working stress

I had some work stress, but then I got laid off about 2 weeks ago. Now I don\'t have work stress, just stress stress.
:( More time to paint though.
 

Trevor

Brushlicker and Freak!
There is something seriously wrong, and its getting worse. Seems to be especially bad for you US types, with your 2 weeks of holiday (in the UK I got 7, here I get 4) maybe we should pay more attention to the French with their 32(?) hours weeks.

What I can\'t work out is where we lost the plot. The last 50 years have been all about labor saving devices, hoovers, washing machines, computers etc etc, yet we just seem to be doing MORE work. Whats with that? Its insane, we should have more free time, not less. I want a 3 day working week dammit.

I\'m with Finn, learn to say no, and F off, problem is you seem to get fired if you\'re not careful. I only ever told a boss to F off once, I left 2 weeks later.

My career is kind of odd in that it doesn\'t have defined targets or deleiverables as such. Bit difficult when you are doing research. I\'m also kind of working for myself, my future job prospects are entirely dependant upon my performance now, the more papers I publish, and the more funding I can get, the better my chances of getting a good job in the future. My bosses are great, I get a lot of freedom to do what I want, but it never ends, there is always more I could be doing, and I start to feel swamped by it all.

I know a \"real\" job would kill me, or make me snap.
 
R
I just got laid off a few weeks ago from the worst job I\'d ever had. I worked in a factory packaging animal bedding; you know the brown/grey paper stuff that rats and gerbils use. I spent six months at that job standing next to those huge dryers and being covered in gritty dust day after day. When I got laid off I couldn\'t recieve unemployment since I hadn\'t worked the six month prior to being hired at the factory due to going to college so I didn\'t have enough hours accumulated. Also its very hard to find a job in the town where I live it is a college town and has one of the highest unemployment rates in the state of Washington.

So I\'ve turned to painting miniatures to pay as many of the bills as I can and try to stretch 150.00 a month in foodstamps as far as I can. I love painting and if I could do something for a living it would be that. So every miniature I paint I\'m trying to do something I haven\'t tried before like SENMM or freehand. I don\'t get much per an hour but I try not to worry too much; there are a lot of hours in a day when you\'re unemployed! Money is my biggest stress. I don\'t know if I\'ll be able to pay my rent on time this month but I\'m optimistic and feel good because I\'m doing what I love and I think thats what counts besides if I stress out too much my creativity just dies. Wish me luck!
 

Margo

New member
Those stories are terrifying, guys ... So sorry to hear about such things happening to good people. Like Mike said, it\'s not only work that can give stress; but yeah it can add to the pile. Still, I\'m with Finn and Trevor; there are many things you can go about work to make it less stressful. Saying No is one thing for sure.

From personal experience, flexible work schedule makes wonders. I\'m a multitasker and I\'m very good at time management; so having flexible schedule gives me enough time to write on a constant basis for five different magazines (at two of them, I\'m the Deputy Editor), do freelance writing work for a couple more magazines, AND have quite a bit of time for myself (family, hobbies, fun). The main problem about work for me is incompetent people I have to communicate with on everyday basis, and that used to stress me out in the beginning. But then I just realized that I shouldn\'t waste my nerves on someone so unworthwile. Especially taking into account that no matter how stressed out I get, the outcome\'s gonna be the same. So why bother; I just do my work and do it good, without stressing out because someone else is not professional enough or sharp enough.
 

frenchkid

New member
Originally posted by Trevor
maybe we should pay more attention to the French with their 32(?) hours weeks.

It\'s 35h, and no you don\'t want to pay attention to that. Don\'t think much good came out of it.
 

No Such Agency

New member
I\'m a multitasker and I\'m very good at time management; so having flexible schedule gives me enough time to write on a constant basis for five different magazines (at two of them, I\'m the Deputy Editor), do freelance writing work for a couple more magazines, AND have quite a bit of time for myself (family, hobbies, fun).
I never thought I\'d say this, but Margo, I hate you! ;)

no matter how stressed out I get, the outcome\'s gonna be the same. So why bother; I just do my work and do it good, without stressing out because someone else is not professional enough or sharp enough.
True enough, most of the time. The worst is when your BOSS is the incompetent one - as I suspect is often the case at say... Home Depot. Hard to not stress when your life is a Dilbert cartoon.

I admit I\'m very lucky not to have this problem. I\'m a university lab tech, my boss is a great guy and lets me do what I do best, and backs me up with his expertise when I get stumped. Some profs DO make good bosses, as it turns out. It\'s just that the bad ones are usually sociopaths or have no idea how to manage personnel.

The downside, and source of my job stress, is that the money is very \"soft\". My contract is up at the end of the month and I doubt there will be money to renew it.
 

Trevor

Brushlicker and Freak!
I just lost my post...

:mad:

typical


odd this thread came along on one of those days when I\'m liable to go all \"fight club\" (I\'m thinking the scene with his boss) if anyone even looks at me the wrong way. Luckily for everyone concerned I always seem to get left alone on days like this.
 

Einion

New member
Originally posted by finn17
I also learned to say \'No\' and \'F*ck off\' much more frequently. Believe me, it works wonders:D
Right on! People up the food chain sometimes need concrete reminders about what is and is not physically possible.

Einion
 

Shawn R. L.

New member
Putting my faith in God has helped take my stress down. I\'m not alone in my problems. Problems that cant be avoided or resolved (and some that can be) have a higher meaning and purpose.:innocent:
 

Sand Rat

New member
I used to have a great deal of job related stress - I spent the last 7 years I was in the states working for the same company, and the last 3 doing tech support for morons.

Then I went to work in a combat zone, and my work related stress from morons went to zero. I have a job where I enteract with the people who are using the materials I handle on a daily basis, and I may be working 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, but I\'m keeping a bunch of 19 and 20 year olds from having to work 18-20 hour days to keep the gear flowing. So, I guess I\'ve got job satisfaction. Now the majority off my stressors are non job related - being 8k miles from my loved ones, and the arse hats over here chunking the occasional rocket barrage at us. But I keep the goal in mind (going back to college one more time) and things seem to be fine.

I\'ll prolly go home and be very angry though.;):D
 

finn17

New member
Good point....

Originally posted by Shawn R. L.
Putting my faith in God has helped take my stress down.

But in order to balance things up, as this is not a \'God slot\'.......

Putting one\'s faith in in a mythical being is more likely to result in mental damage and general confusion than snorting Coke.

Just my 2c and entirely unofficial, but please don\'t peddle religion here and I wont promote the works of Lucifer in return...:D
 

Gin1906

New member
Ok, Who Pissed in Finn\'s Cerial this morning!lol

Actually I agree with you Finn, I tend to really anger folks when they start preaching to me, I usually come back with I think the bible is one of the best pieces of fiction I have ever read (and yes I have, and actually I have read better!)

As for work stress, This has been one of my worst summers for stress, I have had a 10 year old boy in care who is extremely volitile, and a drama queen. every day has been a battle of wills. :mad:
This child has No disipline at home, he comes to my house on Monday angry and defiant, we work all week on attitude, and behavior, by friday he is almost a \"normal\" child (I hate to use that word.)he spends the weekend at home, and the cycle begins again, and today was Monday :flame:
did I mention 7 days till school starts :bouncy::flip::bouncy:
Gin
 

Infidel Castro

New member
Ah Gin, what you need is a roll of sellotape and some rope :D

Maybe you should have a word with his lovely parents - let them know just how nice the boy is when he\'s with you all week (eventually), and tell them to stop messing things up ;)
 
S

Sturmhalo

Guest
Originally posted by finn17
Originally posted by Shawn R. L.
Putting my faith in God has helped take my stress down.

But in order to balance things up, as this is not a \'God slot\'.......

Putting one\'s faith in in a mythical being is more likely to result in mental damage and general confusion than snorting Coke.

Couldn\'t agree more! And the best of it is the amount of fucked up people who turn to religion for help and end up getting fucked up all the more. Seen it all to often.

Mind you, in our house we all know I\'ve got a one way ticket to Hell after the things I\'ve said in the past.

lol
 

Gin1906

New member
Originally posted by reverend
Ah Gin, what you need is a roll of sellotape and some rope :D

Maybe you should have a word with his lovely parents - let them know just how nice the boy is when he\'s with you all week (eventually), and tell them to stop messing things up ;)

Rev, I think I\'ll take the tape and the rope, this child is so friggin messed up because he has a parent who puts the blame for his problems on EVERY one but themselves :flame:
and Oh lucky me they are at the door now, think I will go get that rope.lol
Gin
 

dauber22

New member
Just to play Devil\'s Advocate here... ;)

I would hardly say that Shawn\'s post was either preachy or peddling religion. A question was asked and he stated his opinion succinctly and without impugning the beliefs or opinions of others. Period. That, to me, seems like proper Forum ettiquette.
 
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