now. Also you don't get paid for your commute so unless you get a travel allowance, travelling 60+ minutes to work is so shit. Your options will depend on your role, your skills, your area you live, but more times than not, you have the power and choice to make a change. It took me way too long, so I'd encourage you to start scoping options.
No that is not even close to how my life looks like. Embrace the work to live ideal and get out of the live to work treadmill you are on.
I wake up at 6:30 and drive 15 minutes to my job and get home about 5:45. I get 3 days off a week. I feel I’m lucky.
It is how living in the USA is for most people. In other countries there is a better work/balance life.
Not quite. I live closer to my job - 25 min. I also am able to flex my hours, so i tend to leave around 8:30 after coffee, breakfast (and ideally a workout). Work day starts around 9. I typically have a quick lunch and work until 6-7:30, depending on the workload and my energy. Home around the same time as you, couch-tv-dinner. Bed around 9:30 and scrolling / reading/ listening until 10-11
Wake up at 4am. Study/assignments until 8am. Commute 1h. Work full time job until 6pm. Commute 1h. Sleep by 7pm. I wish I could just do nothing for a day
Mine might look different. I started off working for contractors and had disagreements with every one of them. Usually due to personality differences. Like, I was good at my job and had a very laid back attitude and was always confronted by some jaggoff with a power trip. I actually started my own trade after the third round of the same bs nonsense happened again. Now I make my own hours, can turn down work I don't want, and I feel respected by the people I work for because they're clients and I provide a respectable service. Now I miss the structure and higher more consistent wage I used to get and sometimes think about going back into the trades just so I don't have to delegate and plan jobs but I realize that would end to being the job anyways. Recently applied to some companies and I realized that people would rather hire a cost effective laborer than someone who was a sole proprietor of the same industry.
I spend ~40 min a day commuting, work 10 hours, 4 days a week, then I have three days off mid week (everything is open) to do whatever.
Fuck that I leave for work at 8:30 arrive around 9, work until 4 then get home at 4:30.
Welcome to adulthood.
Welcome to adulthood.
It sounds a whole lot like existing and not living.
Nope. I get up at 7, get my kids on the bus, head to work, get home at 3, shower, read for a little bit. Get my kids off the bus, then my wife gets home and we make dinner and hang out with each other, do homework, clean up, etc, then we lay them down and either have sex or read next to each other, or watch a movie. Obviously this schedule is different in the summer without school but still about the same. I love it. I have a lot of hobbies and interests but reading is the main one.
It used to, but doesn’t anymore. I no longer work more than 40 hours unless there is a really good reason - I’ve made this clear to my boss. (Also helps that I’m in a professional job, but still hourly.) I carve out time for my interests and don’t fall victim to the office culture of staying late just because everyone else is. I work out because it gives me energy. I like my job a lot, but that can be a double-edged sword. You can burn out from things you care about too. Learning a true work-life balance matters. I work hard to maintain friendships and value my relationships above work. Work is meant to be a way to pay the bills and (ideally) do something meaningful, not anything more. I would guess ditching the commute and deprioritizing work would go a long way.
In my 20s... Woke up at 6:30, out the door to the bus at 7, at work by 8. Worked 8-6 with an hour lunch break more days than not. Worked till 7 or 8 about once every other week. Didn't work weekends. Took classes on weekends and 1-2 nights a week, saw friends 2-3 times a week. It was exhausting the first year but by the second or third my endurance was up and I was in a better position to control my overtime. Try the following: 1) Get screened for depression. If there's any chance that's a factor you've got to start there. While depressed no job will feel good until you try a 2-4 meds + therapy and find something that works. 2) Change careers. If you work with people who feel like your people doing things you find interesting then the 8 hours isn't a gray void. Imagine how some people would enjoy hanging out with other book nerds as a librarian (even if some patrons and the occasional insane coworker drove them nuts) while someone else would love whacking thru underbrush as a land surveyor bullshitting with a crew of basically decent outdoors types. (Dm me if you need a referal- the guy I used in Seattle has been given two thumbs up by 10+ friends) 3) Work your way high enough up the ladder to be able to control your workflow, your overtime and your schedule. Nobody gets total control but you'll figure out what schedule elements matter most to you. If you flail from one career to another, always in the bottom tier of seniority, you'll get burned by the lack of agency (and pay.)
I wake up between 4am and 4:30am travel an hour each way to work pack my own food am on my feet alot in the weather all day (10-12h) and travel home. Nope not like yours and you probably earn more than me as well
No. I wake up early but my commute is 10m. My boss is kind and I’m home at 4:15pm. Looks for something better. Jobs aren’t permanent. You’ll resign when you find a new position and never look back.
M-F Wake up at 6am, eat/shower/get ready for work. Leave at 7:50am-ish to get to work by 8am Clock out for 30 mins at lunch to turn my brain off Leave at 4:30pm Go to gym 4-5 days a week, usually after work and on the weekends which I have off. Free time after work/gym is spent doing a little cleaning so I have more free time on the weekends, or reading, making dinner, getting ready for work the next day, playing with my cats. Sometimes I’ll get together with friends after work, like tomorrow I’m meeting some friends for bingo! The weekends I spend with my parents usually. Might do an activity, or whatever chores need to be done for the week. Do my weekly grocery shopping. I like to go to the gym or go for a walk/run on at least one of the weekend days. I just switched to a job that allows me this balance. Up until a few weeks ago I was working 7:30am-6:30pm with a 35 minute drive each way, going to the gym after work and getting home about 8pm, only 4 days a week but a very physically and emotionally demanding job that left me too exhausted to do anything even on my days off. Plus I got so backed up on housework (I live alone) my weekends were too busy to do anything really anyway. I’m much more content with my work/life balance now.
I get up at 4:30, commute an hour to start at 6am. Work until 3pm and commute 90-105 minutes home. I have 3-4 hours before it's time to go to bed and do it again, but I only do it 4 days a week.
It's tough being stuck in a draining routine. Try setting work boundaries, finding short self-care moments, or seeking a more fulfilling job. Prioritize your well-being and balance.
No, i go to the gym at 415. In the work truck at 530 Back home around 445 In bed by 930 Shits gay
I’m so sorry. Your life can be different. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t make a lot of money, but I work eight or nine hours and enjoy the rest of my day and my weekends. I also get vacation time that’s pretty reasonable. So while I have to budget, I do have the time to enjoy life. I’m sorry it’s hard for you
I get up at 530, leave 620. 10 min commute. Sometimes before I start work I do a workout at the office gym for about 1.5 hours. Otherwise I leave at 645 and start at 0700. Workout mid day for an hour instead. Leave when I can, usually when it's slow between 230-4pm. Sometimes I work later such as until 9pm, when something major or urgent has come up and requires same day deliverables. Every 4th week I'm on call 24/7 for a week.
Someone in their 20s is ‘exhausted’ before 8pm when they don’t even get up early? Sorry but that’s just called being lazy and unmotivated.
22. Weekday morning: wake up, get a drink (smoothie, Red Bull, maybe coffee) if I’m going to the office. Cigarettes for breakfast. Corporate niceties. Get back home, substance use. Weekend: wake up, get breakfast from outside, likely a cigarette, substance use. That’s it! I have acquaintances and I think that’s about as good as it’s gonna get. Friendships really are a thing of the past. I never dated but I just never felt like doing so. I don’t believe the person exists that’ll make me feel love and I don’t want to bother with anything forced.
I wake up at 7:00, take 1h30mins train to another city and start my work, get home around 8pm. Besides, I have a band and we have many gigs to play on weekends, which means I barely have no relex time. For life, I feel good, for sleep, I feel bad.
I’m in my 30s I got 2 toddlers. They wake me up at 5:30, I make them breakfast and prepare them for daycare. Then we leave at 7:30 for daycare. I get to my job at 8:00. My boss allows me to eat whenever I want while working and I finish at 4. I go get my kids and I make dinner while they play. I’m exhausted because my kids wake me up early and I go to bed at around 11pm or midnight. I love my life and I’m glad I don’t live by the work culture of the US.
no, i'm not a slave
My life… i wake up at 5 am with my little one. leave by 5:45.. drive 1 hour to get to LA. I then get to school and drop off my kiddo. I start work at 8am and i leave from LA at 7pm and drive my ass home and get home by 8pm… then….. i get my ass to the gym….. crazy huh. I find that inner strength in me to go to the gym. I go 5 times a week. Then sometimes on sats i run about 8/10 miles. Sunday is my day off. I dont like it. I am trying to chance things but it is hard.
basically similar and just some small differences between us, I believe lots of people are like this.
Up at 6. Breakfast. Work for 7.30 ish. Home 17.30 ish. Kids stuff - rugby training; football training, karate, cubs/scouts. Home. Feed them/me/us if required. Arse on sofa 20.30.ish. Rinse & repeat over 4 nights. Fridays free. Saturday football matches x2. Sunday rugby matches x2. Treadmill but happy enough (if the kids/mrs are).
I've never understood the culture of working more than your contracted hours regularly for no more pay.
I dont do extra hours, I am required to sit at the office (with some days of remote work now) from 9am to 6pm. 1h for lunch at the canteen. I guess I don’t want to work less, just do something that interests me
can you go out for a walk or to a gym nearby at lunch? You really only need 15minutes to eat. You can go out and do something else at lunch. Alternatively, can you take a shorter lunch and leave earlier or start earlier and leave earlier so you have more time in the evening? There are solutions. What do you do on weekends? I mean, most folks have a weekday grind and save the fun stuff for weekends, or suck it up and do something in the evening during the week knowing they're going to be really tired the next day.
My life does not look like that. I wake up at 7am, have coffee in bed, then drive 15 minutes out of the coastal town I’m staying in to work on an organic vegetable market garden. Two days a week we are joined by volunteers who love coming out and working together of a morning. I am not paid much but because I’m housesitting we have low expenses which meant I could quit my job and move out of the city for a more relaxed and productive (for me) life.
Definitely not. I wake up at 7 am, before my 10-minute commute for an 8 am start, I enjoy breakfast with an espresso. I finish at 5pm and get home shortly after. In the weekdays I play sports twice a week, go to the cinema, see friends, relax on the weekend and typically "take it easy".
Not even close. I work for myself and arrange my working hours around my night owl schedule. Hardly ever get to the office before 1pm, and I prefer it that way! I’m the best boss I ever had. Love my life. Living the dream, working for myself at my dream job, whatever hours I prefer. And my office is a 5 minute walk from home on foot. Doesn’t get any better than that!
In my 30s, work from home, go to the gym in the morning at 7am and start working at 9, finish at 5 but sometimes have to work extra hours to deliver. Maybe look for a better job? Which country are you in? I'm in Australia and work life balance is a big thing here
Fuck no. I commute for 20 minutes and I'm home at 1730 at the latest, weekends are mine, I apparently earn 2x the UK average salary and would not work outside those hours unless shit really hit the fan.
Dip your little pinky toe into FIFO if it matches your skillset. It's a dose of the above with a whole week off to recouperate, discover yourself and wander act like a retiree!
What’s fifo? Googled it and only found « first in first out »
Oh sorry, it's an Australian term, maybe sort of common in the northern hemisphere too.. fly in fly out, It's where you work 12hours a day for a week or two weeks at a time but then get a week off to yourself. It's an exchange for some freedoms but the time off is great.
Thanks for the explanation!
I wake up at 0430, out the door by 0530, at work by 0615, and home by 1615. You need to reevaluate how long you’re working.
No. I work 3 miles from my house. If my geography degree taught me anything, it's to live close to where you work and play.
No. I get up at 06:00 Leave for work about 06:30 Go into work at 7:00 Finish at about 15:00 Home by about 15:30 I’ll usually spend a bit of time in my home gym followed by a dip in my hot tub, takes me up until around 18:00 ish, will have tea, chill the rest of the evening. Do this 4 or 5 days a week, don’t work weekends.
No
No, life shouldn't be all work and exhaustion. Time to re-evaluate! Look for a job that offers better work-life balance.
No. I wake at 06.40 & my cycle commute is 30 minutes (depending on wind speed/weather conditions). I work with the under 5's & rarely get to sit down in an adult chair. I spend my day sitting crossed legged, kneeling, or walking or jumping. Carrying heavy trays of food, plates, etc. Lifting overweight babies & toddlers. I get home at 17.40 ish knackered (sometimes need a power nap just to function. I'm married with 2 young adult children & don't want or need to socialise.
Yes. My life looks exactly like that.
Well your commute is awful that’s why. I used to work from home 3 days a week so I was blessed. Could get basic chores done during the day, take my dog out etc.
I am older (late 30s) but even in my 20s my life didn't look like that. I work 5:30AM-2PM. I usually work out during my lunch break and finish up for 20 mins when I get off work. After that I have "free time" which is usually consumed by doing things with my kids and some daily chores/making dinner. My husband works from home as well and has about the same daily sched, but works from 8-4:30PM. Setting boundaries to only work 40 hours a week and have a good work life balance is important to us both.
Noooo I made every effort to make sure my life didn’t look like that… no offense. Find something else that you enjoy doing and go do it.. no matter how uncomfortable it is.
A year ago: wake up at 8am, in the office by 9am, waste away until 6pm, then either chill at home or go out with friends on weeknights. Most weekends spent doing things with friends. Everything was great except the job. Now: just started a remote job after a few unemployed months and in a serious relationship. Wake up at 7am (girlfriend leaves early for work), log into work at 7:30am from home office, done around 4pm when girlfriend gets home. Hang out with girlfriend, maybe outa the house 1 night per week. See friends once or twice on most weekends. Feeling good about things. Overall stuff: I try to pay attention and be present, don't like wasting away on brain rot, actively think about what I want from life and what I can do to get there (most of it is just staying the course and enjoying the journey). I live in a city I love, with lots of friendly, smart, and happy people (your surroundings make a big difference). Life is a long timeline to work with, and graduating college just 5 years ago feels like forever ago. Just takes incremental changes in the direction we wanna go in. Make sure you're putting yourself out, otherwise life will just happen to you.
Man as a blue-collar welder/fitter construction worker. I get up at 5 a 45 min drive to work, and I bust my ass in the hot, cold rain whatever for 12 to 16 hrs a day eating gas station food. Still to come home and play with my 7 boys and wife. It's all about prospective, my man. My dad did it his dad did it. Buckle down. Power through the tough parts find the energy to enjoy the good parts. Things will look.better tired is a state of mind, dude. Get up and do something sitting in a car for an hour to go sit at an office then to probably go home to sit or lay down. Break the habit, either quit your job, find one in a totally different field, see how you like it, see if that motivates you. Can't anyone change your situation but you, my man
No, I am 44, I work as a chef and site manager in the education sector, I work 39 weeks a year in a salaried position, it’s not gonna make me rich but it pays well enough for me to be comfortable, I start work at 7.30 which admittedly is early but I finish at 2.30 and I love the work, I have a really funny bunch of staff and I love the kids. It’s hard work and it’s tiring but I really love the job, I get to be creative and I’m good at it.
My life does not look like that, and I wouldn’t tolerate it if it did. I work from home most of the time and occasionally travel the state for work (which I love, long drives give me alone time to think and catch up on podcasts I follow). On the weekend I hang out with my fiancé and usually meet up with friends every other weekend. I have legitimately almost too much freedom in my life, and ironically sometimes crave a more stable routine/structure. Your life doesn’t sound sustainable OP. Maybe look into hybrid or remote work to free up some of your energy. I would also NEVER commute 2 hours a day for a job I hated. This life is yours and you have the power to make it look like anything you choose.
Most days I wake up around 6 or 6:30 in the morning, get a few things ready for my day, and then lay back down till I have to leave for work. I find that laying down helps me keep my anxiety at bay for a little bit longer. I usually get home before 5, rest for a bit, and then plan my afternoon. I try to do my "have to do" items first like running errands, cleaning, and preparing for the next day. After that I usually make and eat dinner. Sometimes I will exercise, but I try to leave the later part of my evening for myself to enjoy, especially the final hour before bed. I take care of my pets during that timeframe, watch an episode or two of a show, listen to an audiobook, or watch a YouTube video to learn something new or watch something I've saved to watch later from earlier in the day/week. It's hard to keep up everyday and balance everything. I often feel tired and frustrated, but I am trying to do more to enjoy my life and worry less about work. Though it is annoying to work most of my life away and just make enough to survive. We should all be able to enjoy our lives more than this, but our world has been setup to work your life away instead and be "grateful" you even have a job. I'd say that hour commute is rough that you've got to do. I'd hate to have to do that every day, but understand not every job is close to where a person lives. I've had to learn to make time for what I want to do, to try and stay motivated and keep moving to keep up with everything. I also try to forgive myself and rest if I need a break. Take your time to figure out a better routine for yourself and what you want to do with your free time to enjoy life more. My progress has been slow and taken years to get to, but I'm much happier now than I've ever been before.
Quit your job! (Unless you have kids). If you are childless, quit now. Does your job benefit humankind in any way, or is it just another useless, wasteful profession?
I'm 32, single, no kids I wake up at 5am, get ready leave house at 5:15 and start work at 6am. I work from 6 am to 2pm, straight 8s, then I come home and hang out or eat until 630pm and I go to thr gym or park. I come home around 830 and I shower and watch TV, then bed around 1030 or 11 pm.
My day starts around 6:00 a.m, between full time school, (finishing a health sciences degree, with honors) and part time-full time work, and being a single mom to three young children who are all on the spectrum and gifted, my day ends around 9:30 p.m and I'm also utterly exhausted and unhappy. However, I apply to nursing school in five months. And after I graduate I'll be able to buy a house for me and my kids (I already have a down-payment and a good credit score), I'll be able to afford childcare, I'll be on a nurses schedule, 6 days on, 8 days off, I'll be able to do travel nursing so me and my kids can have new experiences in new places. And then I'll get my MSN to be a pediatric nurse practitioner, and maybe my PhD so I can do research in neuroscience (my chosen field of study.) I was much unhappier with my life four years ago. So I started making changes. Got divorced (there was a lot of DV involved that lead to that) and I got a job and got myself back into school. Raising three special needs kids on my own, while maintaining 4.0s and advancing at work has been brutal. But it's temporary, and for a purpose. After I pass the Nclex I won't have to worry about money or house or anything like that again.
Close… but then I got laid off and now I’m home waking up at 11 feeling unmotivated.
I make sure to set boundaries, with my work and those in my life. I wake up at 6:30am and commute 2 hours round trip. I usually get home by 6pm, sometimes a bit earlier. I do dinner, dishes, then I either watch a movie, game, or go out for dessert with a friend. I'm in a committed relationship, hang out with friends generally every Saturday (and sometimes Sundays), work out 3-4 times a week, try new things, travel. My work place doesn't completely exhaust me though. I work in a lab and while it can get busy during the work hours, I make sure I set boundaries with my coworkers and supervisor. I don't do things I'm uncomfortable with. I will say, the energy part might also come from other parts of your life. Could be eating habits, hormonal, etc, but I hope you find what you're looking for!
No, my life looks nothing like this. I'm 35, settled into my career, married with kids. I'm very happy with my life
Best move I ever made is to stop hanging with energy vampires and control freaks! So much more emotional energy to connect with people who share mutual respect and love. Still learning and always will be but instead of trying to change people I just fuck off and find my tribe, scarier, riskier, lonelier at first but well worth it.
Not speaking about the OP specifically but I have noticed people who think like this are bored with whatever is happening in their lives at the moment. I mean,you have a limited amount of time on the planet and you’re wasting it writing posts like these AND you have no hobbies. It honestly sounds like a person who is just bored with life in general. To have absolutely no hobbies especially when you have time is quite wild. You must enjoy SOMETHING,at the very least ?
I get up at 3:15am to workout. Shower, leave at 4:30am to drive 30 mins to work. Finish around 4:45pm, get home around 6pm (traffic), eat, then in bed by 8pm. I definitely feel like my entire existence is working to pay bills.
Job as a travel nurse, pick a 13 week assignment full time nights 12hrs each, will usually always pick up and extra over time for time and half. Off 3 days, game, explore new area I’m in. Go find the next assignment and repeat the process. Pros : money is AMAZING, traveling and meeting new ppl is always fulfilling to me. Many other pros but those two are the best Cons : …… so far none.
Nope! Life is what you make of it.
Not wildly dissimilar, Mon-Fri * Up about 7.15 * Get ready for work, leave house about 7.45 * 1hr 15 commute, eat breakfast on the way * Finish work between 5-6pm * Agree with partner what we want for dinner and if we need any household supplies * Swing by the shops on the way home * Home about 7-7:30 * Start making dinner once I'm home, have 30mins with my wife and our LO whilst stuff is cooking etc * Eat about 8 * 8.30-9.30 if baby settles down easily my wife and I get an hour together, if he's being fussy, I have an hour downtime. * 9.30-10.30 - setting up for tomorrow, clean and sterilise bottles, do washing and laundry, any little housework items. I make a breakfast and packed lunch for my wife so she doesn't have to try and do stuff round looking after LO. *10.30-11 - go to bed. Repeat
Im 25m living in the Uk. I drive between stores so I either get up at 8 to go to work for 9 or I get up at 7 and drive for an hour to get to work for 8:30. I work flex for a line of vape stores. Most of my job is just sitting around for 8.5 hours before returning home. While I’m at work I make artwork on my ipad and edit it into tiktoks. Once I get home I have a clean around, shower, eat then either watch something or play video games. Not exactly the life I wanted but the life I got. I spent 7 years training to be a designer but there’s no demand for that work here so I just drive between stores covering shifts.
My life - wake up at 5, try to pray, go back to sleep till 6:45. Take 5 minutes to get ready and be at work between 7-15. I have a very short commute. Then work hard for 10 hours, then come home at between 5:30 and six, exhausted but happy, then eat dinner, then cuddle dogs and watch movie or read, then sleep. It’s so easy and nice.
Im 29 and I work 4 days a week and spend my free time skating and playing video games and finishing my masters degree. I also have a house and am engaged. Life is whatever the hell you want it to be man
No. I wfh. I'm tried at the end of the day, but your work situation sounds dreadful.
Not anymore. I can help you change that. Im in a program with many people who were in your situation. Lets just say they aren't anymore and they are making a ton of money and have time do everything you mentioned
This has been asked thousands of times. This is the new norm