oppressed by work

This comes up a lot here, everything from " im depressed at the thought of working till I am 65" or " depressed and cranky at having to get up on a Monday morning, obsessed by flexi-time and time off, or obsessed with plans to get away from their work colleagues because they annoy them, or they dislike them, feelings of being taken advantage of by their boss or employer.

I like my job and enjoy it a lot, but I dont love it, if I won the lotto they would not see my for dust, but the thing is no one has invented a better system for feeding and clothing your self.

why are there so many people so unhappy with having to work?

TheValeyard

I work because I enjoy food and a roof over my head.

Plumbthedepths

Just taking Boards as an example it seems many are depressed having to work because they consider those on the dole having it so easy, yet for various and vaceous reasons refuse to embrace that idyllic existence.
I enjoy my job and the comaradie of it, plus it's a good wage and affords my family a good lifestyle. On the plus side it is not overly taxing physically and health allowing I should still be capable of working till I'm 68 and beyond if my employer allows.

is_that_so

People are unhappy because they can't see any value in what they do, can't cope with it and continually tell themselves how much they hate it but don't have the courage to change. Hobbies and a life outside can help reset the balance.

_Brian

Plumbthedepths wrote: »

Just taking Boards as an example it seems many are depressed having to work because they consider those on the dole having it so easy, yet for various and vaceous reasons refuse to embrace that idyllic existence.
I enjoy my job and the comaradie of it, plus it's a good wage and affords my family a good lifestyle. On the plus side it is not overly taxing physically and health allowing I should still be capable of working till I'm 68 and beyond if my employer allows.

A friend of mine worked on to 72, a miss in his contract had no stated retirement date so retirement couldn’t be forced on him even though the employer tried.

He says now he regrets not going at 65 when his employer suggested. His wife had taken early retirement when he was 60, he feels now his age is against him enjoying his retirement even though he is very active.

I’ve moved to an easy job, half the wages I was on 15 years ago. It affords me a nice lifestyle without stress nor it impinging on my tome off in any way. I spend 75% of the time working alone which is great, I have a desk in the office but cities there maybe once every two weeks for no more than 30 minutes. I’ve never had tea on the canteen nor heron in the office long enough to use the bathrooms, not once in eleven years !

I’ll work away for a while yet, I chose this work because I felt it wasn’t something I’d be in a rush to retire from. My wife will likely retire early, probably 6-8 years time, I might retire then and we can travel, kids will be through college then and long term plan we have a house each to gift to them as a start.

Work is a means to an end, how you want to live. I worked like a slave when younger and earned as much as I could up front, approaching 50 now I can take the foot off and enjoy my kids as they grow up.

jam_mac_jam

I really don't mind it. It bores me a bit as I have been doing the same thing for too long but that's my own fault for not changing jobs for a few years. I don't hate it the way that most people do. Sometimes I even enjoy it. The value for me is the money that it gives me, the house, paying for college.

It keeps my mind active and nobody is going to pay me for what my real passion is which is reading or taking photos. That doesn't bother me though. They are for relaxing not working.

This whole follow your dream, do what you love really is not possible for most people. Yes a restaurant critic or a travel writer would be a great job but we can't all do those jobs.
There is nothing wrong with doing a job to feed yourself and your family but it seems that you also have to love every minute to be a success.

randomspud

I bought my house 9 years ago in my mid 20s and did everything in my power to clear the mortgage ASAP. Got it finished with earlier this year so my accommodation is sorted for life in my mid 30s.

Saving like mad now and I have really simple tastes so I'm hoping to retire early. I did the crazy spending thing in my early 20s and slowly came to realise that I don't care about the latest technology, the newest car or yearly holidays. I can live on very little and be perfectly happy.

Working is just a means to generate enough money so that I don't have to work any more.

Plumbthedepths

_Brian, whatever works for you. Wife and I still in our 40's. Young parents, sons are in their 20's one a Guard other in college cost was planned for. Mortgage not worth talking about. We go away 3 times a year , both jobs allow flexible holidays.
A part time option exists for both of us when we feel the need to slow down.

jam_mac_jam

randomspud wrote: »

I bought my house 9 years ago in my mid 20s and did everything in my power to clear the mortgage ASAP. Got it finished with earlier this year so my accommodation is sorted for life in my mid 30s.

Saving like mad now and I have really simple tastes so I'm hoping to retire early. I did the crazy spending thing in my early 20s and slowly came to realise that I don't care about the latest technology, the newest car or yearly holidays. I can live on very little and be perfectly happy.

Working is just a means to generate enough money so that I don't have to work any more.

Jesus Christ. well done. House paid off in your 30s.

Salary Negotiator

As Valeyard says I work because I enjoy food and a roof over my head and would pretty much work at anything if the money was decent. I've worked in a few different areas and while it's all been grand and paid the bills there no real job satisfaction. Very little stress either to be fair.

My partner though went back to college at 29 to do a 4 year degree and now bounces out of bed each morning to go to work, absolutely loves her job and it's great to see.

IAMAMORON

I know an industrial psychologist and he has said that one off the biggest killers of working men is retirement. Don't Laugh. Seemingly the first 2 years of a mans(wo) retirement is the most dangerous time for the development of life threatening illnesses and other debilitating ailments. The body once retired from pressures and schedule, begins to shut down essentially.Unless the common stresses it was used to for the previous 40 years are replaced or renewed with new interests, the body simply regresses. It can be fatal. A lot of people are dying within 2 years of their retirement, it is common enough.

Work/Life balance is essential. But the most important thing is to find a job you like doing. If you are going to work for 40 years at 40 hours per week that is essentially 1/3 of your waking life and arguably your entire life, how many of us can't put our jobs down at the weekend etc ? If you are doing something you enjoy, you will at least be getting a genuine reward out of your life, not something to be scoffed at. I would much rather be poor and healthy if I am honest.

The argument of people getting rutted into dead end jobs is a tired and lazy one. I am not saying it doesn't happen, but you need to be proactive about your future, that in itself is a job to do.

Your predecessors and ancestors had to fight naked to eat and fought battles in the nude to survive. That is part of everyone's makeup, you need to fight to survive, it is in you. That is what effort and accomplishment is all about. If you don't have these challenges in your life you actually will not be satisfied. You need to find an occupation or career that challenges you and that enthralls you to gain fulfillment from your life.

biko

Work is a natural part of life, and it sure beats starving.

Blaizes

IAMAMORON wrote: »

I know an industrial psychologist and he has said that one off the biggest killers of working men is retirement. Don't Laugh. Seemingly the first 2 years of a mans(wo) retirement is the most dangerous time for the development of life threatening illnesses and other debilitating ailments. The body once retired from pressures and schedule, begins to shut down essentially.Unless the common stresses it was used to for the previous 40 years are replaced or renewed with new interests, the body simply regresses. It can be fatal. A lot of people are dying within 2 years of their retirement, it is common enough.

Work/Life balance is essential. But the most important thing is to find a job you like doing. If you are going to work for 40 years at 40 hours per week that is essentially 1/3 of your waking life and arguably your entire life, how many of us can't put our jobs down at the weekend etc ? If you are doing something you enjoy, you will at least be getting a genuine reward out of your life, not something to be scoffed at. I would much rather be poor and healthy if I am honest.

The argument of people getting rutted into dead end jobs is a tired and lazy one. I am not saying it doesn't happen, but you need to be proactive about your future, that in itself is a job to do.

Your predecessors and ancestors had to fight naked to eat and fought battles in the nude to survive. That is part of everyone's makeup, you need to fight to survive, it is in you. That is what effort and accomplishment is all about. If you don't have these challenges in your life you actually will not be satisfied. You need to find an occupation or career that challenges you and that enthralls you to gain fulfillment from your life.

You’re on the mark about people getting sick on retiring know a few people this has happened to

spodoinkle

mariaalice wrote: »

This comes up a lot here, everything from " im depressed at the thought of working till I am 65" or " depressed and cranky at having to get up on a Monday morning, obsessed by flexi-time and time off, or obsessed with plans to get away from their work colleagues because they annoy them, or they dislike them, feelings of being taken advantage of by their boss or employer.

I like my job and enjoy it a lot, but I dont love it, if I won the lotto they would not see my for dust, but the thing is no one has invented a better system for feeding and clothing your self.

why are there so many people so unhappy with having to work?

I worked in a call centre which was big on bonuses, when the company came into difficulty, bonuses were cut and the majority turned to hating the place and a real bad atmosphere throughout progressed, but no-one would leave because "there were no jobs out there" yet no-one was looking for a job elsewhere. People are ****.

Greyfox

mariaalice wrote: »

why are there so many people so unhappy with having to work?

Because working is a load of crap, I don't dislike my job but its just that I can think of 1,000 things I'd rather be doing

Jurgen Klopp

spodoinkle wrote: »

I worked in a call centre which was big on bonuses, when the company came into difficulty, bonuses were cut and the majority turned to hating the place and a real bad atmosphere throughout progressed, but no-one would leave because "there were no jobs out there" yet no-one was looking for a job elsewhere. People are ****.

Was it was during the recession? I wouldn't blame them for staying put that time

randomspud

biko wrote: »

Work is a natural part of life, and it sure beats starving.

It's about the least natural part of life.

puppieperson1

Get fired or let go or ask for a 2 year carers break to look after ill family member and live a different existense, your out look will change you will become clever with money and then maybe find a job that you like or even part time. job. I commuted 45 hours per month so essentially i was being paid for 4 weeks and not be paid for spending the 5th week in my car. I asked for a reduction in days to ease the stress they said no so i asked them to not renew my contract now work par time and love my life have time to just BE.........

Working and commuting and trying to balance a very stressful life gives you no time to see the destruction going on in our country & the waste of our taxes. We are too wrapped up in our own misery to see the real picture of new Ireland and the ireland we grew up in disappearing before our own very busy eyes! Thats the point of the misery. Keep the sheeple busy and we can do what we like with their money and they do 2 million fiasco for a ****ing printer 2,000 p/m (an average wage ) to store it cos it didnt fit are they for real . Stop working soo hard the 'NEW irish are the only ones who benefit!!

LuasSimon

mariaalice wrote: »

This comes up a lot here, everything from " im depressed at the thought of working till I am 65" or " depressed and cranky at having to get up on a Monday morning, obsessed by flexi-time and time off, or obsessed with plans to get away from their work colleagues because they annoy them, or they dislike them, feelings of being taken advantage of by their boss or employer.

I like my job and enjoy it a lot, but I dont love it, if I won the lotto they would not see my for dust, but the thing is no one has invented a better system for feeding and clothing your self.

why are there so many people so unhappy with having to work?

You could become a member of an Irish ethnic group that never do a days work in their lives , no questions welfare for the rest of your days and as good as a free house .

moonage

It might be because you have to spend most of your waking life in a place you'd rather not be, doing something you'd rather not be doing with people you haven't chosen to be with.

I detested my role as a credit controller. The sheer amount of lies heard was demoralizing, and I never enjoyed playing the game of twisting arms on a phone, although I was good at it. It was better once I moved into management because it was new, but TBH I burned out pretty quick due to the competition for the "better" positions (I'm a lot like a woman in that slightly better money for far more work/responsibility doesn't appeal). Since I became a business lecturer, I've found I love my work. Genuinely love it. Don't want to do it forever, and definitely don't want it to be my primary income, which is why I've started writing both fiction (fantasy) and non-fiction.

I think if your work is the only thing you do for an income it gets tiresome and depressing. It's good to have other interests that bring a monetary return. There's non-monetary value in my job since I can see myself improving my students abilities/knowledge, but getting an actual income is sweet icing on the cake.

Thelonious Monk

We could all work a lot less and still have comfortable lives if governments didnt force it on us that consumption and expansion is all that matters in the world.
I dont mind my job its not terrible hours but i feel sorry for people doing 45 hours a week etc. No way to live.

Your Face

Just join a union so you wont be obliged to work.
You'll still have to turn up 50% of the time - thems der rulz.

Rubberchikken

i love working. i love being paid. always have.

s7ryf3925pivug

Since having a kid I've come to think that 40 hour weeks should not be the default basic expectation. Never bothered me previously because I enjoy what I do.

listermint

jam_mac_jam wrote: »

Jesus Christ. well done. House paid off in your 30s.

location location location.

Anyone could do it if they didnt live in or on top of Dublin

Greyfox

Rubberchikken wrote: »

i love working. i love being paid. always have.

I don't love working but always loved getting paid

randomspud

listermint wrote: »

location location location.

Anyone could do it if they didnt live in or on top of Dublin

Precisely. You couldn't pay me to live in any big town or city in this country.


Dreary and overpriced.

randomspud

randomspud wrote: »

It's about the least natural part of life.

Is it though? I can not say either way.

I try to observe a lot of wild life with my kids. I think it is good for them. It interests them - and training them to sit still and concentrate on one thing is good for their attention span and focus.

Anyway we were watching ants one day in the summer for ages. And another day two birds keeping a nest of baby birds. And it struck me that both species had one thing in common. They were _constantly_ working. From the moment they started in the morning to the moment they stopped at night they were constantly on the go of merely providing food and surviving.

The concept of "down time" and "hobbies" and "me time" and "leisure" seems to be the exception not the rule. And it is a testament to the benefits of society - with division of labour and responsibilities - that we even have the privilege to moan about things like work-life balance in the first place.

Even my kids noticed it. My 5 year old son watching the birds with me asked in genuine puzzlement - as if it was the most natural thing in the world - "When does the Daddy play with his babies?". Me having time to spend playing with him or enjoying each others company is so natural to him - that he genuinely could not get his head around the idea the birds did not do the same. Which was adorable really in it's wonderful innocent naivety.

Ush1

randomspud wrote: »

Precisely. You couldn't pay me to live in any big town or city in this country.


Dreary and overpriced.

Maybe I like the drear.

Obvious Desperate Breakfasts

Plumbthedepths wrote: »

Just taking Boards as an example it seems many are depressed having to work because they consider those on the dole having it so easy, yet for various and vaceous reasons refuse to embrace that idyllic existence.
I enjoy my job and the comaradie of it, plus it's a good wage and affords my family a good lifestyle. On the plus side it is not overly taxing physically and health allowing I should still be capable of working till I'm 68 and beyond if my employer allows.

Ha, yes.

I miss work so much. I miss contributing to society and, whether people believe it or not, I really miss the social aspect. Hearing different opinions and viewpoints is invigorating.

The people whinging about those on welfare will never be happy. Bitterness is such a pointless emotion but there’s no telling them that.