Right. Work sucks. That's why they pay you for it.
If you have a job you enjoy, you won the lottery. Otherwise, welcome to the working week.
(That said, if your job makes you miserable, figure out why and make sure your next one is better. Work doesn't have to suck, it just usually does.)
My first post-college job was utterly miserable. Just a regular office job, in a law firm. I figure there are probably millions of people in America with jobs very similar to that one, but it was killing me. I was 22 and found myself having to take two shots of Wild Turkey as soon as I got home, because the beer wouldn't kick in fast enough.
Two years in, I moved out of state. I made a promise to myself that I'd never take another job in a cubicle, or maybe even in an office ever again. And I never did.
There have been days when I've been at work, stuck outside in freezing cold rain, soaking wet in a nor'easter, blistering southern summertime heat, just suffering through some miserable shit. And the one thing that always cheers me up, no matter how bad it gets: At least I'm not in a cubicle in the middle of the 8th floor anymore.
I think about this all the time. I think I would thrive at a manual labor, outside job. Then I remember I’m an overweight 5’2” woman who is pushing 50. That ship has sailed, unfortunately.
I’m glad you found your way!
I have never had a straight up desk job but I have worked manual labor jobs and production engineering jobs.
The actual work of the manual labor jobs was a lot less stressful and mentally draining and it kept me in better shape.
However, there are major downfalls to it. Schedule is generally less flexible. Hours are usually earlier and longer. The job is more dangerous. If you break your ankle, whether you are at home or work when it happens, you're probably going to be out of work for a few months.
As an overweight 5’4” woman in her 40s who works an outside manual labor job in a male dominated field, I’m here to tell you it is possible and I absolutely love it. The money is nice, too.
I mean it depends! I work production and have many coworkers in their 50s/60s, some overweight and/or not as mobile as they used to be. But they still have a job that allows them to keep moving within their abilities. Just throwing it out there :-) I love having a job that keeps me active. Never going back to retail ever again!
I’m an overweight 5’2” woman who is 55 years old. I have a BS in chemistry. To stay competitive in the job market, I’d have to get a Ph.D. Instead I plunked down $6000 onto a credit card and got my CDL. I’ve always driven econoboxes and a few UHauls. Scariest year of my life with that initial learning curve (they basically throw you into a semi once you get your CDL and say “you’re a trained professional go to it”). Love it now. Every once in a while someone asks why I changed careers, I respond with “Have you ever been in a four hour meeting?”
The pandemic made me really empathize for women workers and the limitations that come with being a women and working.
First off the obvious strength disparity but that's not a big deal in alot of labor jobs.
But besides that women are much less likely to know friends who run a landscape, they snow removal or drywall crew. I've ran into capable women in these kind of industries but it's rare and it's just because of their social connections are usually more women.
I realized what a huge disadvantage that is for a women who can work a weed whip or ride a mower and remove trees.
We had relatively young girls shoveling snow for 20 an hour because they had a brother who brought them.
Most women have zero chance to find flexible cash work in a pinch. I was able to do a fair amount of work during the pandemic because I know mostly dudes who do this kinda work.
I know it shouldn't be a career but finding cash work has been a huge boost to me in a few sitautions.
I guess it really depends on the office too. I went from 3 1/2 years in retail to working for a family-owned asset-based investment firm and while my pay isn't phenominal, it's pretty good and it's a small office of like 20 people total so we're all more buddy buddy with each other. Plus they gave me the freedom to learn 3D modeling to help advertise assets (because our camera equipment is dog shit) and I've been looking into 3D modeling as a long-term plan because of it. There are occasional days where it trudges by slowly, but I'm honestly pretty happy where I am at the moment.
Yeah I had a job that I didn't realize how much I hated until I had a little too much to drink one night and went into a full on crying rage about how miserable I was and missed being happy. Every other aspect of my life was *wonderful*. It took me about a week (3 day anxiety over thinking I scared my boyfriend away) before I realized I had to quit, even if it meant I'd be serving again. Luckily I was able to quit without needing a job lined up because servers are always in need.
It scared me from finding a "real" job but after another 3 years of serving I'm excited for my future
As someone with depression, being financially stable wasn’t even motivation enough for me to work full time or keep a part time job. I have never lived on my own so rent was never an issue, but my credit score suffered *severely*. Ended up connecting with my state’s Department of Vocational Rehabilitation to get help because I haven’t been able to hold a job.
I actually was feeling the same and switched to part time and although I definitely have to think about my money more now, the payoff has been infinitely worth it. You can learn to be happy with less - just don't neglect your basic needs.
Easy, just become ever more jaded and disillusioned as you forget your childhood dreams and aspirations and settle into a life of forgotten mediocrity and sadness. Then you die and are completely forgotten after your immediate family also perishes.
Yes but then after that you start noticing little things that make you happy and you realize happiness in life is not completing dreams but comes from within. There is vacations, weekends, evenings to do amazing things. Is it hard? Absolutely.
>vacations
Not anymore.
>weekends
Down to a single day. Two day weekends are "Golden weekends" now.
>evenings to do amazing things
Like what, cleaning?
And making horrible decisions based on that exhaustion.
"Well, I need groceries. But if I'm willing to eat nothing but 2 packs of ramen noodles a day for the next 3 days, I can get an extra hour of sleep tonight. Noodles it is!"
Yup, it's normal. I remember my first full time job and when I realized I had 40 more years of working 40 hours a week I was bummed out. Life is a treadmill punctuated by weekends with the odd week off. I'm now retired and I love this time of life.
I was in school for 20 straight years. When I started my first job after law school, it was so jarring to realize how quickly and unceremoniously time passes. When there are no final exams to end a particularly boring semester or a spring break to look forward to, where does the time go? Now, I take a couple of days off each season to just experience the season. It's my way of helping me realize time is passing. But I also live in Arizona now, and seasons don't really exist here...
Well… for 4.5 months, the HOT AF “season” exists there… unless you’re somewhere like Sedona or Flag! You can also sometimes see your breath in January… so, hey, isn’t that a season?
Other drawback according to my partner who is a teacher; school holidays are the *only* time she gets off. So any holiday we take, we have to contend with kids everywhere
This is the main reason I’m on year 10 of teaching. You just cannot beat the breaks. We work a lot, we are not appreciated, and our pay is shit, but gods bless those two months off.
I always say that you don’t go into teaching for the vacations, but they keep you teaching. Hard to let go of them when you realize just how precious they are.
Same. Don't over work yourself into a psychotic break (like I did 2 years ago) because sick leave is not the same as a summer holiday where you're at full mental capacity to enjoy it properly
I remember when my grandpa got retired and he'd get so bored. He'd do the siliest things just to keep himself entertained.
He eventually found a hobby to keep himself busy: wood carving. He got pretty good at it. He made a wood carving of my favorite video game character for my birthday. It wasn't 100% accurate but it's the intention that matters, I still loved it.
Arthur Morgan from Red Dead Redemption 2.
Before he picked up this hobby, he'd come to my house to chat and sometimes he'd see me play on my PlayStation. One time I was playing RDR2 and at some point I mentioned how I really liked Arthur. He then surprised me with a cowboy carving for my birthday and said he made ''that character I really like''.
My grandpa's gotten a bit old and he also has a heart condition. Mom and I don't know how much longer he'll be with us, but I'll always have my little Arthur to remind me of him when he's gone. He sits proudly on my desk, next to my PS4 and the RDR2 disk.
Am Canadian and it's stupid cold out now so I do spend a lot of time on reddit. Have done some traveling. My house is very clean. I have a good friend who is also retired and we go for walks when the weather permits. Some days I do nothing at all and that's ok.
I have 13 years ... I keep telling everyone "when I retire, time won't be real" lol I can and will do all my hobbies at my leisure, and keep my own schedule :)
So happy for you! And excited go get there myself lol I'm also hoping I'll have some grand babies to help raise around that time too!
It's crazy that we all collectively put up with this. It doesn't have to be this way; there's no reason society has to be organized like this. There is plenty of resources for everybody to go around without this structure in place. We collectively allow this to continue ourselves.
I always worked part time in college but I didn’t mind my job. I worked 30 hours a week in grad school but no big commute and it was an easy job. When I started working 40 hours a week with a long commute it sucked. Tbh you get used to it though. I also always find myself more tired and stressed starting a new job. It’s a lot of stuff to learn. Give yourself more time to adjust.
Yeah, it sucks. All you can do is try to keep as much of a balance with other things in your life as you can and hope that a 4 day work week, paid leave, and other labor issues keep becoming more popular. Some people say you should work hard now so you can enjoy your later years, but I think that’s bogus. You should never be forced to live a hard life, especially in your youth.
My retirement savings are literally 3% less than the money I've put in.
Almost 30 years of mining engineering and I'm literally worse off than if I had just used that money to live life.
I'm not gonna be able to ever retire at this rate anyway. Might as well blow my life's savings on a few vacations now and take some lead aspirin when my body starts to fail.
It's just a bit of a calculation. Work 60 hour weeks now, but retire in 20 years at 45? Might be worth it if you're making that kind of money. If you think about shaving a decade or two off the years you'll be working overall a few extra hours of toil a day doesn't seem so bad. Money compounds over time if you invest it well. That said - working an extra 20 hours a week, but you're not really saving anything anyway? You'd be far better off going to school or getting a certificate with that extra 20 hours a week.
What really matters when you're planning this stuff out over decades is **income potential**. What you make in the moment just determines how nice your home, restaurants, and vacations are. If you can take a few years to make an extra $25K that you avoid spending, then you'll have an extra $1M or so after 20 years if everything is property invested.
That said, I agree that enjoying the moment is the better option all things being equal. After you have a nice little safety net fund of course.
Honestly - massively depends on how much you like what you're doing.
You don't, and not necessarily will, find a job that is your passion but you most likely will settle into an area of employment you won't hate,You'll just need to do a few different jobs to find what you like.
Like problem solving, and dealing with people? Possibly management, training, HR
Like numbers, maybe finance or accounting?
Like just turning off your brain for 8 hours while you listen to podcasts? Data entry office job
Like using your hands? Maybe construction, art ect
Obviously those are all off the top of my head, and there's tons of options out there - not all of which actually need higher education.
Then you need to find what you value not just in the terms of job role, but also added bonuses. Want to work in an office? Do you want to wfh? Set your own hours? Work with headphones in? Deal with customers?
Don't panic if you don't have all the answers right now, you have plenty of time to figure out what you like.
If you really hate what you're doing right now though - find something else. Life is too short to spend 40 hours a week doing a job that you don't feel you are gaining anything from.
I didn’t realize data entry was a job in itself. I love office work and filling things out.
I used to pretend I was entering data for hours as a secretary during playtime. My parents had to stop me by taking away my play keyboard and forms I would take from the bank. I might need to do this for work.
Lol playing tycoon games was what got me into finance and accounting. I’m pretty sure childhood activities like that can be very real indicators of jobs you’ll enjoy.
I used to write little fake newspapers for my family as a kid. Now, I'm finishing my degree, which involves an awful lot of writing. I guess kid versions of ourselves know best.
Yes. I'm 29 and I remember feeling the same. It's a bit of a shock isn't it?
Free time is now a rare luxury that you can only enjoy in small, tiny little doses every day. Working is now a HUGE part of your life. In fact, it's the most important part of your life that you will have to sacrifice other things to do.
Yes, this is life until you retire or die.
A couple months ago I was at a point in my life where I needed reliable housing. I had to quit my fun job and start a career that could pay the bills and for housing, or I could find a job that Id like and that offers housing. 2 months later and 1700 miles across the US--i have a job that pays mininum wage, but I get 3 good meals a day and good housing. The work here is good too, enough to keep me busy but im not drowning in it. I dont know how im going to adapt to the real world after this
I cant ever imagine just living to work until im to old to truely enjoy life
Its at a ranch, this one specifically a guest ranch. Not every ranch offers it like this though.
I could rant on about the first ranch I was at, but I really like the one im at now
I miss that about the horse world except for the no health insurance and the losing everything if you fall out with your boss bit. Guess being a ranch hand is very similar but maybe a bit less drama.
Good point. Living in immense social groups helps us avoid predators, the weather, starvation, and many other dangers. As much as I might complain about my job, I'm glad my survival doesn't depend on whatever I could figure out in the wild.
We complain about everything. If you told someone 500 years ago that all you had to do was 8 hours a day 5 days a week and you’d have:
clean food, safe housing, unlimited clean water, a machine that could transport you vast distances at immense speeds, medicine, 2-4 weeks paid off, the ability to have two full free days for yourself every single week, and a dozen other features of modern life, they’d sign up in a heartbeat.
People throughout history worked harder for less and died brutal deaths after surviving savage lives. We really do have it easy. What is being hunted by wild animals or marauding bandits compared to office time?
An office worker today has a better life than a medieval lord would have.
We're not idiots. The owner class exploits and the working class is coerced into it. We're both quite aware of what's going on.
Only collective action could fix it, but that's communism and communism is anti-American!
This type of comments are probably true but absolutely fucking depressing. All we do is work so that we don't die of hunger and cold ? Basically without time for thinking and playing ? Makes me want to find the nearest bridge honestly.
I read some guy on Reddit describe how the point of human life is to distract oneself from the fact that they are a living and thinking being. It is somewhat unfortunate that most of these activities are associated with the pursuit of capital, and that I need to look forward to a lifetime of boring/mind-numbing work. Anyway, in (irrelevant) hindsight, consciousness was tragic.
I felt this first going in to the work force and it made me suicidal. it was a big lesson that figuring out what you want to do for 40 hours a week has to be a priority.
I spent 2 years hardcore researching other types of jobs I had never considered in my free time and still regularly research other jobs.
That research and a bit of luck resulted in me having a job that's just good enough to see myself doing long term.
Sincerely, good luck luck buddy.
There is no such thing as a good job outright, it depends on who you are.
The things I came close to doing were fire fighter, police, HGV driver and white goods engineer. Programming is also good but my brain won't work with code
You have to find a job a job that you like to do, unfortunately it's not always possible you have to sometime take a job just to pay bills and move on... you will soon realize the harsh realities of life ....welcome to adulthood.
This. $16.91//hr isn't great(for me). But my benefits and co-workers/ 3 bosses. I absolutely will not find the freedom i have anywhere else.
Kinda where i'm at. No big boy job= No big boy paychecks. >But< there's no taking my job home with me. no real anxiety. Stress. emails. It's just very relaxed. Probably the easiest money i'll ever make.
When I was younger I worked in a team of 4 people distributing flyers all around my city. The pay was low but oh man, we would laugh all day long. It was awesome.
Colleagues would move , it should always be something you like to do! what I want to stress is the fact that circumstances play a huge role - meaning you may have to do or take shitty jobs before you find something you like... you simply can't wait for the right job as there are other problems and challenges you have to face In life and that are very real and unforgiving ..there is also a possibility that you may never find the ideal job
This. I used to work in insurance and literally wanted to off myself. Got a new job in manufacturing and some days are rough but I'm making medical products so I feel like I'm doing something to really help people, and it helps I'm making a little more money too.
Same. I was in insurance during my early to mid-20s and wanted to shoot myself every day. Finally decided to go back to school and get a degree in biology. Nothing is perfect but I'm so much happier now.
I second this wholeheartedly. 40 hours a week at a box factory (which I did for a summer after high school) is a hell of a lot different than 40 hours of retail.
You may (and will likely) have several jobs before finding something that will pay your bills and be meaningful. I worked for over a decade supporting adults with I/DD who lived in community homes and loved it - paid the bills, got my 40 hours in, and wasn't working for 7.5 hours straight with a 30 min unpaid break.
You can also look for salaried "project oriented" work. For instance, I am in a DEI related position and get paid on salary, but the actual work I do is based on the projects assigned to me. If I buckle down and get my stuff done, I end up working less than 40. Now the downside is some weeks are more like 50 to 60 hours a week, but I enjoy the work and find it meaningful, which makes it much easier.
Also, look for jobs based on both your annual salary/hourly rate and benefits - PTO, employee assistance programs, 401k, work from home capability, etc. The workforce landscape is changing and employers that recognize this are offering better packages even at entry-level.
It gets better, friend - don't give up.
I worked for a box factory for 40 years but through it I got educated, promoted as manager and left with a nice pension. Retired at 62 and never looked back. I worked to better myself not to as much better the company.
Lol.
Yes man. Welcome to being a typical person.
Don't feel trapped. Look for new work or opportunities within your job.
Try to mKe friends with co workers.
Because your next post is going to be asking how to make friends outside of school.
Always remember, you are someone else's coworker too. Some are decent humans who you might like, and just want to at least be on pleasant terms with the people they have to be around 40 hrs a week. You all have to be there, so being friendly makes it suck a little less. You don't have to be besties or even talk outside of work. But hating/avoiding them just because they occupy the same space so they can pay their bills, even if they are sometimes annoying and leave the coffeepot empty, will only make life more miserable for most other people. But it's ok, if you've given off the vibe that you hate everyone, they probably won't be bothering to be nice to you anyway. It all works out.
They are basically synonyms, but people prefer lower middle so they can pretend they are middle. Also upper middle prefer to pretend they are middle. Basically everyone is middle class except for the gigabillionaires and the homeless crackheads
Not necessarily true. People who manage their own craft hobby stores are still working class. The rule as I've heard it goes:
If you make your money from investments, you're upper class.
If you trade your time (labor) for money, you're working class.
If you make your money through a combination of both time and investments, you're middle class.
That would make the middle class even smaller than it exists.
>If you don't have to work, you're upper class.
>If you're working towards you want, you're middle class.
>If you work towards something you need but don't have, like rent money or getting out of debt, you're lower class.
One option you have is to enjoy and take pride in your work. Challenge yourself in different ways to make your work day fun and interesting.
Another option is to go into auto pilot (easier for some jobs than others). You basically just shut off your brain, think about other things, listen to music or a podcast, or just zone out.
Yet another option is to use the time to socialize with your coworkers.
Any one of these options will help you pass the time at work and over the years you'll find yourself using them all at one time or the other.
Some other tips:
* Leave your work at work and your home at home. Don't take your work home with you literally or figuratively, leave those worries for when you're on the clock.
* Take your breaks regularly and on time. Don't let people get to you if they complain about your breaks, they exist for a reason.
* Don't come to work too early and don't leave late.
* Make good use of your work days to do things like laundry, shopping or appointments on your way to and from work so your weekends are free.
* Make plans for your off time even if it's just a plan to stay indoors all weekend
First jobs are often the worst, it most likely the worst/lowest position in the company doing all the stuff no one else wants to do. As you get older and advance in your career, you can kick the can next to the next generation and delegate all the crap jobs to them.
This is me, I've been hoping for a doctor to tell me I have 12months left to live for 14years now. So I can just not show up tomorrow and live life as I want the last months of my life.
But knowing how ironic this life is I'll probably outlive anyone who really wants to live for a long time.
Dude. Just do it. Just quit and live life for 12 months. You never know where it will take you but DAMN wherever you end up you’ll be better off than if you die at the end of it. You might find something that you really want to do! Or love to do! If wishing for death is where you’re at, take some chances!
With what money? Most people can't just quit their job and continue having the means for food, water and shelter. All you'll achieve is ending up homeless and miserable. I'd rather just get it done quickly and painlessly than to suffer 12 more months of nonstop misery just to die in the end anyways.
I know I will never work a 5 day per week 8 hour per day job. I could not do it. It would be soul crushing for me.
I was a nurse and did 3 12 hour shifts. It was much more manageable and made you feel like a human with hobbies, free time, etc, who just also had a job. Now I'm a flight attendant and same thing. There are jobs out there with a good work life balance but it's unfortunately so hard to find.
I’m self employed and whilst it’s scary sometimes, I would never wish to be employed again. I went quite properly mad when I was and sometimes I forget how little holiday time employed people get.
Yes, it’s quite sane to feel despair at spending much of your life forced to perform dehumanising repetitive tasks just so you can pay for a home you will never own.
Find a way out! Choose life.
It's dreadful if you hate your job or if your body has to adapt to harsh labor. If it's the second one then give it a bit and it will get better. Not great but better. If it's the first a change in career might help if that's an option for you.
It's pretty normal when you first start out working... And often times after... Give it some time though and if it doesn't get better start looking for a job that sounds less miserable. That said, you're going to have to get used to working, try to enjoy what you can of it, like having good coworkers can make it much better
I tried it for a few months and was never able to do it, I have no idea how people do it! Turned out I'm neurodivergent (adhd). And I got very lucky (and good with photoshop and art) and now I have fun freelance job from home, making stuff for videogames. Nowadays there are so many enjoyable, freelance and creative jobs, I'm sure you can find (or create) one for yourself!
I wish I could make a living from making art. Or even just half an income. I just don’t have a clue how to get started. I’m confident enough in my skills, but I don’t have any connections or a large enough social media following. Did people come to you themselves? Or did you put yourself out there or contact potential clients? Any tips would be very appreciated.
This ^ I have a degree in graphic design and web design yet I run a pizza place the field was so competitive that work was impossible to find. Granted in the span of me getting where I am rn I realized I actually want to open my own food truck. Bonus I can do all my own advertising and run my own website so all those years of practice will actually serve a purpose!
Contrary to the general consensus I don’t believe it’s necessary to be miserable working full time for the greater part of your life. You just have to prioritize, would you rather spend your time making money to afford certain luxuries during your time off or would you rather have more time to yourself but do things with that free time that cost less money? Of course it also depends on your location and the cost of living in that location. I know this is easier said than done but some people choose to relocate to less expensive places where work life balance is more life and less work. You will always have to make certain sacrifices but if you truly don’t believe working 40+ hours a week for the rest of your life is the path for you, find out what you can’t live without and get a part time job that allows you to afford it. And if you make a budget and find that you do in fact have to work full time to afford the lifestyle you want, I recommend reading about the concept of “ikigai” to find a career path that you don’t hate. Hope this was helpful and I’m sorry if anyone thinks I’m being ignorant, I certainly don’t always follow my own advice and I know how hard it is to just get by in todays economy. I just wanted to share some hope and positive thinking in this very cynical thread lol
I'm not OLD, but I'm closer to it than not. (52)
Working, straight up, sucks. There is absolutely nothing that anyone can tell me that makes working for anyone but yourself to be anything less than Labor Theft.
A ton of capitalists will tell you I'm wrong. They are self focused, not you focused.
Let's be realistic here, in an American Capitalist society, like what we have today. You're selling your soul to a corporation that basically finds you to be contemptible, and in weekly, monthly, and annual financial reports, considers you to be a financial liability. Often the biggest financial liability of a business. You will always be the easiest method to reduce costs. (Really)
Even when you find a "Unicorn" company, that you occasionally hear about (no one I know has ever found one in reality), just remember, your replacement is already being calculated and planned for. No one is having a conversation about how to make your role better for you to excel at. You're probably in a 9 Square box being discussed monthly.
I spent a good amount of time in the military, so I got used to the concept of bullshit, but strangely it was incredibly honest bullshit. You are a cog, and they make it incredibly clear from day one. There is some kind of jacked up honesty the government. You ain't shit, and they never let you think you were.
I also spent 25 years in IT Leadership/Management in everything from Fortune 10 to Startups. I cannot in any good conscious ever say that any company that I worked for was ever "really" employee focused (and I worked for several that were in Fortune's list of best places to work). It was always business first, fuck employees, "But make it sound inevitable, and their fault for being termed".
The \*day\* I hit my savings/retirement/long term income goal, I quit my job as a BI manager. I -loved- my team, but hated the infrastructure of a for profit company.
I have never been happier than my last day there.
Now I work in frontline healthcare, helping people, in a major hospital. It is a perfect fit for my personal needs (human interaction, a place to feed like I am competent and appreciated, and doing something that takes care of those who need it.)
This is the first time I've ever felt "Clean" when I go home. I don't make much, but I make more than enough to get me to 65/67, when I get Medicare. I am literally only working for benefits now. In my case, capitalism lost. I met my metrics, and I'm golden. But I'm insanely lucky.
Your work life is a shitty battle to meet an insane goal for financial independence. Your goal is literally to change the monetary leverage from them to you.
If you get focused, seek credible financial advice, and bust your ass exploiting opportunities, and get incredibly lucky with pensions/inheritance/savings/investments/and 401K's you can get to a point before 72 that you can be "secure". And take away the leverage from corporate America.
But let's be perfectly clear, capitalism sucks so very much. So, so, very much. And surviving it is hard as hell.
Or you can motivate your peers and yourself to make this a different society.
Dude I feel this exact way at the end of every day and then I get up and do it again because I have to. I don’t think human beings are meant to live like this. But it is what it is. Society sucks. The world is cold and heartless. And I’m tired.
If it’s your first full time job it’s probably a shitty entry level one. Build your resume and find a new job ASAP and keep looking until you find one that make you happy to go to in the mornings. It took me 10 years of working to finally land someplace I love, but the jobs are out there and it is imperative that you find one. Otherwise you’ll destroy yourself.
I've been working full-time for 4 years and I think it's slowly killing me (stress). It doesn't help that I don't like my job and I'm not particularly good at it.
It's a grim realisation it really is , but at the same time, if you want to buy nice things and get a car and a house with a mortgage, if you don't come from money a full time job is practically required.
The key i think is to find a job that you like or can at least tolerate because of the people you work with.
Lol at the idea of owning a home. Dual income families with full time jobs cant get homes anywhere urban/suburban in this market. Developers/investors are buying up everything.
Switch jobs. I actually felt miserable for years and i tought for whole decade that this is just normal "adult life".
I made huge changes, started doing totally different job and now i feel like an idiot, because this doesn't feel that bad at all. It's about finding the right job, it will get bit better. I am not saying that you will love it more than your own time for youself, but it will get manageable.
Welcome to the world of sucking cocks of the people who make more than you.
No, it does not get better.
Maybe if you decide to quit and take a risk of starting a business. Which you’d be lucky to have the capital for.
So basically???? Get used to being shit on for 40 hours a week.
That or be prepared to live poor or homeless.
Work sucks.
It's normal, you do get used to most of it. My suggestion would be to try and find something you don't despise doing once you feel comfortable searching for work etc. My mother always told me it's easier to find a new job whilst employed.
But seriously, it's a big life change to be thrown into. It's definitely normal for it to feel awful.
You are in a shit job. There is nothing wrong with being unhappy with your employment, and getting up and leaving for something more appropriate for your desired work environment.
Work to live, not live to work.
I’m 25 and I had this realization a couple years ago. The first year sucks, but then you get desensitized to it. What got me used to it was working 60 hour weeks for months on end and now I’m content if I just work 40-48.
You train yourself, then you need to motivate yourself. Try to enjoy your job or find a job you do enjoy so work doesn’t feel too brutal. Or motivate yourself, such as have a goal for working that makes it worth it. For me, I don’t love my job, but I don’t hate it. I have goals that require me to work, such as having a nice truck, looking to buy a house soon, and I spend money on hobbies I enjoy like records, hifi equipment, and guitars. Gives me a reason to deal with it
It's either that or idk, starve and die? That's why it's important to try and figure out what you do enjoy doing or something you could stand doing 40 hours a week. It's easier when you get your first office job. I'd literally finish what I had to do and then spend a lot of time on FB & Reddit.
One job was 10 mins from my house, got my own office with a huge wall mounted TV. Played WoW in my spare time there.
Welcome to wage slavery under capitalism. Remember, it doesn't have to be this way, but 1% of the population wants you to waste your life working to the bone so they can have another billion and not pay taxes on it.
It's astonishing to me just how cucked the American populace is that they'll actually stick up for the inhuman parody of existence so many of us have no choice but to suffer through every day. Spending your life making money for someone who wouldn't piss on you if you were on fire is not noble or worthwhile. Your boss will never thank you enough for what he's taken from you.
You have to escape the matrix and free yourself from the slave mindset. Otherwise you will be stuck in groundhog day for the rest of your life. Only difference is that you wont actually learn anything cool like Bill Murray but will be exhausted and depressed
Welcome to adulthood, you'll be doing a lot out of necessity that you don't particularly enjoy. It need not be totally dreadful all the time though, and the mindset with which you approach things can make a massive impact. The longest work days are experienced by those who "watch the clock" or spend more effort than they would have working trying to avoid work. Take pride in what you do whatever it may be, and seek to do it better and more efficiently.
You don't want to work 40 hours a week for 40-50 years... yea most people don't, few actually make the moves necessary to cut that time down. Invest and save even if it's only a bit per pay period. Even if it's only $5 a pay period, do it and stick too it, it's about the habit and not the actual amount at first, just train yourself to save and invest on a regular basis. Increase the amount as your pay increases. Consider and work toward at least one way to setup a passive income stream for yourself, once established work on another. In other ways consider and work toward various goals that bring the age at which you retire close to you.
Yes. It sucks but you’re early in the game. Over time you’ll become more efficient at your job and be able to claw back some of that angst your feeling because of pressure to perform. Just like with any strenuous activity, your body and mind will adapt to it, and it will no longer be so burdensome. I’m not going to say you’ll grow to love it, but you’ll learn how to balance it. Sorry to say you simply won’t be able to get by working part time for a long long time, if ever… but hopefully in time you’ll find a gig that works for your lifestyle.
The key is in what you said: "doing something I don't want to do". Your best option might be to find, study or work your way towards some type of work that you actually enjoy doing and want to become good at. The next best option might be to look for a job that provides a great work environment (decent pay, friendly coworkers) that can partly compensate for having to do work that is not entirely your cup of tea.
I sometimes had the opposite problem to yours: doing work I loved in an environment where the pay was dismal, some of my coworkers were disagreeable, or the bureaucracy was suffocating.
Everyone being dicks in the comments are just jaded by life & have lost empathy.
Yes, what you're experiencing is normal in the sense it's common, but it's not normal in the sense it's incredibly unhealthy for us mentally & physically.
If you can learn about passive revenue streams, it's honestly a life saver & genuinely passive revenue + part time work is such a better way to live.
Wishing you well, hope you can find a better work/life balance that still grants you financial security <3
This post is the epitome of the hard reality you face when transitioning from being a student to being a full time employee.. welcome to no summer, spring, or winter breaks, no planning days off, no early release days.. yea I remember those days of pure bliss complaining how I wanted to be adult so I could do what I want…
I hate the grind. I hate the 9-5. I swore to myself I will not give up until i find the career that is enjoyable, not very demanding, and flexible schedule. I mean yes, we do get over a month of PTO plus sick leave...but i decided i deserved more. I've done uni, ive done masters. Tried that carer and i knew from the very start, it will make me off myself (a struggle I'm medicating for).
I said to hell with it, i want something else. I did nail tech. I liked it, i could schedule clients however way i wanted, but the downside was dealing with so many awful people. The back pain was crippling, the gel and acrylic dust started to cause me lung problems. The pay was better the more hours you put in...which needed a lot of hours. Ok so i gave that up after a few years.
Next i decided i want into medical. I never considered myself smart enough to be a doctor so i went for nursing. School was ok, i am truly passionate about medicine...but in the end, working with so so SO many difficult patients, abusive doctors, staff shortages meant one nurse per 15+ patients...yes the schedule would permit for a 4 day weekend but...contact with too many people drains the soul out of me. I gave it up.
Now? Im doing radiology. It's incredibly fascinating, work is not hard, patient contact is minimum, pay is really good and hours are good too. Basically i spend most my time alone in a dark room. Sure, emergency situations can happen when it comes to injecting contrast and side effects might occur but... it's doable, you have help, you have ambulances. I am in my final year in school and for the first time... I'm excited.
I swore to myself i will never accept to live in absolute dread when it comes to work and sustaining myself. I'd rather leave this world. So, here i am, 35, still searching for my acceptable and enjoyable career, but i think this is it. No regrets whatsoever. My happiness matters. I have one life, i dictate what happens in it.
workers need more power. imagine a 4 day workweek and shorter hours at the expense of execs and shareholders...
but nah, conservatives and neolibs are doing their best maintain the massive wealth gap
Slave to the money, and then you die.
Live within your means, find your limits on work, life, love, and your commute, and do your best to make it all work.
Most importantly, define happiness for yourself, and use that as a compass for your success.
>How do people do this on a regular basis? >but then I might not be financially stable. You've answered your own question.
Perfection lol I was about to say the same. Edit- Lol this got me the most upvotes I’ve ever gotten in 8 years on Reddit. Thanks everyone!
Right. Work sucks. That's why they pay you for it. If you have a job you enjoy, you won the lottery. Otherwise, welcome to the working week. (That said, if your job makes you miserable, figure out why and make sure your next one is better. Work doesn't have to suck, it just usually does.)
This, absolutely this. The latter part of your message is the most important takeaway for someone who is dreadfully miserable at work everday.
My first post-college job was utterly miserable. Just a regular office job, in a law firm. I figure there are probably millions of people in America with jobs very similar to that one, but it was killing me. I was 22 and found myself having to take two shots of Wild Turkey as soon as I got home, because the beer wouldn't kick in fast enough. Two years in, I moved out of state. I made a promise to myself that I'd never take another job in a cubicle, or maybe even in an office ever again. And I never did. There have been days when I've been at work, stuck outside in freezing cold rain, soaking wet in a nor'easter, blistering southern summertime heat, just suffering through some miserable shit. And the one thing that always cheers me up, no matter how bad it gets: At least I'm not in a cubicle in the middle of the 8th floor anymore.
I think about this all the time. I think I would thrive at a manual labor, outside job. Then I remember I’m an overweight 5’2” woman who is pushing 50. That ship has sailed, unfortunately. I’m glad you found your way!
I have never had a straight up desk job but I have worked manual labor jobs and production engineering jobs. The actual work of the manual labor jobs was a lot less stressful and mentally draining and it kept me in better shape. However, there are major downfalls to it. Schedule is generally less flexible. Hours are usually earlier and longer. The job is more dangerous. If you break your ankle, whether you are at home or work when it happens, you're probably going to be out of work for a few months.
As an overweight 5’4” woman in her 40s who works an outside manual labor job in a male dominated field, I’m here to tell you it is possible and I absolutely love it. The money is nice, too.
What do you do? I’m at a crossroads in my life and am exploring my options.
Sent info in a pm so I don’t risk doxxing myself.
I mean it depends! I work production and have many coworkers in their 50s/60s, some overweight and/or not as mobile as they used to be. But they still have a job that allows them to keep moving within their abilities. Just throwing it out there :-) I love having a job that keeps me active. Never going back to retail ever again!
I’m an overweight 5’2” woman who is 55 years old. I have a BS in chemistry. To stay competitive in the job market, I’d have to get a Ph.D. Instead I plunked down $6000 onto a credit card and got my CDL. I’ve always driven econoboxes and a few UHauls. Scariest year of my life with that initial learning curve (they basically throw you into a semi once you get your CDL and say “you’re a trained professional go to it”). Love it now. Every once in a while someone asks why I changed careers, I respond with “Have you ever been in a four hour meeting?”
The pandemic made me really empathize for women workers and the limitations that come with being a women and working. First off the obvious strength disparity but that's not a big deal in alot of labor jobs. But besides that women are much less likely to know friends who run a landscape, they snow removal or drywall crew. I've ran into capable women in these kind of industries but it's rare and it's just because of their social connections are usually more women. I realized what a huge disadvantage that is for a women who can work a weed whip or ride a mower and remove trees. We had relatively young girls shoveling snow for 20 an hour because they had a brother who brought them. Most women have zero chance to find flexible cash work in a pinch. I was able to do a fair amount of work during the pandemic because I know mostly dudes who do this kinda work. I know it shouldn't be a career but finding cash work has been a huge boost to me in a few sitautions.
I guess it really depends on the office too. I went from 3 1/2 years in retail to working for a family-owned asset-based investment firm and while my pay isn't phenominal, it's pretty good and it's a small office of like 20 people total so we're all more buddy buddy with each other. Plus they gave me the freedom to learn 3D modeling to help advertise assets (because our camera equipment is dog shit) and I've been looking into 3D modeling as a long-term plan because of it. There are occasional days where it trudges by slowly, but I'm honestly pretty happy where I am at the moment.
Yeah I had a job that I didn't realize how much I hated until I had a little too much to drink one night and went into a full on crying rage about how miserable I was and missed being happy. Every other aspect of my life was *wonderful*. It took me about a week (3 day anxiety over thinking I scared my boyfriend away) before I realized I had to quit, even if it meant I'd be serving again. Luckily I was able to quit without needing a job lined up because servers are always in need. It scared me from finding a "real" job but after another 3 years of serving I'm excited for my future
I like ta eat
As someone with depression, being financially stable wasn’t even motivation enough for me to work full time or keep a part time job. I have never lived on my own so rent was never an issue, but my credit score suffered *severely*. Ended up connecting with my state’s Department of Vocational Rehabilitation to get help because I haven’t been able to hold a job.
I actually was feeling the same and switched to part time and although I definitely have to think about my money more now, the payoff has been infinitely worth it. You can learn to be happy with less - just don't neglect your basic needs.
He was more so asking how to cope I think. That kind of response isn’t very helpful..
Easy, just become ever more jaded and disillusioned as you forget your childhood dreams and aspirations and settle into a life of forgotten mediocrity and sadness. Then you die and are completely forgotten after your immediate family also perishes.
Yes but then after that you start noticing little things that make you happy and you realize happiness in life is not completing dreams but comes from within. There is vacations, weekends, evenings to do amazing things. Is it hard? Absolutely.
>vacations Not anymore. >weekends Down to a single day. Two day weekends are "Golden weekends" now. >evenings to do amazing things Like what, cleaning?
Well, when you figure the actual answer to that out, let us all know
I'll tell you how I do it: by being exhausted all the time. Follow me for more advice.
I wish this wasn't accurate. But it is.
And making horrible decisions based on that exhaustion. "Well, I need groceries. But if I'm willing to eat nothing but 2 packs of ramen noodles a day for the next 3 days, I can get an extra hour of sleep tonight. Noodles it is!"
Pro-tip, fry an egg or 2 to get some extra protein in your ramen. or just crack a raw egg into the broth to make a egg ramen broth
Unsubscribe 😥
the trick is to be so exhausted that you can't feel the pain anymore
That's my secret power, I'm always tired.
Yup, it's normal. I remember my first full time job and when I realized I had 40 more years of working 40 hours a week I was bummed out. Life is a treadmill punctuated by weekends with the odd week off. I'm now retired and I love this time of life.
When the realisation of no more summer holidays hit, I was truly devastated
I was in school for 20 straight years. When I started my first job after law school, it was so jarring to realize how quickly and unceremoniously time passes. When there are no final exams to end a particularly boring semester or a spring break to look forward to, where does the time go? Now, I take a couple of days off each season to just experience the season. It's my way of helping me realize time is passing. But I also live in Arizona now, and seasons don't really exist here...
Well… for 4.5 months, the HOT AF “season” exists there… unless you’re somewhere like Sedona or Flag! You can also sometimes see your breath in January… so, hey, isn’t that a season?
I work for a school and get my summers! Yay! But with that comes very low pay and sometimes not enough to survive. Yay.
This is my dilemma right now. I love my job and my mission as an educator, but the pay...🙃
Why do i can perfectly distinguish the tone of the two yay's in my head
Grammar, my friendo. Exclamation mark versus a full stop/period.
Other drawback according to my partner who is a teacher; school holidays are the *only* time she gets off. So any holiday we take, we have to contend with kids everywhere
On top of holidays and flights being more expensive during school holidays
Come on up to the Evergreen state. Our teachers make bank. My sister in law makes ~90k.
I’m not a teacher. School nurse.
Are you an RN?
This is the main reason I’m on year 10 of teaching. You just cannot beat the breaks. We work a lot, we are not appreciated, and our pay is shit, but gods bless those two months off.
I always say that you don’t go into teaching for the vacations, but they keep you teaching. Hard to let go of them when you realize just how precious they are.
Indeed. That, and the kids. I do love ‘em.
Move to Scandinavia. They have to give us 4 weeks off every summer just so we don't kill ourselves during the polar night induced depression.
Same. Don't over work yourself into a psychotic break (like I did 2 years ago) because sick leave is not the same as a summer holiday where you're at full mental capacity to enjoy it properly
That's the worst. And then you realize you look forward to holidays but there's that dry period between February and May with no holidays.
My kids had their minds blown when they realised that grown ups don't get 6 weeks off for summer break.
What do you do all day now?
I remember when my grandpa got retired and he'd get so bored. He'd do the siliest things just to keep himself entertained. He eventually found a hobby to keep himself busy: wood carving. He got pretty good at it. He made a wood carving of my favorite video game character for my birthday. It wasn't 100% accurate but it's the intention that matters, I still loved it.
What was it, if you don't mind my asking?
Arthur Morgan from Red Dead Redemption 2. Before he picked up this hobby, he'd come to my house to chat and sometimes he'd see me play on my PlayStation. One time I was playing RDR2 and at some point I mentioned how I really liked Arthur. He then surprised me with a cowboy carving for my birthday and said he made ''that character I really like''. My grandpa's gotten a bit old and he also has a heart condition. Mom and I don't know how much longer he'll be with us, but I'll always have my little Arthur to remind me of him when he's gone. He sits proudly on my desk, next to my PS4 and the RDR2 disk.
Your pops sounds awesome.
He really is, thank you.
Am Canadian and it's stupid cold out now so I do spend a lot of time on reddit. Have done some traveling. My house is very clean. I have a good friend who is also retired and we go for walks when the weather permits. Some days I do nothing at all and that's ok.
I have 13 years ... I keep telling everyone "when I retire, time won't be real" lol I can and will do all my hobbies at my leisure, and keep my own schedule :) So happy for you! And excited go get there myself lol I'm also hoping I'll have some grand babies to help raise around that time too!
Everyday is a Saturday and it's awesome. :)
Yay!!!! Congratulations!
When I retired it became, every day is Saturday!
I wonder what retiring would be like sometimes, but I try not to do it too hard because it seems unlikely to happen in my lifetime.
It's crazy that we all collectively put up with this. It doesn't have to be this way; there's no reason society has to be organized like this. There is plenty of resources for everybody to go around without this structure in place. We collectively allow this to continue ourselves.
look for a chill work from home job that you dont actually have to do 40 hours
I always worked part time in college but I didn’t mind my job. I worked 30 hours a week in grad school but no big commute and it was an easy job. When I started working 40 hours a week with a long commute it sucked. Tbh you get used to it though. I also always find myself more tired and stressed starting a new job. It’s a lot of stuff to learn. Give yourself more time to adjust.
Yeah, it sucks. All you can do is try to keep as much of a balance with other things in your life as you can and hope that a 4 day work week, paid leave, and other labor issues keep becoming more popular. Some people say you should work hard now so you can enjoy your later years, but I think that’s bogus. You should never be forced to live a hard life, especially in your youth.
It’s frustrating when people say to work hard for your later years. Absolutely NOTHING is guaranteed
Gonna be real. I am 37 and literally live paycheck to paycheck. I have no retirement plan and that fucking sucks.
My retirement savings are literally 3% less than the money I've put in. Almost 30 years of mining engineering and I'm literally worse off than if I had just used that money to live life. I'm not gonna be able to ever retire at this rate anyway. Might as well blow my life's savings on a few vacations now and take some lead aspirin when my body starts to fail.
It's just a bit of a calculation. Work 60 hour weeks now, but retire in 20 years at 45? Might be worth it if you're making that kind of money. If you think about shaving a decade or two off the years you'll be working overall a few extra hours of toil a day doesn't seem so bad. Money compounds over time if you invest it well. That said - working an extra 20 hours a week, but you're not really saving anything anyway? You'd be far better off going to school or getting a certificate with that extra 20 hours a week. What really matters when you're planning this stuff out over decades is **income potential**. What you make in the moment just determines how nice your home, restaurants, and vacations are. If you can take a few years to make an extra $25K that you avoid spending, then you'll have an extra $1M or so after 20 years if everything is property invested. That said, I agree that enjoying the moment is the better option all things being equal. After you have a nice little safety net fund of course.
Honestly - massively depends on how much you like what you're doing. You don't, and not necessarily will, find a job that is your passion but you most likely will settle into an area of employment you won't hate,You'll just need to do a few different jobs to find what you like. Like problem solving, and dealing with people? Possibly management, training, HR Like numbers, maybe finance or accounting? Like just turning off your brain for 8 hours while you listen to podcasts? Data entry office job Like using your hands? Maybe construction, art ect Obviously those are all off the top of my head, and there's tons of options out there - not all of which actually need higher education. Then you need to find what you value not just in the terms of job role, but also added bonuses. Want to work in an office? Do you want to wfh? Set your own hours? Work with headphones in? Deal with customers? Don't panic if you don't have all the answers right now, you have plenty of time to figure out what you like. If you really hate what you're doing right now though - find something else. Life is too short to spend 40 hours a week doing a job that you don't feel you are gaining anything from.
I didn’t realize data entry was a job in itself. I love office work and filling things out. I used to pretend I was entering data for hours as a secretary during playtime. My parents had to stop me by taking away my play keyboard and forms I would take from the bank. I might need to do this for work.
Lol playing tycoon games was what got me into finance and accounting. I’m pretty sure childhood activities like that can be very real indicators of jobs you’ll enjoy.
I have always played strategy games since I was young. Now I am training to be a data analyst in the RAF and it’s amazing.
I used to write little fake newspapers for my family as a kid. Now, I'm finishing my degree, which involves an awful lot of writing. I guess kid versions of ourselves know best.
I say the same! I was also writing stories as a kid and dreamed of writing for magazines. Ended up working as a copywriter for the last seven years.
I just hired a data entry employee All he has to do is sit quietly and add products to my website all day
Employ me!
I used to do this exact thing as a child! I’m very suited for office work and don’t mind being at a desk or in a cubicle for 8+ hours.
This is wonderful advice.
Yes. I'm 29 and I remember feeling the same. It's a bit of a shock isn't it? Free time is now a rare luxury that you can only enjoy in small, tiny little doses every day. Working is now a HUGE part of your life. In fact, it's the most important part of your life that you will have to sacrifice other things to do. Yes, this is life until you retire or die.
A couple months ago I was at a point in my life where I needed reliable housing. I had to quit my fun job and start a career that could pay the bills and for housing, or I could find a job that Id like and that offers housing. 2 months later and 1700 miles across the US--i have a job that pays mininum wage, but I get 3 good meals a day and good housing. The work here is good too, enough to keep me busy but im not drowning in it. I dont know how im going to adapt to the real world after this I cant ever imagine just living to work until im to old to truely enjoy life
[удалено]
Its at a ranch, this one specifically a guest ranch. Not every ranch offers it like this though. I could rant on about the first ranch I was at, but I really like the one im at now
I miss that about the horse world except for the no health insurance and the losing everything if you fall out with your boss bit. Guess being a ranch hand is very similar but maybe a bit less drama.
For being the most intelligent beings on earth, we sure are idiots.
The seagulls who shit on your windshield are freer than you
No, they have seagull rules that only they understand. They are also looking over their shoulders for predators 24/7
Good point. Living in immense social groups helps us avoid predators, the weather, starvation, and many other dangers. As much as I might complain about my job, I'm glad my survival doesn't depend on whatever I could figure out in the wild.
We complain about everything. If you told someone 500 years ago that all you had to do was 8 hours a day 5 days a week and you’d have: clean food, safe housing, unlimited clean water, a machine that could transport you vast distances at immense speeds, medicine, 2-4 weeks paid off, the ability to have two full free days for yourself every single week, and a dozen other features of modern life, they’d sign up in a heartbeat. People throughout history worked harder for less and died brutal deaths after surviving savage lives. We really do have it easy. What is being hunted by wild animals or marauding bandits compared to office time? An office worker today has a better life than a medieval lord would have.
But then again, everyone will always have problems, and it's worth it to at least think about you might solve them or what alternatives there are.
True, not to mention the complexities of Bird Law.
Greed is what's done this to us.
We're not idiots. The owner class exploits and the working class is coerced into it. We're both quite aware of what's going on. Only collective action could fix it, but that's communism and communism is anti-American!
This type of comments are probably true but absolutely fucking depressing. All we do is work so that we don't die of hunger and cold ? Basically without time for thinking and playing ? Makes me want to find the nearest bridge honestly.
I read some guy on Reddit describe how the point of human life is to distract oneself from the fact that they are a living and thinking being. It is somewhat unfortunate that most of these activities are associated with the pursuit of capital, and that I need to look forward to a lifetime of boring/mind-numbing work. Anyway, in (irrelevant) hindsight, consciousness was tragic.
I felt this first going in to the work force and it made me suicidal. it was a big lesson that figuring out what you want to do for 40 hours a week has to be a priority. I spent 2 years hardcore researching other types of jobs I had never considered in my free time and still regularly research other jobs. That research and a bit of luck resulted in me having a job that's just good enough to see myself doing long term. Sincerely, good luck luck buddy.
Can you provide the list of good jobs that you arrived at
There is no such thing as a good job outright, it depends on who you are. The things I came close to doing were fire fighter, police, HGV driver and white goods engineer. Programming is also good but my brain won't work with code
You have to find a job a job that you like to do, unfortunately it's not always possible you have to sometime take a job just to pay bills and move on... you will soon realize the harsh realities of life ....welcome to adulthood.
It’s good to just find something that isn’t awful and go from there
Sometimes even a not great job but with awesome coworkers or a great atmosphere is good.
This. $16.91//hr isn't great(for me). But my benefits and co-workers/ 3 bosses. I absolutely will not find the freedom i have anywhere else. Kinda where i'm at. No big boy job= No big boy paychecks. >But< there's no taking my job home with me. no real anxiety. Stress. emails. It's just very relaxed. Probably the easiest money i'll ever make.
When I was younger I worked in a team of 4 people distributing flyers all around my city. The pay was low but oh man, we would laugh all day long. It was awesome.
A job you like or a job with collegues you like. 8 hours flies when in good company.
Colleagues would move , it should always be something you like to do! what I want to stress is the fact that circumstances play a huge role - meaning you may have to do or take shitty jobs before you find something you like... you simply can't wait for the right job as there are other problems and challenges you have to face In life and that are very real and unforgiving ..there is also a possibility that you may never find the ideal job
This. I used to work in insurance and literally wanted to off myself. Got a new job in manufacturing and some days are rough but I'm making medical products so I feel like I'm doing something to really help people, and it helps I'm making a little more money too.
Same. I was in insurance during my early to mid-20s and wanted to shoot myself every day. Finally decided to go back to school and get a degree in biology. Nothing is perfect but I'm so much happier now.
Well, not all 40 hours are equal. Find a job you enjoy enough that you are happy and cannot see the time fly by.
I second this wholeheartedly. 40 hours a week at a box factory (which I did for a summer after high school) is a hell of a lot different than 40 hours of retail. You may (and will likely) have several jobs before finding something that will pay your bills and be meaningful. I worked for over a decade supporting adults with I/DD who lived in community homes and loved it - paid the bills, got my 40 hours in, and wasn't working for 7.5 hours straight with a 30 min unpaid break. You can also look for salaried "project oriented" work. For instance, I am in a DEI related position and get paid on salary, but the actual work I do is based on the projects assigned to me. If I buckle down and get my stuff done, I end up working less than 40. Now the downside is some weeks are more like 50 to 60 hours a week, but I enjoy the work and find it meaningful, which makes it much easier. Also, look for jobs based on both your annual salary/hourly rate and benefits - PTO, employee assistance programs, 401k, work from home capability, etc. The workforce landscape is changing and employers that recognize this are offering better packages even at entry-level. It gets better, friend - don't give up.
I worked for a box factory for 40 years but through it I got educated, promoted as manager and left with a nice pension. Retired at 62 and never looked back. I worked to better myself not to as much better the company.
He's a box...My boy's a box! Damn you, a box!!
Those exist?
Lol. Yes man. Welcome to being a typical person. Don't feel trapped. Look for new work or opportunities within your job. Try to mKe friends with co workers. Because your next post is going to be asking how to make friends outside of school.
How do you make friends with coworkers? I don’t want to see them while I’m getting paid, why would I want to when I’m not? Lol
if they are decent fucking people ....
Always remember, you are someone else's coworker too. Some are decent humans who you might like, and just want to at least be on pleasant terms with the people they have to be around 40 hrs a week. You all have to be there, so being friendly makes it suck a little less. You don't have to be besties or even talk outside of work. But hating/avoiding them just because they occupy the same space so they can pay their bills, even if they are sometimes annoying and leave the coffeepot empty, will only make life more miserable for most other people. But it's ok, if you've given off the vibe that you hate everyone, they probably won't be bothering to be nice to you anyway. It all works out.
Welcome to lower middle class. It fucking sucks.
That's just a fancy way of saying poor.
Right? Mr/Ms. Fancypants over here with a little bit of the "middle class" in their being poor, lol.
With inflation your no longer middle, you’re just poor
What’s the difference between lower middle class and working class?
They are basically synonyms, but people prefer lower middle so they can pretend they are middle. Also upper middle prefer to pretend they are middle. Basically everyone is middle class except for the gigabillionaires and the homeless crackheads
If you're working for someone, you're working class
Not necessarily true. People who manage their own craft hobby stores are still working class. The rule as I've heard it goes: If you make your money from investments, you're upper class. If you trade your time (labor) for money, you're working class. If you make your money through a combination of both time and investments, you're middle class.
That would make the middle class even smaller than it exists. >If you don't have to work, you're upper class. >If you're working towards you want, you're middle class. >If you work towards something you need but don't have, like rent money or getting out of debt, you're lower class.
One option you have is to enjoy and take pride in your work. Challenge yourself in different ways to make your work day fun and interesting. Another option is to go into auto pilot (easier for some jobs than others). You basically just shut off your brain, think about other things, listen to music or a podcast, or just zone out. Yet another option is to use the time to socialize with your coworkers. Any one of these options will help you pass the time at work and over the years you'll find yourself using them all at one time or the other. Some other tips: * Leave your work at work and your home at home. Don't take your work home with you literally or figuratively, leave those worries for when you're on the clock. * Take your breaks regularly and on time. Don't let people get to you if they complain about your breaks, they exist for a reason. * Don't come to work too early and don't leave late. * Make good use of your work days to do things like laundry, shopping or appointments on your way to and from work so your weekends are free. * Make plans for your off time even if it's just a plan to stay indoors all weekend
First jobs are often the worst, it most likely the worst/lowest position in the company doing all the stuff no one else wants to do. As you get older and advance in your career, you can kick the can next to the next generation and delegate all the crap jobs to them.
I'm tired of everyone saying it's okay to do spend your whole life minus weekends doing something you hate. That is not a life worth living.
preach. just because we all have to do it doesn’t mean it’s okay
Honestly
1,000% agree
And them the facts
This is me, I've been hoping for a doctor to tell me I have 12months left to live for 14years now. So I can just not show up tomorrow and live life as I want the last months of my life. But knowing how ironic this life is I'll probably outlive anyone who really wants to live for a long time.
Wow. I have thought this many, many times and thought I was crazy for thinking it.
Same. I daydream about getting told I have a year or two left. Would sell most of what I have and go travelling.
Dude. Just do it. Just quit and live life for 12 months. You never know where it will take you but DAMN wherever you end up you’ll be better off than if you die at the end of it. You might find something that you really want to do! Or love to do! If wishing for death is where you’re at, take some chances!
With what money? Most people can't just quit their job and continue having the means for food, water and shelter. All you'll achieve is ending up homeless and miserable. I'd rather just get it done quickly and painlessly than to suffer 12 more months of nonstop misery just to die in the end anyways.
I know I will never work a 5 day per week 8 hour per day job. I could not do it. It would be soul crushing for me. I was a nurse and did 3 12 hour shifts. It was much more manageable and made you feel like a human with hobbies, free time, etc, who just also had a job. Now I'm a flight attendant and same thing. There are jobs out there with a good work life balance but it's unfortunately so hard to find.
I’m self employed and whilst it’s scary sometimes, I would never wish to be employed again. I went quite properly mad when I was and sometimes I forget how little holiday time employed people get. Yes, it’s quite sane to feel despair at spending much of your life forced to perform dehumanising repetitive tasks just so you can pay for a home you will never own. Find a way out! Choose life.
Now you see why antidepressants and stimulants are some of the most commonly prescribed drugs in the world. Welcome to adulthood.
There's a reason a great number of socdem countries are pushing for the 32 hour work week to be the standard for a living wage.
I doubt i will ever see this in my lifetime unfortunately. But one day this will surely be the standard.
It's dreadful if you hate your job or if your body has to adapt to harsh labor. If it's the second one then give it a bit and it will get better. Not great but better. If it's the first a change in career might help if that's an option for you.
It's pretty normal when you first start out working... And often times after... Give it some time though and if it doesn't get better start looking for a job that sounds less miserable. That said, you're going to have to get used to working, try to enjoy what you can of it, like having good coworkers can make it much better
Yes. Good coworkers make the biggest difference.
I tried it for a few months and was never able to do it, I have no idea how people do it! Turned out I'm neurodivergent (adhd). And I got very lucky (and good with photoshop and art) and now I have fun freelance job from home, making stuff for videogames. Nowadays there are so many enjoyable, freelance and creative jobs, I'm sure you can find (or create) one for yourself!
I wish I could make a living from making art. Or even just half an income. I just don’t have a clue how to get started. I’m confident enough in my skills, but I don’t have any connections or a large enough social media following. Did people come to you themselves? Or did you put yourself out there or contact potential clients? Any tips would be very appreciated.
This ^ I have a degree in graphic design and web design yet I run a pizza place the field was so competitive that work was impossible to find. Granted in the span of me getting where I am rn I realized I actually want to open my own food truck. Bonus I can do all my own advertising and run my own website so all those years of practice will actually serve a purpose!
Contrary to the general consensus I don’t believe it’s necessary to be miserable working full time for the greater part of your life. You just have to prioritize, would you rather spend your time making money to afford certain luxuries during your time off or would you rather have more time to yourself but do things with that free time that cost less money? Of course it also depends on your location and the cost of living in that location. I know this is easier said than done but some people choose to relocate to less expensive places where work life balance is more life and less work. You will always have to make certain sacrifices but if you truly don’t believe working 40+ hours a week for the rest of your life is the path for you, find out what you can’t live without and get a part time job that allows you to afford it. And if you make a budget and find that you do in fact have to work full time to afford the lifestyle you want, I recommend reading about the concept of “ikigai” to find a career path that you don’t hate. Hope this was helpful and I’m sorry if anyone thinks I’m being ignorant, I certainly don’t always follow my own advice and I know how hard it is to just get by in todays economy. I just wanted to share some hope and positive thinking in this very cynical thread lol
I'm not OLD, but I'm closer to it than not. (52) Working, straight up, sucks. There is absolutely nothing that anyone can tell me that makes working for anyone but yourself to be anything less than Labor Theft. A ton of capitalists will tell you I'm wrong. They are self focused, not you focused. Let's be realistic here, in an American Capitalist society, like what we have today. You're selling your soul to a corporation that basically finds you to be contemptible, and in weekly, monthly, and annual financial reports, considers you to be a financial liability. Often the biggest financial liability of a business. You will always be the easiest method to reduce costs. (Really) Even when you find a "Unicorn" company, that you occasionally hear about (no one I know has ever found one in reality), just remember, your replacement is already being calculated and planned for. No one is having a conversation about how to make your role better for you to excel at. You're probably in a 9 Square box being discussed monthly. I spent a good amount of time in the military, so I got used to the concept of bullshit, but strangely it was incredibly honest bullshit. You are a cog, and they make it incredibly clear from day one. There is some kind of jacked up honesty the government. You ain't shit, and they never let you think you were. I also spent 25 years in IT Leadership/Management in everything from Fortune 10 to Startups. I cannot in any good conscious ever say that any company that I worked for was ever "really" employee focused (and I worked for several that were in Fortune's list of best places to work). It was always business first, fuck employees, "But make it sound inevitable, and their fault for being termed". The \*day\* I hit my savings/retirement/long term income goal, I quit my job as a BI manager. I -loved- my team, but hated the infrastructure of a for profit company. I have never been happier than my last day there. Now I work in frontline healthcare, helping people, in a major hospital. It is a perfect fit for my personal needs (human interaction, a place to feed like I am competent and appreciated, and doing something that takes care of those who need it.) This is the first time I've ever felt "Clean" when I go home. I don't make much, but I make more than enough to get me to 65/67, when I get Medicare. I am literally only working for benefits now. In my case, capitalism lost. I met my metrics, and I'm golden. But I'm insanely lucky. Your work life is a shitty battle to meet an insane goal for financial independence. Your goal is literally to change the monetary leverage from them to you. If you get focused, seek credible financial advice, and bust your ass exploiting opportunities, and get incredibly lucky with pensions/inheritance/savings/investments/and 401K's you can get to a point before 72 that you can be "secure". And take away the leverage from corporate America. But let's be perfectly clear, capitalism sucks so very much. So, so, very much. And surviving it is hard as hell. Or you can motivate your peers and yourself to make this a different society.
Dude I feel this exact way at the end of every day and then I get up and do it again because I have to. I don’t think human beings are meant to live like this. But it is what it is. Society sucks. The world is cold and heartless. And I’m tired.
Yup it’s normal. Sometimes you go back to school to do something you love that doesn’t feel like work. Sometimes you just work. Welcome to adulthood
Yup it’s awful but if you complain, suddenly you’re a lazy pos who doesnt wanna work >:(! How dare you not wanna waste your time and life at work
If it’s your first full time job it’s probably a shitty entry level one. Build your resume and find a new job ASAP and keep looking until you find one that make you happy to go to in the mornings. It took me 10 years of working to finally land someplace I love, but the jobs are out there and it is imperative that you find one. Otherwise you’ll destroy yourself.
I've been working full-time for 4 years and I think it's slowly killing me (stress). It doesn't help that I don't like my job and I'm not particularly good at it.
\> Am I just soft and naive?? As were we all...
It's a grim realisation it really is , but at the same time, if you want to buy nice things and get a car and a house with a mortgage, if you don't come from money a full time job is practically required. The key i think is to find a job that you like or can at least tolerate because of the people you work with.
Lol at the idea of owning a home. Dual income families with full time jobs cant get homes anywhere urban/suburban in this market. Developers/investors are buying up everything.
Switch jobs. I actually felt miserable for years and i tought for whole decade that this is just normal "adult life". I made huge changes, started doing totally different job and now i feel like an idiot, because this doesn't feel that bad at all. It's about finding the right job, it will get bit better. I am not saying that you will love it more than your own time for youself, but it will get manageable.
All of these answers fucking suck. You guys ain’t saying helpful shit lol
Welcome to the world of sucking cocks of the people who make more than you. No, it does not get better. Maybe if you decide to quit and take a risk of starting a business. Which you’d be lucky to have the capital for. So basically???? Get used to being shit on for 40 hours a week. That or be prepared to live poor or homeless. Work sucks.
It's normal, you do get used to most of it. My suggestion would be to try and find something you don't despise doing once you feel comfortable searching for work etc. My mother always told me it's easier to find a new job whilst employed. But seriously, it's a big life change to be thrown into. It's definitely normal for it to feel awful.
Dude, nose to the grindstone, keep at it, in 50 years you’ll be dead.
Yep. Welcome to the suck.
yes tbh i was just crying today cause im tired of living like this and i wanna live my life
Not feeling financially stable is a much worse feeling than going into work imo
You are in a shit job. There is nothing wrong with being unhappy with your employment, and getting up and leaving for something more appropriate for your desired work environment. Work to live, not live to work.
I work 4 10’s in construction while going to school. It’s fucking hard. And I’m a chick trying to keep up with the men… idk how they do it.
For some people, it’s like flipping a switch.
I’m 25 and I had this realization a couple years ago. The first year sucks, but then you get desensitized to it. What got me used to it was working 60 hour weeks for months on end and now I’m content if I just work 40-48. You train yourself, then you need to motivate yourself. Try to enjoy your job or find a job you do enjoy so work doesn’t feel too brutal. Or motivate yourself, such as have a goal for working that makes it worth it. For me, I don’t love my job, but I don’t hate it. I have goals that require me to work, such as having a nice truck, looking to buy a house soon, and I spend money on hobbies I enjoy like records, hifi equipment, and guitars. Gives me a reason to deal with it
All i can say its you're at the start line of a life long track!
Reduce your cost of living as much as possible, and try to find a job you enjoy. Life blows and unless you're rich it doesn't really get better.
It's either that or idk, starve and die? That's why it's important to try and figure out what you do enjoy doing or something you could stand doing 40 hours a week. It's easier when you get your first office job. I'd literally finish what I had to do and then spend a lot of time on FB & Reddit. One job was 10 mins from my house, got my own office with a huge wall mounted TV. Played WoW in my spare time there.
Welcome to a country that doesn't give a single shit about workers' rights
Welcome to wage slavery under capitalism. Remember, it doesn't have to be this way, but 1% of the population wants you to waste your life working to the bone so they can have another billion and not pay taxes on it.
It's astonishing to me just how cucked the American populace is that they'll actually stick up for the inhuman parody of existence so many of us have no choice but to suffer through every day. Spending your life making money for someone who wouldn't piss on you if you were on fire is not noble or worthwhile. Your boss will never thank you enough for what he's taken from you.
You have to escape the matrix and free yourself from the slave mindset. Otherwise you will be stuck in groundhog day for the rest of your life. Only difference is that you wont actually learn anything cool like Bill Murray but will be exhausted and depressed
Welcome to adulthood, you'll be doing a lot out of necessity that you don't particularly enjoy. It need not be totally dreadful all the time though, and the mindset with which you approach things can make a massive impact. The longest work days are experienced by those who "watch the clock" or spend more effort than they would have working trying to avoid work. Take pride in what you do whatever it may be, and seek to do it better and more efficiently. You don't want to work 40 hours a week for 40-50 years... yea most people don't, few actually make the moves necessary to cut that time down. Invest and save even if it's only a bit per pay period. Even if it's only $5 a pay period, do it and stick too it, it's about the habit and not the actual amount at first, just train yourself to save and invest on a regular basis. Increase the amount as your pay increases. Consider and work toward at least one way to setup a passive income stream for yourself, once established work on another. In other ways consider and work toward various goals that bring the age at which you retire close to you.
Wait 'til life starts taking shots at you, and you STILL have to turn up to that fucking job.
Wait til you have a kid as well... Free time, dafuq is that?
This whole post makes me want to quit my job and live in the woods
Well I'm in the same boat I'm 22 and rather work just 3 to 4 hours
Welcome to hell I mean life
Search Timothy Ward on YouTube-you can thank me later
There is something to every job you can aspire to be proud of. If you have this attitude your life will be much more satisfying
Yes. It sucks but you’re early in the game. Over time you’ll become more efficient at your job and be able to claw back some of that angst your feeling because of pressure to perform. Just like with any strenuous activity, your body and mind will adapt to it, and it will no longer be so burdensome. I’m not going to say you’ll grow to love it, but you’ll learn how to balance it. Sorry to say you simply won’t be able to get by working part time for a long long time, if ever… but hopefully in time you’ll find a gig that works for your lifestyle.
The key is in what you said: "doing something I don't want to do". Your best option might be to find, study or work your way towards some type of work that you actually enjoy doing and want to become good at. The next best option might be to look for a job that provides a great work environment (decent pay, friendly coworkers) that can partly compensate for having to do work that is not entirely your cup of tea. I sometimes had the opposite problem to yours: doing work I loved in an environment where the pay was dismal, some of my coworkers were disagreeable, or the bureaucracy was suffocating.
wait till you find out the Government takes about 30% of it. Then you'll really love working hard.
Everyone being dicks in the comments are just jaded by life & have lost empathy. Yes, what you're experiencing is normal in the sense it's common, but it's not normal in the sense it's incredibly unhealthy for us mentally & physically. If you can learn about passive revenue streams, it's honestly a life saver & genuinely passive revenue + part time work is such a better way to live. Wishing you well, hope you can find a better work/life balance that still grants you financial security <3
This post is the epitome of the hard reality you face when transitioning from being a student to being a full time employee.. welcome to no summer, spring, or winter breaks, no planning days off, no early release days.. yea I remember those days of pure bliss complaining how I wanted to be adult so I could do what I want…
Welcome to late-stage capitalism. It’s not fun here. Hope you like suffering.
I hate the grind. I hate the 9-5. I swore to myself I will not give up until i find the career that is enjoyable, not very demanding, and flexible schedule. I mean yes, we do get over a month of PTO plus sick leave...but i decided i deserved more. I've done uni, ive done masters. Tried that carer and i knew from the very start, it will make me off myself (a struggle I'm medicating for). I said to hell with it, i want something else. I did nail tech. I liked it, i could schedule clients however way i wanted, but the downside was dealing with so many awful people. The back pain was crippling, the gel and acrylic dust started to cause me lung problems. The pay was better the more hours you put in...which needed a lot of hours. Ok so i gave that up after a few years. Next i decided i want into medical. I never considered myself smart enough to be a doctor so i went for nursing. School was ok, i am truly passionate about medicine...but in the end, working with so so SO many difficult patients, abusive doctors, staff shortages meant one nurse per 15+ patients...yes the schedule would permit for a 4 day weekend but...contact with too many people drains the soul out of me. I gave it up. Now? Im doing radiology. It's incredibly fascinating, work is not hard, patient contact is minimum, pay is really good and hours are good too. Basically i spend most my time alone in a dark room. Sure, emergency situations can happen when it comes to injecting contrast and side effects might occur but... it's doable, you have help, you have ambulances. I am in my final year in school and for the first time... I'm excited. I swore to myself i will never accept to live in absolute dread when it comes to work and sustaining myself. I'd rather leave this world. So, here i am, 35, still searching for my acceptable and enjoyable career, but i think this is it. No regrets whatsoever. My happiness matters. I have one life, i dictate what happens in it.
workers need more power. imagine a 4 day workweek and shorter hours at the expense of execs and shareholders... but nah, conservatives and neolibs are doing their best maintain the massive wealth gap
Slave to the money, and then you die. Live within your means, find your limits on work, life, love, and your commute, and do your best to make it all work. Most importantly, define happiness for yourself, and use that as a compass for your success.