Question about the hours you work.

bulb66

bulb66

bulb66

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So this is something I've been thinking about recently (New year ahead sort of thing)

So I do not work full time (32hrs currently) I work nights and in a retail environment. I'm finding it less and less enjoyable, well the work and the company but not the people I work with they are great but it's not enough for me.

I don't think a new job is an option as I suffer from anxiety and depression and just the thought of it makes my feel sick. Instead I'd like to find a better work/life balance.

So my question really is, as long as I earn enough money to live on (which isn't much I live at home and don't have many outgoings) does not working full time matter? I mean I guess a lot of people on here work full time earn a good wage in perpetration for retirement. But all I want is to be happy, buy thing if I need them and enjoy life.

What are your thoughts people?

Thanks,

James.
 
Quite simply, it's your life and life is about living not working. If you're happy, you're happy what does it matter? The only thing I would be worried about is retirement and progression but only you can decide if those are worthy things.
 
I'm not exactly sure what you're asking.
You don't want to change your job. You want a better work/life balance.
Then you ask if it matters that you don't work full time. Of course it doesn't 'matter'.
If getting a better work/life balance means working more or less hours then that's what you should do.

Do you earn enough money to live on at the moment? If so, then getting a better work/life balance may involve reducing your hours. If it doesn't then you need to increase them.

But if you don't enjoy your job but don't want to change it, I really don't know what you're asking!

Your post is a bit confusing really :)
 
Sounds like a post driven by anxiety and depression to me. The want and need to change jobs, but your issues are preventing you from doing so. Are you getting help with it?
 
Feek said:
I'm not exactly sure what you're asking.
You don't want to change your job. You want a better work/life balance.
Then you ask if it matters that you don't work full time. Of course it doesn't 'matter'.
If getting a better work/life balance means working more or less hours then that's what you should do.

Do you earn enough money to live on at the moment? If so, then getting a better work/life balance may involve reducing your hours. If it doesn't then you need to increase them.

But if you don't enjoy your job but don't want to change it, I really don't know what you're asking!

Your post is a bit confusing really :)
Click to expand...

The way I understood the OP is, he's currently got a job that produces a sufficient salary for his current needs. However, he doesn't currently enjoy it due to the environment but he feels that if he was to get a better work/life balance (not sure how without reducing hours) he would be happy - Due to this he can't work full time, does it matter?
 
Work on getting a better grip on the anxiety/depression if you can, most people are anxious at the thought of changing jobs but you'll settle in just fine if it's something you enjoy.
 
Thanks.

So I'll try and clear things up a little, I'm happy being at my current place of work but would like to reduce my hours and have more time for life things (exercising, photography, more time with my retired Dad (doesn't live at home).. etc)

My anxiety/depression has actually been a lot better in recent years due to the settled job, losing weight, more confidence.

I guess I just need to write it down and see how it sounded, you are right if it's what I want I should do it but I'm a worrier, lol.

In reply to Worthy, I've tried counselling on and off but It's not something I've stuck with. What I got from the last time I tried was that I am the only one who can change things and make them better so I guess that's what I'm trying to do?

Thanks, J.
 
bulb66 said:
So this is something I've been thinking about recently (New year ahead sort of thing)

So I do not work full time (32hrs currently) I work nights and in a retail environment. I'm finding it less and less enjoyable, well the work and the company but not the people I work with they are great but it's not enough for me.

I don't think a new job is an option as I suffer from anxiety and depression and just the thought of it makes my feel sick. Instead I'd like to find a better work/life balance.

So my question really is, as long as I earn enough money to live on (which isn't much I live at home and don't have many outgoings) does not working full time matter? I mean I guess a lot of people on here work full time earn a good wage in perpetration for retirement. But all I want is to be happy, buy thing if I need them and enjoy life.

What are your thoughts people?

Thanks,

James.
Click to expand...

Not in a dissimilar place myself - though I don't intend to continue with this indefinitely - my goal at the moment is to simplify and/or organise as much of my life as possible so as to have little "baggage", make sure I have some decent saving behind me then look at new opportunities including things I might not have considered before.

Likewise I'm fortunate that at the moment (and one of the reasons I've stayed in this job longer than I intended) is that I get on well with 99% of the people I work with - which in previous jobs has often not been the case.

One thing that has made a massive difference to my life lately is that I've been in the position to do compressed hours on a Friday and start (very) early so I'm usually done by 10-11am or so - which effectively gives me pretty much a 3 day weekend for all intents and purposes - I'm actually kind of blown away by how much better I feel since starting that. Will be sad if that changes.
 
Mr Badger said:
And the "Question about the hours you work" is?
Click to expand...

Well this thread was meant to be more General Discussion than Careers & Professional Development it got moved.

The question was to you lot, what hours do you work? Does it give you the work/life balance you want?

Sorry I'm not always very clear.

J.
 
I love the way 32hrs isn't considered full time.

Those in their 20's and 30's are the first generation to work longer hours than their forbears - it's a shame.

Before I took VR, I was part time @ 25hrs a week for the last four years at work - great work/life balance with still enough money to do the things I wanted to. When I graduate in July, I'm going to lecture @ 20 hrs a week starting September - that'll do me. Leisure time is way more important to me than money and the trinkets it can buy, although the PGCE and Masters I'll be embarking on might throw the work/life balance out a little - but that's still a hobby really rather than real work.
 
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I work a reasonable amount of hours (37.5 contracted but often I'll do 50+) - but I enjoy it enormously and I'm sometimes late home because I get so engrossed in it. The only thing I'd change is the commute (90 mins each way), but even then that would cut into the amount of free-time I'd have to do reading, etc.

The trick is to find a job that isn't "work", rather it's something that you'd be doing in your own time irrespective of whether or not you are paid for doing it.

Far, far easier said than done, but that's got to be the goal, surely?

..."exercising, photography" you mention, have you thought about trying to turn one of those (or any of your other hobbies) into something that pays?
 
Ayahuasca said:
There's people who'll have you believe you're not full time unless you're wage slaving away at 60hrs a week.
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I work 48 hour (4 days) shift patterns, but then I do get 4 days off for it.

It works for me, because of the time off though so my work is condensed. It just means I lose 4 days without any time for anything else sadly.
 
Probably about 80 a week at least.... but I'm a grad student and so most of it is when and where I chose to work. So far I've had Christmas day and NYE off... though still worked a little bit on those days. Last week of term did get a bit stressful, was getting an uber back from the library at 2am every night. But unlike grinding away in an office I'm doing something I'm very interested in and hope will lead to a change of career. When I go back to actual work I'd hope to be doing no more than 50 a week (unless I end up at a startup with a decent chunk of equity).
 
People on a decent salary often work long hours too, especially if they've got additional managerial/leadership responsibilities. Some top surgeon/consultant might well be juggling NHS/University and private medical roles. A top solicitor in a city law firm or an accountant at one of the big 4 can be putting in some very long hours too, not to mention investment bankers who seem to work weekends too - mostly writing pitch books and powerpoint presentations while travelling to different EU countries.
 
Work to live rather than live to work. That said you do need to plan for your future rather than just living in the present.

You can request flexible working hours from your employer but if the hours you currently work are integral to the business function or your specific role, if they can justify not granting them there's not a great deal you can do.

40hr week, 7:30-4:30 with a 4PM finish (and shorter lunch break) on a Friday. I'm quite fortunate that it's not often I need be in early/stay later or take work home and have a pleasant 20 minute commute either side.
 
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