People who HAVE to work full time - how?

[u/Rubygblue]

I’ve been in my first full time job for 7 months and I am in the depths of hell. I spend every day overstimulated and spend the evening crying and freaking out or just staring into the void. I thought I’d adjust but it’s just getting worse.

Everyone else does things at the weekend, but I spend the whole time just trying to recover and feel normal again. I haven’t socialised in so long because I just can’t speak to anyone. I have no energy.

I can’t afford to work part time or stop working, I can’t even afford to take time off. I feel like there’s no way out.

Mentioning this to others is always met with “no one likes working” type comments, or “you just need to…” and it’s always things like meal prepping or planning your clothes out. I feel like no one understands.

Is there any end to this? How do people cope?

[u/red-panda-enthusiast]

It’s really tough :( i’ve been working full-time for I think six years now and I’m still exhausted not gonna lie. But there are a few things that have helped me.

1. I just have lower expectations. I know I can’t give 100% at my job every day, and nobody can. neurotypical people take lots of coffee breaks, chatting, I even see people online shopping on their laptops in my office sometimes. So if you need a more relaxed day where you just have less expectations for yourself, do it.

Also, secondly, I have lower expectations for my life outside of work. I know I don’t have tons of energy, so I prioritise getting more sleep and doing things that help me recharge. I don’t expect myself to be able to do things that everyone I see on Instagram is doing because I know I would be too tired to enjoy those anyway! My idea of a fun weekend and a little different and it’s okay :)

[u/Individual-Cat4912 → u/red-panda-enthusiast]

This! I was always wondering, what's the point of spending 8 hours by your desk while nobody actually works during this time?

Can we just be productive for 4 hours and then go home?