Not the Rat. . .for Sad Sunday Evenings

rolltimer · 01-13-2008, 03:42 PM

Although I frequently work weekends--Saturdays, usually--and can schedule my work throughout the week as needed, I still find myself sinking a bit on Sunday evenings as I think of a new week starting on Monday morning. Maybe it's a throwback to my days as a desk jockey when I worked 40 hours Monday through Friday. I hated my job, hated feeling like I was selling my life for a salary just to survive. I used to get really depressed as the sun was setting on a Sunday knowing I had 5 awful days to get through until I was free again on Friday night--like suddenly I was let out of jail. I felt like a prisoner and the steel doors slammed shut on me every Sunday night.

Now I work a job where I control when, how and to some degree, where I do my work. Some parts of my job, I hate. I'm trying to compartmentalize those negative aspects and not allow myself to be sucked into the vortex. A co-worker once said this is like observing rats inside a maze. Just remember, he said, you are not the rat.

Ronni · 01-13-2008, 04:37 PM

Nice sentiment here, as I am finding myself not looking forward to another four LONG days.

I feel like I spend so much of my time and work, and for it I get a salary that barely covers my expenses and allows me to have fun from time to time. Plus, all the crap I deal with there, the pettiness and whatnot. It's a good thing that I enjoy the work (for the most part), I just get frustrated at the long days when the weekends go so quickly.

Maybe this week will be better. I am out of the office early on Thursday and I won't be back until next Tuesday. We'll see.

*hates sad Sunday evenings*

sigh

Once, I heard a speaker who said it's all in our attitude. No one says "I have to start my weekend," but people always say "I have to go to work." So, her suggestion is that we start thinking of work in terms of our weekends. Not as something we HAVE to do, but something we want to do.

OK.

Call me a cynic, but that's something that seems like a better idea to a motivational speaker who is probably not dealing with micromanagement and who probably runs her own schedule, but I can't see it really applying to someone who's dealing with all the junk that comes with working in a cube farm, food service, rude customers, micro-managers, and other assorted workplace BS.

I have to work so I can make money so I can survive. Therefore, I have to go to work tomorrow. I suppose I can make the choice to starve to death or live on the streets, but why?

Those things don't make me any happier about spending all day wishing for 4pm, though.

purplefdu · 01-13-2008, 06:20 PM

I always loved Mondays as it was a slow day at work most times. And in college I always had it off

I definitely always try to tell myself I am grateful to be able to go and make money, even if its just covering expenses. I am grateful to be able to live and not have to suffer or starve. Perspective is everything.

Ronni · 01-13-2008, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by purplefdu

I definitely always try to tell myself I am grateful to be able to go and make money, even if its just covering expenses. I am grateful to be able to live and not have to suffer or starve. Perspective is everything.

I agree with that. I'd just like to be able to do it without all the petty nonsense that comes with it. I don't mind working. Humans are designed to work. But I'd like people to just let me do my job and do it well instead of adding in all the crap that I won't go into here.

Gootsy · 01-13-2008, 10:51 PM

Compartmentalize eh? Hmmmm.

Anywho, I worked Monday-Friday last week. But had to also work Saturday AND Sunday. And to make things even better, I'm working Monday-Friday again. I really should be sleeping right now because I'm SO TIRED. I'm going to be a zombie this whole week.

Thank god for coffee.

Xin Lu · 01-14-2008, 01:16 AM

I hate Mondays, too. However, tomorrow we have an all day meeting with food so I will probably bring my nintendo DS. Sometimes when I am mad at my hubby I am glad to go to work because I have friends at work to talk to. I guess I like work mostly for the social element.

Solinvicta · 02-27-2008, 06:02 PM

I agree that its nice to have a job, and I don't really mind Mondays so much. I think for me I have the most problems around Wednesday (today). On Monday, I still have a lot of energy from the weekend, but by Wednesday, I feel like blowing off some steam, but I don't have a lot of options for distracting myself. I'll get home from work, and there really isn't much to do that's exciting...just waiting for the weekend.

Maybe I need to organize a Wednesday happy hour :-)

Ronni · 03-01-2008, 10:00 AM

I've realized that it's not Mondays that are so bad, it's TUESDAYS! Mondays, I'm refreshed from the weekend, and I'm fresh. Tuesday, all I know is that the weekend is a LONG way away and Tuesdays go so SLOW. Wednesdays are hump day, so there is an end in sight. Thursday is one day before Friday, and then, there's Friday. Ha.

A co-worker and I were thinking that a four-day week and a three-day weekend would be better for all. It would make the week more balanced. But eh, it'll never happen without having to work a bunch of extra hours during the four days to "make up for it."

gt0163c · 03-03-2008, 05:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ronni

A co-worker and I were thinking that a four-day week and a three-day weekend would be better for all. It would make the week more balanced. But eh, it'll never happen without having to work a bunch of extra hours during the four days to "make up for it."

I work a 9/80 schedule. In every two week block, I work nine hours Monday through Thursday. The first Friday I work eight hours. The second Friday I'm off. That means that every other week is a four day work week with a three day weekend. In some ways it's great. Three day weekends mean that I can take long weekend trips without using vacation time or going on holidays (when everyone else is going out of town). It also allows me to do a lot of errands on that off-Friday when fewer people are out and about. Plus there's the psychological factor of having a short week and a long weekend every other week. I've been working this schedule for more than five years and really enjoy it.

That said, there are also some downsides. Nine hour days can get really long. I have very little time in the evenings during the work week, although a lot of that is related to going to the gym every night after work. So, most of my errands, shopping and chores still gets done on the weekends or off-Fridays. I know some people have issues with child care required for that extra hour each day. And there's the psychological factor of having a "long" five day week, 44 hour work week every other week with only a two day weekend (which suddenly seems very short, especially when some of it is spend doing errands and shopping at the same time that everyone else is).

But, overall, I prefer the 9/80 schedule to a standard 5/40 work week.

As for Sunday evenings, I still enjoy them. Part of that is related to doing church activities on Sunday evenings. So, there's something to look forward to. I also try to make a point of getting everything ready for Monday morning earlier in the day on Sunday. So, my clothes are already picked out, lunch and gym back packed, etc before I leave for church. When I get home in the evening, I can relax and unwind without having to worry about getting ready for Monday morning.

redsoxmaniac · 04-05-2008, 03:47 AM

I know a lot of nurses that work that kind of shift the 9/80 or even 3 twelve hour shifts...no life for 3 days but 4 off.

I always liked what I did when I worked but I owned my own company but traveled to clients where I might be there 2-3 days a week sometimes for an entire day or a half day. You still deal with office politics. I think you can't personalize it...it is just part of a system and you have the usual suspects and players. Usually in every place I worked there were a couple of "normal" folks though there were a few places that were totally weird..I was thankful that I was a subcontractor and didn't have to be there for 40 hours. I would say if the place where you work is just horrible to your psyche see if you can change how YOU feel about it and work your own mental system. If it is still bad look for something else...doesn't mean that you will find Nirvana so whatever coping skills you can develop now will always serve you. Hope this helps a little.

01-13-2008, 03:42 PM	#1
rolltimer Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Alabama Posts: 131 Reputation: (24)	Not the Rat. . .for Sad Sunday Evenings Although I frequently work weekends--Saturdays, usually--and can schedule my work throughout the week as needed, I still find myself sinking a bit on Sunday evenings as I think of a new week starting on Monday morning. Maybe it's a throwback to my days as a desk jockey when I worked 40 hours Monday through Friday. I hated my job, hated feeling like I was selling my life for a salary just to survive. I used to get really depressed as the sun was setting on a Sunday knowing I had 5 awful days to get through until I was free again on Friday night--like suddenly I was let out of jail. I felt like a prisoner and the steel doors slammed shut on me every Sunday night. Now I work a job where I control when, how and to some degree, where I do my work. Some parts of my job, I hate. I'm trying to compartmentalize those negative aspects and not allow myself to be sucked into the vortex. A co-worker once said this is like observing rats inside a maze. Just remember, he said, you are not the rat.

01-13-2008, 06:20 PM	#3
purplefdu Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Eliot, ME USA Posts: 502 Reputation: (27)	I always loved Mondays as it was a slow day at work most times. And in college I always had it off I definitely always try to tell myself I am grateful to be able to go and make money, even if its just covering expenses. I am grateful to be able to live and not have to suffer or starve. Perspective is everything. __________________ Homeward Bound Puppy Blog&Personal Blog best general coupon site & organic grocery coupon help

01-14-2008, 01:16 AM	#6
Xin Lu Wise Bread Blogger Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 237 Reputation: (40)	I hate Mondays, too. However, tomorrow we have an all day meeting with food so I will probably bring my nintendo DS. Sometimes when I am mad at my hubby I am glad to go to work because I have friends at work to talk to. I guess I like work mostly for the social element. __________________ Blogs I Write: The Baglady @ http://baglady.dreamhosters.com Wise Bread @ http://wisebread.com/xin-lu

03-01-2008, 10:00 AM	#8
Ronni Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 92 Reputation: (25)	I've realized that it's not Mondays that are so bad, it's TUESDAYS! Mondays, I'm refreshed from the weekend, and I'm fresh. Tuesday, all I know is that the weekend is a LONG way away and Tuesdays go so SLOW. Wednesdays are hump day, so there is an end in sight. Thursday is one day before Friday, and then, there's Friday. Ha. A co-worker and I were thinking that a four-day week and a three-day weekend would be better for all. It would make the week more balanced. But eh, it'll never happen without having to work a bunch of extra hours during the four days to "make up for it." __________________ - Ronni http://lilrongal.livejournal.com

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01-13-2008, 04:37 PM	#2
Ronni Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Chicago, IL Posts: 92 Reputation: (25)	Nice sentiment here, as I am finding myself not looking forward to another four LONG days. I feel like I spend so much of my time and work, and for it I get a salary that barely covers my expenses and allows me to have fun from time to time. Plus, all the crap I deal with there, the pettiness and whatnot. It's a good thing that I enjoy the work (for the most part), I just get frustrated at the long days when the weekends go so quickly. Maybe this week will be better. I am out of the office early on Thursday and I won't be back until next Tuesday. We'll see. hates sad Sunday evenings sigh Once, I heard a speaker who said it's all in our attitude. No one says "I have to start my weekend," but people always say "I have to go to work." So, her suggestion is that we start thinking of work in terms of our weekends. Not as something we HAVE to do, but something we want to do. OK. Call me a cynic, but that's something that seems like a better idea to a motivational speaker who is probably not dealing with micromanagement and who probably runs her own schedule, but I can't see it really applying to someone who's dealing with all the junk that comes with working in a cube farm, food service, rude customers, micro-managers, and other assorted workplace BS. I have to work so I can make money so I can survive. Therefore, I have to go to work tomorrow. I suppose I can make the choice to starve to death or live on the streets, but why? Those things don't make me any happier about spending all day wishing for 4pm, though.

01-13-2008, 10:51 PM	#5
Gootsy Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 239 Reputation: (24)	Compartmentalize eh? Hmmmm. Anywho, I worked Monday-Friday last week. But had to also work Saturday AND Sunday. And to make things even better, I'm working Monday-Friday again. I really should be sleeping right now because I'm SO TIRED. I'm going to be a zombie this whole week. Thank god for coffee.

02-27-2008, 06:02 PM	#7
Solinvicta Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Sandy Hook, CT Posts: 74 Reputation: (12)	I agree that its nice to have a job, and I don't really mind Mondays so much. I think for me I have the most problems around Wednesday (today). On Monday, I still have a lot of energy from the weekend, but by Wednesday, I feel like blowing off some steam, but I don't have a lot of options for distracting myself. I'll get home from work, and there really isn't much to do that's exciting...just waiting for the weekend. Maybe I need to organize a Wednesday happy hour :-)

04-05-2008, 03:47 AM	#10
redsoxmaniac Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Posts: 90 Reputation: (13)	I know a lot of nurses that work that kind of shift the 9/80 or even 3 twelve hour shifts...no life for 3 days but 4 off. I always liked what I did when I worked but I owned my own company but traveled to clients where I might be there 2-3 days a week sometimes for an entire day or a half day. You still deal with office politics. I think you can't personalize it...it is just part of a system and you have the usual suspects and players. Usually in every place I worked there were a couple of "normal" folks though there were a few places that were totally weird..I was thankful that I was a subcontractor and didn't have to be there for 40 hours. I would say if the place where you work is just horrible to your psyche see if you can change how YOU feel about it and work your own mental system. If it is still bad look for something else...doesn't mean that you will find Nirvana so whatever coping skills you can develop now will always serve you. Hope this helps a little.