I’ve just finished my first week at a new job. I like the job, but it’s the first time in several years that I’ve had relatively standard 8 hours a day, 5 days a week as my schedule. The last time I did was in 2019 or so, and then I went and got back into graduate school for the interim.
Now that I’m back to standard hours, the commitment of time and energy seems to be quite a lot, more than I remember from prior ft experience(It could well be that this job is actually mentally demanding, whereas my prior full-time job was pretty brainless) and I’m not sure how I will make room in my life for anything else.
I like the job I’m doing, and I don’t feel as if I’m being unreasonably pressured at work (Boss even said to go out of our way not to work overtime, and it’s a salaried position so I know they’re not trying to skimp on hourly pay), so I guess I’m mainly wanting to ask how the rest of you full-timers do it.
And does it get easier to manage as you start to get used to it and make a routine?
Maybe it feels like quite a basic or rudimentary to ask… But these are things I’ve forgotten in the interim since last working 40-hour weeks.
Don’t fret about it. It only lasts another 40 years or so.
Personally, I find that if I work in a day, then I’m drained. One great thing I was able to do was find a job that has longer hours, because working 8 hours and working 12 feels the same to me, but now I get 2 extra days off. With 4 days off I can have a recovery day where I do nothing, a productive day where I catch up on life’s demands, and 2 days to spend however I choose.
Some of us never get used it it, because there’s nothing normal about it.
When last I changed jobs (going from full time in house software developer to a consultant working for a firm), and every time I’ve changed assignments since (same firm, most times same client but different teams), I’ve been absolutely knackered. It can even happen once you’re back from a particularly long vacation.
Sometimes for a week, sometimes for up to a month.
It does pass though. You’ll find you have more energy as you get settled. Remember, new people to relate to, new things to do (even if it is similar tasks as previously) does take up a lot of mental energy even if you don’t feel like it does.
Cut yourself some slack, give your mind and body time to adjust for a few weeks. Remember to eat and drink right, and afford yourself some extra down time. In my experience you’ll be acclimatised soon enough.
Congrats on your new job!
I’ve been jobless for a year and recently found a job again as well. After my first day I was so exhausted, it was unbelievable. I literally came home after work, made and had some food, chilled on discord with a friend for an hour and was already too tired, so I went to bed after being awake for about 12h.
Starting a new job, a new chapter of your life is exhausting. You learn a lot of new things, you get a lot of new impressions. All this requires the gray matter in your skull to work pretty hard.
Now, even with mentally demanding jobs, you’ll form routines that make things easier. Not just stuff like a morning routine or your route to work, but also work processes become easier after you get into the groove. On top of that, with time there are less new things you need to remember, like names of your coworkers, your offices layout, or what bus to take.
It gets easier with time. Hang in there.
I have a kid who’s just starting full time work out of college. I’ll tell you what I told them: you’ll get used to it. You will eventually settle into the habit and it becomes routine.
However, there will be tough times where you need to work hard to motivate yourself to go to work. Those happen.
What works for me during those times is the same that works for me exercising (which I hate): one step, one mile, one day at a time. Tell yourself it’s just one more day to the weekend or to vacation. Have something to look forward to.
Burnout also happens. What works for me there, is to draw an absolutely strict line between work and life. You need to fight for your work/life balance. Maintain friendships outside the office.
When you’re not working, try to do something not related at all to work. If that’s working on improving your health, that’s even better. A healthy body and healthy mind has more energy. Do literally anything except working or thinking about work. If you can’t turn it off, practice setting boundaries until you can.
Finally, and this surprised me as I realized that all the stupid corny stuff we do in the office: luncheons, raffles, TGIF, “just another day in paradise”, and that, are coping mechanisms. Play along, but don’t get sucked into a negativity spiral. Humor can be a great stress reliever, but watch out for HR watchdogs.
don’t get sucked into a negativity spiral
I got sucked into one by talking to a new negative coworker and didn’t even realize it.
Echoing “You get used to it.” Right now, I feel like you’re actively having to think of about everything: Getting up, what to wear, where to go, peoples’ names, greetings, what you were doing when you left yesterday, etc., etc. Some of that will soon fall into the background. You won’t have to expend as much mental energy on things. You’ll just know people’s name, you’ll be in a routine, getting to work will be second nature, and what have you.
Everybody’s working for the
weekendoligarchs!Great song
Imagine having children
And childcare eats 20%+ of your income
And your local government has made it illegal to terminate pregnancies
Nor will they support you after the baby is born
Grab your bootstraps youngin!
The first week at any job is always exhausting. There’s a lot to take in, and a lot of active decision-making to do. It gets better fast when a lot of small things start going on autopilot.
Long commutes add to the suck.
now imagine having a girlfriend / boyfriends plus 3 little ones?
Luckily i dont yet that going on but i feel your pain sometimes. I tend to go to bed around 11pm and get up at 5am. Naturally without any alarms. So i have 2 hours in the morning, i tend to do smaller home duties and then after work, study for 1 hour (no more no less), eat and then chill on the couch. On the weekend, get all of your cleaning, errands do as soon as possible which will allow the rest of the day to hang out with friends, or whatever
My biggest advice that I wish more people would is to go to bed on Friday / Saturday / Sunday at the same time you would throughout the week. Dont extend your waking hours and be sluggish come Monday.
Also enjoy your life. It goes quick
Building a routine, and sticking with it helps a lot, as well as eating clean and exercising (which I need to get back into, lol). When you can nail a morning routine and carry that momentum through work, you’ll be tired, but should have time to decompress after work every day and still get most of your chores done.
I’m not sure how I will make room in my life for anything else.
That’s the neat part - you don’t!
That’s the neat part, you don’t.
The key for me has been finding a job I don’t hate, and I don’t have to take home with me. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t LOVE my job, it’s not what I’d like to do for the rest of my life or anything, but it’s decently manageable most days and I don’t have any outside of hours responsibilities.
As an added bonus, I’ve always been a second shift person ever since highschool and it still works in my life right now. This allows me to spend the hours I have the most energy at home doing what I actually enjoy like my hobbies and such.
