UNITED STATES—Yeah, my work schedule has been chaotic at my day job. This time of year, between November and January is the busiest and craziest. The next three weeks, I literally only have one day off, and that day is Christmas because the company is closed. Yes, I kind of hate this time of year because not only is my work schedule crazy as hell, but I also have to manage other responsibilities that include another job, family, and errands. Yeah, there is only 24 hours in a day, and it never seems like enough time to get all the things you need to get done, actually done.
I know with work, once the week of the New Year concludes, I am going to be burnt out. If I can manage to carve out a single day where I can just sleep and I mean sleep without any interruptions: no calls, no social media, no emails, no messages, it will be the absolute best thing in the world. My sleep pattern is sometimes dictated by how busy or tired I am. The past few days because of my long work shifts usually between 10-12 hours on my feet per day physically moving 85 to 90 percent of the work day leaves your body bruised and beaten.
I have this argument with people sometimes, and I can say a physical job or labor intensive is a bit more difficult than white collar, one where you sit at a desk and on a computer. You’re not exerting as much energy in a seat compared to one that forces you to be on your feet. If you feel otherwise, I’m open to hearing your argument. Yes, mental stress from a job can be difficult, but with a physical job you tend to have to juggle the mental with the physical which happens to be a double whammy.
That doesn’t mean I’m going to react without thinking about how I’m reacting. I might be tired, but that gives me no opportunity to lash out or take my frustration out on others, who are not and who should not be the target of my frustration. You just have to take your work schedule day-by-day. Not saying you need an actual planner, but you have to carve out time for yourself. It sounds selfish and some people are going to be left out, but it is what it is.
You cannot give everyone a piece of your time, even if they want it. You just have to say, look, I’m busy. I’ve got work, I’ve got long hours of work and once I get off, I want some time to myself. Some people are going to be mad at you, but your sanity is at stake here. Take an hour or two to yourself and decompress. Grab a bite to eat, listen to music, sit on the couch, read a book, scroll through social media, turn off the phone, do what you have to do to breathe!
Yes, just breathing sometimes makes all the difference. I try to not check emails whenever I’m not working because it prompts you to deal with something that is going to add to your stress level. We all have those weeks, sometimes months where work is at a stress-high, but remember it will cease at some point, you just have to ensure you don’t allow burnout because you’re doing more than your body and mind can handle.
Written By Jason Jones
