Weekends and Evenings

 The argument that many in professional jobs tell you about why you should work those jobs is often that you get weekends and evenings off.  I have used that argument to continue doing the job, myself.  However, is it really all that it is made out to be?

Right now, I am sitting on my bed, relaxing and thinking and etc.  I paused to ask myself why it is that I suddenly feel like I have so much more time and peace than I used to have no my weekends with the job that I am leaving.  There are several answers to this.

If I was still planning on doing this job, I would be either working on the computer that I bring home on weekends for work, or I would be feeling guilty for not doing it.  It was common for employees to work on the weekends, and ... in fact.. some worked more than others causing those that didn't work as many hours to feel guilty that they are not working more hours.  This guilt of not working enough was ever present, so you never felt you could really detach from work and therefore never fully unwind.  It has become common over recent months to feel tire BEFORE the work week began.

Then, BECAUSE you work more hours, they feel that more hours is the new norm, so if you decrease your performance goes down and things don't get done.  So, you are always living under the STRESS of a higher work load.  This stress takes a tole on your energy and mindset.  I used to watch more tv and do more things ourside of home.  However, by the end of the "work week" and even at the end of each day, you feel so exhausted from work that you just feel like doing nothing to try to recharge.  I continued to try to fit more activities into my schedule, but that only left me feeling more drained to be able to do work or to rest on other days.

So, right now, I'm resting.. later I might go out and do something or maybe I won't.  And, IF I don't, I plan to do as little work as possible (I have to finish writing my desk training manual for my replacement and cover things till I'm gone).  But, if things don't get done... not my problem.  When people yell at me in emails.. not my problem.  Just having decided to end things has given me the peace to actually work the days till they are ready for my departure.

This job is not alone.  Many jobs... from office to teachers and more.. come with the same stressors and the same inability to relax and ENJOY the evenings and weekends for which they chose the job.  When I return to Uber, I will be able to literally take any time off I need and make up for it on other days, and... what's more... I can create the environment that I enjoy IN MY WORK, so I like doing it and don't feel like a piece of my soul is being chipped away that I have to spend my off time recovering.  Instead, my off time can actually be ... OFF.

And, that I am definitely looking forward to resuming.