work/life balance

Postwork/life balance by **still** » Tue Sep 26, 2023 10:29 am

Just read this on the Guardian:-

https://www.theguardian.com/money/2023/ ... ly-and-fun

Found it to be an interesting article. I'm nearing retirement myself but I wonder how you younger peeps might relate to it/think about life:work balance in general?

PostRe: work/life balance by **Mommy Christmas** » Tue Sep 26, 2023 11:04 am

I used to be a slave to the grind. Not any more. Work to live, not live to work. Life is too short and you don't get it back. 16 years to go... (retirement, not life, hopefully).

PostRe: work/life balance by **poshrule_uk** » Tue Sep 26, 2023 11:25 am

I used to be so enthusiastic at work for any job I had. Since being treated badly at some previous jobs and COVID I work to live now. I don't do overtime and I will work hard during the day but I won't kill myself for it.

PostRe: work/life balance by **jawa_** » Tue Sep 26, 2023 11:33 am

During the last few years of my previous job - in a bank - I worked til breaking point (mentally, not physically). I lived to work and any enjoyment had pretty much long gone.

Since then I've been on a break but I hope to get back into a job again soon; hopefully not one that crushes the spirit.

PostRe: work/life balance by **still** » Tue Sep 26, 2023 11:59 am

Interesting. Years ago I loved my job, (landscape architecture) and couldn't see why the older members of staff were less enthused! Then as time went by and I was effectively pushed out of my day job, (design), into management and then senior management it all became less and less creative and, eventually, soul destroying. I was hating every day and yet, hanging on as long as I could, to get as close as I could to retirement before the inevitable job cuts.... In the end I was made redundant just shy of my 50th and for the last 10 years I've 'just' worked as a gardener. Looking back I think if I'd had worked much longer in my 'proper' job I would have had a breakdown of some sort. (Office politics can be horrendous and so can staff management when you have to manage a manic depressive prone to being sectioned and a genuinely paranoid woman with zero support from HR etc. etc.)

I just found the article interesting in that, it seems to me, younger generations are wising up all a bit earlier. It's the endless chasing for shiny 'things' bit which seems to confuse people, rather than experiences. You don't really need that many things - the treadmill is endless - but life is very short and if you don't enjoy it well.....

PostRe: work/life balance by **OrangeRKN** » Tue Sep 26, 2023 12:06 pm

I think it's the difference between a job and a vocation, and most people (me included) have the former.

My work is something I have to do to survive, my time could absolutely be better spent.

I think we put too much emphasis on what job someone has, it being the first thing someone is likely to ask after your name and the label that gets put on you. I don't see my job as definining me like that, far from it.

PostRe: work/life balance by **poshrule_uk** » Tue Sep 26, 2023 12:13 pm

I have always thought it weird when people ask why you do. I'm really not interested in what people do and there is far better things you can learn about a person.

PostRe: work/life balance by **Zilnad** » Tue Sep 26, 2023 1:49 pm

In the past I've also worked to breaking point in an attempt to impress and climb ladders. It's a waste of time and now I couldn't really give a gooseberry fool about gaining prestige in a rigged game. So long as I have enough money to live and have a little fun with, I'm happy. I'll work my contracted hours and then leave everything at the office. I know plenty of people that never switch off and it's really sad. Just reminds me never to become like that again.

PostRe: work/life balance by **Zilnad** » Tue Sep 26, 2023 1:53 pm

I also don't understand people who say that if they had billions they'd still want to work. Like do they not have any hobbies?

This is my fourth and final week off work following the birth of my son and I can't think of anything worse than going back. I'd be ecstatic to live the domestic life with my family forever more and never set foot in a work place ever again.

PostRe: work/life balance by **Moggy** » Tue Sep 26, 2023 1:54 pm

I realised years ago that being "flexible" with hours only worked one way. I could work extra hours to get things done and I would get zero overtime pay or time in lieu. But if I ever dared to leave a few minutes early? That time had to be made up.

So strawberry float 'em. I work my hours but I will not work a second more.

PostRe: work/life balance by **Qikz** » Tue Sep 26, 2023 2:12 pm

I start on time and finish exactly on time. If they want me to work out of hours they pay me and I don't even think of work outside of work hours. Work isn't important to me outside of getting money so I can do stuff outside of work.

To add to this intially I used to work super hard, but I realised the more I worked and the better I got rather than being rewarded it just meant my workload increased and my money didn't. The time my current company said while I was working that hard that I was trying to destroy the company from the inside that was the moment I gave up and decided to do as little as humanly possible while still doing enough to do my fair share and nothing more.

PostRe: work/life balance by **Cuttooth** » Tue Sep 26, 2023 2:12 pm

Zilnad wrote:I also don't understand people who say that if they had billions they'd still want to work. Like do they not have any hobbies?

This is my fourth and final week off work following the birth of my son and I can't think of anything worse than going back. I'd be ecstatic to live the domestic life with my family forever more and never set foot in a work place ever again.

At a Christmas party years ago I'm pretty sure I outright offended my boss when I said I'd absolutely retire tomorrow if I could.

"But what would you do?!"

"Anything and everything..?"

PostRe: work/life balance by **Tomous** » Tue Sep 26, 2023 2:16 pm

Cuttooth playing the corporate ladder game masterfully there

PostRe: work/life balance by **Victor Mildew** » Tue Sep 26, 2023 2:19 pm

Cuttooth wrote:
Zilnad wrote:I also don't understand people who say that if they had billions they'd still want to work. Like do they not have any hobbies?

This is my fourth and final week off work following the birth of my son and I can't think of anything worse than going back. I'd be ecstatic to live the domestic life with my family forever more and never set foot in a work place ever again.

At a Christmas party years ago I'm pretty sure I outright offended my boss when I said I'd absolutely retire tomorrow if I could.

"But what would you do?!"

"Anything and everything..?"

Also would have accepted "ur mum"

PostRe: work/life balance by **Cuttooth** » Tue Sep 26, 2023 2:24 pm

Tomous wrote:Cuttooth playing the corporate ladder game masterfully there

He started it by saying he can't wait to retire in ten years!

PostRe: work/life balance by **Qikz** » Tue Sep 26, 2023 2:35 pm

Cuttooth wrote:
Tomous wrote:Cuttooth playing the corporate ladder game masterfully there

He started it by saying he can't wait to retire in ten years!

He's just sad you want to retire before him. He loves working with you so much he was hoping you'd retire together.

PostRe: work/life balance by **Zilnad** » Tue Sep 26, 2023 2:40 pm

Seems like we're all pretty much in the same boat. Enthusiastic and naive until the man strawberry floated us over.

I use work as a means to do all my GRcade posting. If they block the site again (as it was for about 3 years straight) i'm strawberry floated.

PostRe: work/life balance by **Moggy** » Tue Sep 26, 2023 2:46 pm

kazanova_Frankenstein wrote:I use work as a means to do all my GRcade posting. If they block the site again (as it was for about 3 years straight) i'm strawberry floated.

I work from home and use my phone to post. The corporate overlords will never catch me now. 8-)

Moggy wrote:
kazanova_Frankenstein wrote:I use work as a means to do all my GRcade posting. If they block the site again (as it was for about 3 years straight) i'm strawberry floated.

I work from home and use my phone to post. The corporate overlords will never catch me now.

That is the pro strat I employ on the rare occasion I do get to work from home. Feel like a king every time.

work/life balance

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