HELP: I have two jobs but totally depressed

bot-bot

Hi,

I hope people on here can shed some light on my situation. I work two part time jobs, one Mon, Tues and Wed during the day and the other Mon - Fri night. I have been doing this for close to 4 months.

Between the 2 jobs I do close to 50 hours a week. This means that from Monday to Thursday 6pm, I am either working or sleeping and as such I feel it has finally taken it out of me.

I regularly feel 'run down' and as such keep plodding along but over the weekend I have had been in bed ill, went to doctor and I have a virus, says it is most likely being brought on from the hours I am doing, and my body if trying to tell me it cant keep doing it.

Now I know 50ish hours is more than most, but people do OT and as such they too may work 50 hours, but I think its the way my hours are all in one part of the week, that it is affecting me.

I regularly wake up during sleeping, dreading going to work, when at work, feel low, demotivated and when off cant stop thinking about how many hours it is until I have to go back to work. I feel it has gone on long enough, and its not just 'dreading' work its more than that.

I have always worked, and worked hard but feel this is getting the better of me, physically and probably for a while mentally.

I got my second job as I needed to 'top-up' my first part time job wages but earn more than I need to, but I am using the extra money to pay off debts, only 1000 to go.

My second job contract is for 20 hours and as such i cannot drop/change the shift pattern, and my first job I am needed for Mon - Wed and as such I cannot change the days. With my second job I can look at a shift change after 6 motnhs, which is just over two months away, but I am worried I will not get to that point.

The doctor offered me some anti-depressants, which I do not want to take, but perphaps I should take them?

I want to know if it is possible to go off sick for a few weeks, give me time to myself, time to recuperate, and by then I could change my second job shift changed.

Is it possible to go on sick with one of my jobs and still work the other one, or do I need to go off both of them, as I feel it is the hours of the second job that are the cause of this.


Im sorry this is so long and thanks for those with advise

Catty212

I work anywhere between 48 - 80 hours a week at the moment, and I am also studying. I think different people have different tolerances to tiredness. I am usually quite shattered but my body is used to work long long days now, so I can cope with sleeping 4 - 5 hours a night.

Have you tried to find a job with more money? Maybe one job which will take your income up? If you have holidays left, why not take a week off and make a big effort to go job hunting? Have a good sleep each day then spend the rest online looking for jobs, printing CV off etc?

poker_face

Personally I was offered anti depressants before and chose not to take them, and in the long run I was happier having made that decision. But there is nothing wrong with needing a little help. Perhaps you could get your doctor to sign you off for a week or so for exhaustion? I work several jobs but enjoy it, I get bored when I have time off lol

Catty212

If you're off sick from one job you should be off sick from the other. Do you get sick pay from them both?

bot-bot

thanks for the quick responses,

My 'main job' as such is only for three days and as such will try and get a full time job doing this, but thought best to do it, even with three days a week, as useful when applying for full time jobs, to have the experience.

The second job was just to fill some of the void left by my main job being part time, so I could look for a different second job but finding one that works around my main job whilst being able to leave it if needed on short term maybe difficult.

I get sick pay from both, but I feel my main job and the employer would be suffering due to my second job, so would I be able to solely take time off my second job?

Catty212

I think if you're claiming sickness benefits from one job and attending another job it could be considered fraud. I know I was once signed off from my day job and wanted tocarry on with my part time evening job, but was advised against it by the docs, he told me I could get into bother for it. Im sure someone will be a long shortly with the legal side of it.

teabelly

Tell the employer in the second job you need to change your hours or you'll have to quit. Alternatively use some holiday allowance to take time off from both jobs so you can have some rest. Even a whole week off might just help you get through the next few months until you can change your shift patterns.

annie_d

I work 60 - 75 hours a week and like my sleep. The trick is to make sure u reward yourself in your time off. An indulgent bath, a massage, turn your phone off, or if u like being with other people make sure u see them often enough. REWARDS...that's the answer to a lot of hours working.
It wont be forever , it is just for now so suck it up, get on with it while u need to and make sure there is "me" time too. xx

bot-bot

I do relax during my times of as best I can but its just monday to thursday is affecting me, may go and speak to the management, see what can be done

mountainofdebt

I currently have 2 jobs - one monday to friday, fulltime and for 12 hours spread over 4 days of the week and in reality have only saturday where I am not working in one or both of the jobs...I've also been known to do an extra shift when needed.

You don't say how long you've been doing the 2 jobs but I did find it very tiring in the beginning but to be honest I've got the point where if I am sat down doing nothing I start twitching,lol!

What I found helped was to eat properly...may sound blindingly obvious but if you're working all hours then the temption to eat carp is so easy to fallen to but does you no good in the long run.

Also have an early night on the nights that you are not working - don't think you have to stay up just because you're not there the other nights.....there's mostly rubbish on the tv these days anyway.

DCFC79

Im not surprised you've got a virus, id cut your hours down for 1 job or both, i could cope with doing 50 hours but not the pattern you do,