I'm just struggling with 'real life'.

coinxoperated

Hi all,

Just a bit of a ponder really!

I have always found balancing my personal life and work life difficult. I seem to have found my jobs in extremely regulated and professional services, which do tend to expect you to work above and beyond anything in your contract. The targets for each project / role are very high as its they are trying to push the business forward and I just struggle so much.

I tend to be given a lot of responsibilities in my jobs, of which I assume they do as I am capable and always achieve the result. But the price for that is my sanity sometimes.

It feels like I'm working all week, spending my weekends thinking about work, and then I'm back there again. I'm also so exhausted by the weekend I don't really want to do anything. Recently turned down a group trip to thorpe park because I just wanted to sleep.

The rest of my life is great, I have a wonderful OH and good friends and a couple of family members who stay in contact reguarly.

I find myself trying to push my career forward as fast as possible, desperately wanting to 'improve' and wanting to earn more money, to just get to the end of a 6 month period of trying hard and feel like I just want to give up.

And the worst thing is: I don't hate my job! I just wish it was more of a 9 to 5 thing rather than something that needs even more hours on it.

The thought of being on a till in Asda talking to people and just scanning through shopping is now a dream. I want to go to work, leave work and leave all work there.

Does anyone else have this problem? Or is it just me? :rotfl:

I'm torn between life-enjoyment and financial stability!

**professor~yaffle**

It's not just you. I envy people who can compartmentalise and I wish I knew their secret!

There are people who work what must be horrendously stressful (but hopefully rewarding!) jobs for long hours and yet they still manage to retain their sanity.

It sounds like emotionally you are giving your all to this job and you need somehow to step back otherwise you will become depleted.

Teacher2b

I'm completely with you- in a profession that like you say requires so much more than is clearly laid out... and often you only realise this after working i the job for a little while. It is very hard getting a balancing act but I'm trying to use the gym as a kind of stress relief/ switching off tool. It's more or less impossible to think about work when i'm concentrating on not falling off a treadmill. Also weirdly think it is increasing my energy levels but you have to push through the barrier first.
Do you make plans for social stuff well in advance? So you have things to look forward to? Is there any way you can lessen the burden in your job and speak to anyone about it?

Chin up