How am I supposed to have time for hobbies if work kills me?

Polarbeary

shortcrust wrote: »

We all need to provide for ourselves one way or another. Don't like being a wage slave? Start your own business and be your own boss. Find your job boring? Develop skills and get experience so you can get a job that stimulates you. People can and do make better lives for themselves, but you have to work at it.

Maybe the day will come when all our needs are met by automation but we're not there yet. Everything we consume is produced by human labour to some extent. Those who want to reap the benefits of the efforts of others without contributing have more in common with the demonised 1% that they'd care to admit to themselves.

All that said, it sounds to me like the OP may be suffering from depression. A trip to the GP would be sensible.

I do agree with you - funny thing is, husband and I are in the top whatever pecentile UK wealth wise - I don't want to give exact figures. We have worked hard and do have many qualifications between us and are fortunate to live a comfortable life but I can't say I'm particularly happy with my career path - even though it pays quite well it's not at all fulfilling.

Have a read of Rise of the Robots - great book.

fairy_lights

Polarbeary wrote: »

Does nobody think that the OP has a point?

Why do we go to work, many of us to do tasks that are largely pointless, whilst the people at the top get richer?

The idea back in the 1960s was what would people do to fill their leisure time with when all the jobs were auromated? Personally, I can think of plenty of other things I would rather do!

Sure, we'd all rather spend less time at work and have more time for our hobbies. And it is unfair that the rich get richer while the rest of us toil away.
But it is how it is, the system isn't going to change any time soon and complaining about how unfair it isn't going to achieve a thing.
If the OP is tired after work, he needs to think about how he can improve his health and fitness so he can cope with a days work a bit better. If he wants more time for guitar practice then he needs to think about how he can structure his free time better.

[Deleted User]

You have to wonder what help there was in the 2 months the OP was seemingly off sick.

Off course a local job is going to pay the bare minimum to a level entry worker. Though I've had interviewer eyes pop out once when they realised I walk so many miles per day before now so you can turn it to your advantage. The only thing I disliked was that you could have a drink of booze each day. Think what that does to the energy levels!

If you had to support yourself - you might well have a change in thought.

I left a 5 year localish job paying £6.42 in 2012 as a 25+. - you probably earn more today OP! I often like to think back and think I'm better of every so often as the years go by.

sacha28

OP will you come back and answer some of the comments from other posters or are you saving that for the one person who agreed with you?

Sorry but, IMO, you have it relativley easy. 0800-1630? God I would love those hours! I work 0800-2030 with a 30 minute car commute each way. I leave home at 0700 and get home at 2100...so a 14 hour day. I have an active job in a relentless department, my back hurts, my feet ache and I have time to eat before I fall into bed (flip this when I'm on nights). Work days I acheive NOTHING personal, days off are much more productive and I do what I like.

I don't feel I'm hard done by, I feel that's life.

bugslet

Polarbeary wrote: »

I do agree with you - funny thing is, husband and I are in the top whatever pecentile UK wealth wise - I don't want to give exact figures. We have worked hard and do have many qualifications between us and are fortunate to live a comfortable life but I can't say I'm particularly happy with my career path - even though it pays quite well it's not at all fulfilling.

Have a read of Rise of the Robots - great book.

Then change your job, find out what your career driver is. I do understand what you say, but the choice is in your hands. I have staff that won't retire because they want to carry on because they enjoy what they do.

In 34 years of work, I once had a job for 9 months that was so few hours. Now I'm down to 55 hours, which is waaaaay less than I have worked. Used to work stuffing containers by hand, 15+ hours were not unusual, hence my feeling of little sympathy for the OP.

Hermia

PasturesNew wrote: »

While I appreciate that you're kn4ckered, tired, worn out, can't be 4rsed.... the reality is that if you have a BURNING DESIRE to do any hobby you'll be floating through your day, dreaming of your hobby time, then hurtling out of the door as you dash to do your thing.

The reality is - while you are kn4ckered etc ... you're not really into your hobbies. You're just interested in them.

True. Many people also find ways to incorporate their hobbies into their working day. I am learning French so have a sheet of French vocab I need to learn stuck on the door of my locker! I also find the people who get really resentful and bogged down at work are also the ones who don't take the opportunity to sit outside at lunch etc. I see that at work. You get a bunch of people who always just sit in the staff room and seethe! The rest of us pop out for a walk or just sit in the sun.

The fact is people who are passionate about their work also had to go through a hard period where they made that happen. My uncle had to work full-time in the early stages of setting up his business. A writer friend wrote his first two novels whilst working full-time because the sales weren't great at first.

Polarbeary

bugslet wrote: »

Then change your job, find out what your career driver is. I do understand what you say, but the choice is in your hands. I have staff that won't retire because they want to carry on because they enjoy what they do.

In 34 years of work, I once had a job for 9 months that was so few hours. Now I'm down to 55 hours, which is waaaaay less than I have worked. Used to work stuffing containers by hand, 15+ hours were not unusual, hence my feeling of little sympathy for the OP.

Yep I do agree. I did look at retraining as a healthcare professional but the £50k student loan that would never be paid off...maybe I'll do an assistant practioner role where you study on the job for a foundation degree instead.

Bogalot

Bmth100 wrote: »

Is your name a BMTH reference by any chance?

Anyway, welcome to life. I do 8 - 5, Mon - Fri. Desk based, albeit on 30k, but still feel the way you do (life is too short to work). I get through it by posting work related memes in a group chat with fellow work-lamenting colleagues

In the absence of being allowed to post links, my particular favourite today was Jim Carrey holding up 7 fingers in the Movie Bruce Almighty, with "I counted the hours I Am Wasting Doing Nothing At Work"��

I hate to be a spoilsport but please be careful doing this. The number of people that are dismissed through what they see as harmless banter between colleagues keeps on growing, people are not learning from the mistakes of others. All it takes is one person to take offence and report you.

AndyBSG

Thatsthespirit wrote: »

So unfair.. I work 800-430 this week for minimum wage. On my feet all day. Have to walk and just got back I'm so aching I can't do anything like I used to do like work out and go for a run. Can't even carry on learning the guitar. Work sucked it out of me and all I get is minimum wage. Barely get any money for myself after the bills. What's worse is I'm on shifts next month. They suggest overtime but thats just taking the biscuit! Just work then watch tele for the rest of my life.. whats the point in workin if I aint got the energy to be fit and play in a band?
Tempted to just go back to bein on the doll tbh. How do people do it

Who said anywhere that life had to be fair?

I spent the best part of two years working 50 hour weeks in a back breaking manual job for only just above NMW.

During that two years I had almost zero social or leisure time because I chose to spend my weekends studying and completing qualifications.

End result of getting on with it, giving up all my free time to work and study and not whining about it? After two years I managed to use my new qualifications to get a much easier, better paid and shorter working hours job that paid more.

The amount of effort you put into things is invariably linked to the amount of reward you get out....

duchy

There are 168 hours in a week deduct 40 working hours that's 128 deduct two hours a day for traveling that leaves 118 hours - sleep the adult average is 7 so deduct 49 that leaves 69 hours a week for leisure .......so why can't you find time for hobbies ?

Starting a new job is always exhausting , new form of activity , the effort in having to deal with new routines and different pressures, different levels of physical activity-0 you will adjust