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.
20 years in - you’ll get used to it. Change your employer and find a job that not only pays your bills, but also somewhat fulfills you. Else you’ll definitely burn youself out. Find that niche of yours until you’re 35 and then stay with it.
Then, those 8 hours a day won’t feel too difficult and you’ll be like, “eh, weekend’s ahead, lets find love in life”. Because ultimately life is about happinesd. If you need to give up way too much time to enjoy life, your job is inefficient at giving you the needs to get happy. So switch your employer or your professsion. Heck I’ve seen student colleagues giving up studying and going for machining. Always smiles with his dirty fingers about how fun things are now for him.
So yeah, it’s not all about money, it’s about happiness.
Just stay clear of any form of drugs (including cigarettes, alcohol and sugar). The big problem with drugs is they literally make you happy by stealing your future happiness. You pay that credit back with future happiness and the interests on that credit are insane.
Go on a sugar detox for 30 days just by cutting out sugary drinks like soda or sweet tea. When you go back to drinking it you’ll be chocked at how sweet it tastes now. You’ve just become desensitized to the 38-45g of sugar in a 12oz. The major benefit is you just feel better. Sugar is totally a drug.
Calm down tiger, who’s judging here? Just stating facts. I drink alcohol from time to time but I also realize I feel better when I don’t regularly.
