I've been working 12 hour shifts for years, but in this last year the hours have been getting to me. I work a week of days 7am - 7pm and a week of nights vice-versa, always Monday ~ Thursdays which means I get the weekends off. On days its 3 days off and nights 2 and a half (Not counting sleeping time).
During the week I don't have time to do anything other than sleep and prepare for my next days work, but on my days off I just feel like I'm wasting time no matter what I do, instead of being able to enjoy my time off and do whatever I want I never feel like it's time well used. I think how I could be doing something better. For example I used to have a hobby of programming, or going to the Snooker club with a few friends and family, but if I do either of these things I'm constantly clock watching thinking about stopping or leaving earlier to do something else.
It also gets me down thinking about how difficult it would be to have a relationship with this situation, in fact come to think of it I havent had one for years since being in this job. It doesn't bother me much being single but unless I lived with that person it wouldn't be a great relationship just seeing someone twice a week, but again this would take away time from doing something else I enjoy... the cycle continues.
When I explain this to some people they're like "WHOA dude you get a 3 day weekend an only work 4 days!!" but they don't understand the demand of it, I'd MUCH rather work normal 8 hours a day/5 days a week AND get 2 days off on the weekends. I've been looking for other jobs but all the jobs available for what I do are the same hours, it saddens me that these shifts are wideley used and accepted but people are that desperate for a job that they work them and just get on with it, almost like slavery.
During the week I don't have time to do anything other than sleep and prepare for my next days work, but on my days off I just feel like I'm wasting time no matter what I do, instead of being able to enjoy my time off and do whatever I want I never feel like it's time well used. I think how I could be doing something better. For example I used to have a hobby of programming, or going to the Snooker club with a few friends and family, but if I do either of these things I'm constantly clock watching thinking about stopping or leaving earlier to do something else.
It also gets me down thinking about how difficult it would be to have a relationship with this situation, in fact come to think of it I havent had one for years since being in this job. It doesn't bother me much being single but unless I lived with that person it wouldn't be a great relationship just seeing someone twice a week, but again this would take away time from doing something else I enjoy... the cycle continues.
When I explain this to some people they're like "WHOA dude you get a 3 day weekend an only work 4 days!!" but they don't understand the demand of it, I'd MUCH rather work normal 8 hours a day/5 days a week AND get 2 days off on the weekends. I've been looking for other jobs but all the jobs available for what I do are the same hours, it saddens me that these shifts are wideley used and accepted but people are that desperate for a job that they work them and just get on with it, almost like slavery.