The work shy and bone idle....

[DiegoDiego]

A horrendous trade off. There's a better way of doing things for employees who it suits. Employers having the legal power to treat employees like shit is awful, and I can't believe anyone think zero hour contracts are in any way a good thing.

Can you explain why a bit more please? As I posted earlier, two new colleagues of mine chose zero hour when given the choice.

[Fullerene]

2 hours ago, DA Baracus said:

The whole 'follow your passion' stuff almost always kills said passion.

'Passions' don't have to be monetised. I hate this drive to turn everything in to an attempt to make money.

I know someone who "followed his passion".  He started off as a dentist, found it soul destroying and switched to being an artist.

It was often financially difficult (he had made more money as a dentist) but he loved every minute of it and painted practically every day for the rest of his life.

[Sweet Pete]

@DA Baracus your posts on this thread (to me at least) seem to have a tone of tangibke negativity and even abrasiveness about the subject of having to work. My aforementioned admin assistant has the same attitude. But in a world where bills need to be paid, food bought, homes kept up, working is necessary. Perhaps if your attitude was less negative about having to work you'd find the experience of working less negative?

[DA Baracus]

Just now, Sweet Pete said:

@DA Baracus your posts on this thread (to me at least) seem to have a tone of tangibke negativity and even abrasiveness about the subject of having to work. My aforementioned admin assistant has the same attitude. But in a world where bills need to be paid, food bought, homes kept up, working is necessary. Perhaps if your attitude was less negative about having to work you'd find the experience of working less negative?

Aye, working is unfortunately necessary. Doesn't mean I need to like it. Wish I had a job I liked, but I don't just now and worry I won't.

I don't think it's as easy as just not being negative. That would require positives, and the only positive I get from working is that I get money.

I'm not like your illiterate, useless assistant incidentally.

[Sweet Pete]

5 minutes ago, DA Baracus said:

Aye, working is unfortunately necessary. Doesn't mean I need to like it. Wish I had a job I liked, but I don't just now and worry I won't.

I don't think it's as easy as just not being negative. That would require positives, and the only positive I get from working is that I get money.

I'm not like your illiterate, useless assistant incidentally.

Are you overweight?

[Sweet Pete]

5 minutes ago, DA Baracus said:

Aye, working is unfortunately necessary. Doesn't mean I need to like it. Wish I had a job I liked, but I don't just now and worry I won't.

I don't think it's as easy as just not being negative. That would require positives, and the only positive I get from working is that I get money.

I'm not like your illiterate, useless assistant incidentally.

Joking aside, it's just a job, so stop treating like this all consuming negative thing. Enjoy the process of being productive and useful, enjoy the income. Don't treat it as a millstone round your neck that you can't avoid. Nobody is chaining you to an oar and whipping you.

[DiegoDiego]

I don't think it's as easy as just not being negative. That would require positives, and the only positive I get from working is that I get money.

I suppose when all you get out of work are tokens which you convert into a roof over your head, food in your belly, clothes to wear, pints to drink and football to watch then it's easy to struggle for positives.

[Adam]

Aye, working is unfortunately necessary. Doesn't mean I need to like it. Wish I had a job I liked, but I don't just now and worry I won't.
I don't think it's as easy as just not being negative. That would require positives, and the only positive I get from working is that I get money.
I'm not like your illiterate, useless assistant incidentally.

I would say there aren’t many people in this world that do a job that they like, unfortunately. It’s about finding a good balance between the scale of wanting to tan your wrists each morning and having your dream job.

I wouldn’t necessarily say I liked my job, but I tolerate the work I do, doesn’t give me any feeling of warmth or fulfilment at the end of each day but doesn’t make me want to throw myself off a bridge either. I think I could probably say the majority of my friendship groups feel the same about their job. It is an utter nightmare to dread going to do a job you hate for 7 hours a day.

[Sweet Pete]

2 minutes ago, Adam said:

 

I would say there aren’t many people in this world that do a job that they like, unfortunately. It’s about finding a good balance between the scale of wanting to tan your wrists each morning and having your dream job.

I wouldn’t necessarily say I liked my job, but I tolerate the work I do, doesn’t give me any feeling of warmth or fulfilment at the end of each day but doesn’t make me want to throw myself off a bridge either. I think I could probably say the majority of my friendship groups feel the same about their job. It is an utter nightmare to dread going to do a job you hate for 7 hours a day.

I agree having been there in the past. BUT one thing that experience has taught me is that a lot of the perceived problems and stresses and dread associated with being unhappy at work are either self generated or at least self exaggerated. For example, it may not be a thrilling joy to sit in an office inputting data 40 hours a week, but it isn't an unbearable nightmare either. Perspective makes a huge difference in these things with regards to managing personal happiness / sadness levels.

[DA Baracus]

4 minutes ago, Sweet Pete said:

Are you overweight?

Yes. I know my faults and I know what I need to do. I've struggled with it for a long time.

3 minutes ago, Sweet Pete said:

Joking aside, it's just a job, so stop treating like this all consuming negative thing. Enjoy the process of being productive and useful, enjoy the income. Don't treat it as a millstone round your neck that you can't avoid. Nobody is chaining you to an oar and whipping you.

I would like that, but it's much easier to say than do. I don't feel productive and don't see sitting down all day and doing spreadsheets as a good use of time. I know that's my fault and issue and that only I can sort it. To not be negative about it I would need something to be positive about it, but I just don't have that. I hope to change that, but I'm always worried I won't be able to.

I think you're getting close to the same mindset as those who tell folk with issues to just 'pull themselves together'. It's just not as simple as deciding to not have negative thoughts about something. I don't mean to accuse you of that mind, I just think what you're saying isn't really realistic for many.

Nobody is forcing me, but the alternative is being homeless.

1 minute ago, DiegoDiego said:

I suppose when all you get out of work are tokens which you convert into a roof over your head, food in your belly, clothes to wear, pints to drink and football to watch then it's easy to struggle for positives.

And I suppose rich people can't be depressed?

1 minute ago, Adam said:

 

I would say there aren’t many people in this world that do a job that they like, unfortunately. It’s about finding a good balance between the scale of wanting to tan your wrists each morning and having your dream job.

I wouldn’t necessarily say I liked my job, but I tolerate the work I do, doesn’t give me any feeling of warmth or fulfilment at the end of each day but doesn’t make me want to throw myself off a bridge either. I think I could probably say the majority of my friendship groups feel the same about their job. It is an utter nightmare to dread going to do a job you hate for 7 hours a day.

 

It's sad that this is the way it is. Striving for that balance is 

[Adam]

I agree having been there in the past. BUT one thing that experience has taught me is that a lot of the perceived problems and stresses and dread associated with being unhappy at work are either self generated or at least self exaggerated. For example, it may not be a thrilling joy to sit in an office inputting data 40 hours a week, but it isn't an unbearable nightmare either. Perspective makes a huge difference in these things with regards to managing personal happiness / sadness levels.

Yes, been there myself, panic attacks on a Sunday night before you go back, dealing with utter arsehole managers who micro manage you, horrible.

You’re right though, there are plenty of people who work in the call centre in my work that would, and generally do, move heaven and earth to get a simple generic admin position in the Customer Ops team, anything to get away from the call centre.

[Sweet Pete]

1 minute ago, DA Baracus said:

Yes. I know my faults and I know what I need to do. I've struggled with it for a long time.

I would like that, but it's much easier to say than do. I don't feel productive and don't see sitting down all day and doing spreadsheets as a good use of time. I know that's my fault and issue and that only I can sort it. To not be negative about it I would need something to be positive about it, but I just don't have that. I hope to change that, but I'm always worried I won't be able to.

I think you're getting close to the same mindset as those who tell folk with issues to just 'pull themselves together'. It's just not as simple as deciding to not have negative thoughts about something. I don't mean to accuse you of that mind, I just think what you're saying isn't really realistic for many.

Nobody is forcing me, but the alternative is being homeless.

 

Top line (in bold) I was making a joke about my admin.

The rest; I most certainly am not telling you to pull yourself together, give yourself a shake or go for a walk. Far from it. I'm lending an alternative perspective from the angle of someone who has been through both mental health problems and negative work experience. It's up to you to recognise or not the intent behind others advice.

[Guest TheJTS98]

1 hour ago, paranoid android said:

 

Sometimes people can be defined by their work or what they do in their leisure time - is it Kev the painter/decorator or Kev the weekend drummer/Kev the Jambo, etc?

 

Aye, but you shag ONE sheep...

[Jacksgranda]

23 minutes ago, Sweet Pete said:

Joking aside, it's just a job, so stop treating like this all consuming negative thing. Enjoy the process of being productive and useful, enjoy the income. Don't treat it as a millstone round your neck that you can't avoid. Nobody is chaining you to an oar and whipping you.

Those days are gone, more's the pity...

[Sweet Pete]

Just now, Jacksgranda said:

Those days are gone, more's the pity...

Bet you can still remember the smell of the sea as your longboat crossed the North Atlantic, auld yin.

[DiegoDiego]

And I suppose rich people can't be depressed?

No idea how you got to that from my post. I think I'll need to see your working there.

[Jacksgranda]

2 minutes ago, Sweet Pete said:

Bet you can still remember the smell of the sea as your longboat crossed the North Atlantic, auld yin.

Some of us weren't allowed on the "big" sailings...

[GNU_Linux]

Work work work work work work work work

- Robyn Rihanna Fenty 2016

Edited June 11, 2021 by GNU_Linux

[DA Baracus]

25 minutes ago, Sweet Pete said:

Top line (in bold) I was making a joke about my admin.

The rest; I most certainly am not telling you to pull yourself together, give yourself a shake or go for a walk. Far from it. I'm lending an alternative perspective from the angle of someone who has been through both mental health problems and negative work experience. It's up to you to recognise or not the intent behind others advice.

What changed for you?

[Sweet Pete]

Just now, DA Baracus said:

What changed for you?

I sought counselling and learned to see positives and appreciate that there are other aspects to the elements in my life other than the purely negative which I perceived due to my anxiety.