Why I hate the weekends (2017)
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Why I hate the weekends (2017)
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Re: Why I hate the weekends (2017)
#2> I feel like my whole life is centered around work. Even though I work a (what is considered) reasonable 40-hour work-week, I feel like too much of time is taken away from me. Not only is it actually being in the office but commuting too. My morning are devoted to getting ready for work: dressing up, packing up a lunch and so on.
As someone who also works a reasonable 40-hour a week job, I cannot emphasize enough how much of a difference working remote has made.
I used to commute an hour each direction in the DC area, and (like the author) spent time preparing meals, getting dressed, etc. I have since moved to the NC area to work remote, and quality of life improvement is incredible:
- I can get to work immediately with no commute, and when I'm done, I don't have to get in a car to get home.
- Lunch break involves making a healthy lunch in my own kitchen, then reading a book while I eat in the comfort of my own home.
- I am a coffee enthusiast, and I love being able to make a french press, pour-over, or cold brew right in my kitchen.
- Crappy weather and accidents on the roads no longer have any effect on my workday.
- I get the exact office setup I want.
- I can go work at a coffee shop, an outdoor park, or even at the beach (all of which I have done), if I want a change of scenery.
WRT to the central point: I hate the _concept_ of living for the weekend, and have taken intentional and proactive steps to ensure that I don't fall into that trap.
Just a few examples:
- Get up early, and make time for what matters. I like to work out in the mornings, and also make sure to do any hobbies or side projects during this time, as my brain is fresh.
- Make yourself stop working at the appropriate time. This will differ depending on your job and your personal preference, but I draw a line in the sand and do not let myself work any later than 6 PM. My personal time is very important to me, and even though I love my job, I will never choose it over my personal time.
- Make sure to do things you like during the week, too. This really just involves not allowing yourself to believe that you can only make time for yourself on the weekends. Sometimes I'll get up early and meet someone for breakfast at a restaurant, sometimes I'll do a fun hobby in the evening, like rock climbing. If your job is flexible enough you could even step away for a quick break during the day to do something outside, like bicycling or kayaking, if that's your thing.
edit: Formatting
Re: Why I hate the weekends (2017)
#3Huh, for what it's worth, this doesn't resonate with me at all. I appreciate the author sharing how they feel but really don't like the "we"s and "our"s, since they're not expressing some universal truth.
Re: Why I hate the weekends (2017)
#4Huh, for what it's worth, this doesn't resonate with me at all. I appreciate the author sharing how they feel but really don't like the "we"s and "our"s, since they're not expressing some universal truth.
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Re: Why I hate the weekends (2017)
#5> I feel like my whole life is centered around work. Even though I work a (what is considered) reasonable 40-hour work-week, I feel like too much of time is taken away from me. Not only is it actually being in the office but commuting too. My morning are devoted to getting ready for work: dressing up, packing up a lunch and so on. As someone who also works a reasonable 40-hour a week job, I cannot emphasize enough ho…
Seems that you have an innate talent for regularity. For some it's tough to get moving when home after a while. Some get lonely. All your points are super valid and super obvious and moving to an office involves so much drag it's insane.. but we need to learn a few balancing tricks for remote work too.
Cheers
Re: Why I hate the weekends (2017)
#6Huh, for what it's worth, this doesn't resonate with me at all. I appreciate the author sharing how they feel but really don't like the "we"s and "our"s, since they're not expressing some universal truth.
When I was younger, it didn't resonate at all (I've obviously heard this complaint before). The older I've gotten, the shorter everything has gotten. Whether it's based in the natural warping of time perception as we age, or stress from greater responsibilities pushing me towards burnout, my weekends go too quickly and my work weeks take too much time.
Re: Why I hate the weekends (2017)
#7Huh, for what it's worth, this doesn't resonate with me at all. I appreciate the author sharing how they feel but really don't like the "we"s and "our"s, since they're not expressing some universal truth.
Totally agree with you.
I think the biggest reason this is not universal is because not everybody hates their job or working. I get an incredible amount of Joy doing what I do. So much so that when I get home I have plenty of energy to do a little more on my own personal projects. This is obviously not true every single day but the vast majority of days it is.
That dosent mean I don’t love my wife or my family, quite the contrary I spend as much time as possible with them and love them very much.
But it does mean that I don’t love TV or much of the other bullshit.
This article is a great read, with a different sort of take on life:
https://blog.stephsmith.io/you-dont-need-to-quit-your-job-to...
Re: Why I hate the weekends (2017)
#8> I want to spend time partaking in my hobbies on the weekend. However, I often find myself lifeless and staring blankly out the window. My mind is tired, my body is fatigued. By the time I'm fully rested it's Sunday night. At that point, it's time to head to bed and start the cycle of work again.
This in particular resonates. I used to be in the same sitch. Eventually it became unbearable, a random 3 hours errand would ruin my week. How much could I have accomplished in those 3 hours, I was telling myself.
I was also trying to work on a startup in my spare time but it wasn't possible. Sometimes, you spend half day fixing some build system and by next week, you'll forget where you left off.
Eventually I had to quit my job to maintain my sanity. It's insane how much you can accomplish in a good week. I recommend it to anyone questioning their current employment situation. Hit me up (email is in my profile) if you want to explore this life style. The crazy thing is that even if you fail, you’ll be ten times the programmer as when you left.
Two IRL friends quit their jobs to work on their own startups or freelance. I've also convinced one person here on HN to do the same.
Those startup ideas might be more realistic than you realize, if you are given enough time.
Re: Why I hate the weekends (2017)
#9This resonates with me. I love my work, I really like what I do, I think it's mentally challenging, interesting, and important for our world and civilization and I believe I'm compensated well enough. But it's tiring ok? And all I can ever do on weekends is lying on my bed watching netflix. I work 9 to 6 and work out intensely for 2 hours every week day. By the time it's saturday I'm both physically and mentally exhaust. I cannot do anything other than sleeping. Of course this is not a good situation for various reasons: no friends, no relationships, no hobbies. Just work, gym, and recovering from those two. I like this for a lot of reasons (which is why I do it) but I acknowledge that my life is also pathetic. I wouldn't be surprised if I died alone.
Re: Why I hate the weekends (2017)
#10If you work 5 days, 2 day weekend, that’s 150% more workdays than days off. Replace just one of those workdays with a day off, and it drops radically - just 33% more workdays than days off.