Hey guys,
6 months into a new job, 1 hour commute each way and hours are 7am-7pm. I know they’re not crazy hours but my commute is killing me, my sleep schedule is messed up I’m having trouble working out and fitting in things outside of it during the week (drinks, networking events, other interests).
I generally get home around 8 very tired eat some food then pass out around 10pm and wake up around 5 to start the day.
It’s automatic at this point, any tips during the day on what to eat (I try to eat fruit & nuts cut off caffeine around 4pm). It’s gotten to the point I’m tired on the commute to work where I’ve tried to read to be productive.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Is the solution not extremely obvious?
Sometime in the 8-10? To be clear I’m usually back to my at my apartment earliest 8:30pm. Looking for advice on managing more of the day to day routine, but thanks for the helpful comment.
Why not move?
Is this your dream job or are you getting unbelievable exp?
If the answer is no, leave or ask to wfh. if they say no, look elsehwere. Or else move.
The more i think of it, how is this a question?
I previously dealt with a 1 hour commute. It was not fun. Is moving closer to work not an option?
For sure, in your diet be sure to eat as healthy as possible, lots of clean veggies and good protein to keep you fueled. Watch out for sugary food and heavy carbs that can make you crash and more tired. For anything i needed to attend in the evening, it definitely involved a bit of planning a few days ahead but obviously i couldn't make it to every event i'd want to attend.
The other option is to ask for WFH on certain days. I think one or two days remote can make a difference for not having to spend energy commuting.
Moving isn’t a I don’t myself staying here that long term and area around the office sucks haha. Thanks for the advice definitely the case.
Okay. Even if you go out on friday and saturday and commute an hour on those days to go have fun with friends that saves 4-6 hrs of driving during the week. I mean unless it is a safety issue in the area you have to commute to then why is it bad to live there?
Only on WSO is 7am-7pm not considered crazy hours. Unless you are making some serious dough or getting some top notch experience, that sounds miserable and not worth it. Leave, move, or strongly push for WFH to make it more bearable.
Back in my younger days I spent a summer at an internship where I had to catch the 5:12AM train to make it to work by 7:30am, and the 5pm train to make it back home by 7pm. Worst few months of my life.
Thanks definitely pushing for wfh one day a week and pay is ok.
Dad got me a PE internship the summer before I went to college, was working 7am to 2am for 8 weeks.
Holy hell. You were what, 17 or 18 years old? Unless this was self-inflicted and you wanted to work this much, that is abusive.
That was basically my situation this past summer. Absolutely miserable never doing it again.
I also have a 1hr commute each way. I'm a car guy and drive a car I enjoy. I am currently in a hybrid work situation and go to work 2-3 times a week. I also have to wake up an hour and a half earlier on the days I go into the office but I've noticed that I wake up more energized when I go in office because I'm excited to drive. I enjoy the drive and even if I'm sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic, I don't mind it at all because I'm enjoying the music I'm listening to and the car I'm sitting in. I've questioned myself multiple times before whether I would be ok with my commute if I wasn't driving the car I did.
If you're into cars or think you could use an upgrade, my advice is to get a car you'll be proud to have. Would make your day a whole lot better.
bruh what kind of car you got you sound hella excited lmfao
A pretty sweet BMW. Adrenaline is a helluva drug
Get someone who looks at you the way OP looks at his car
What is the penalty for breaking your lease?
Fruits and nuts won’t solve the exhaustion from your commute.
Ask your team if you could work from home 1 day a week. Or if you could leave earlier than others on Friday but keep working from home so you’re caught up.
It sounds like your commute is public transport, because you’re talking about reading. So maybe you can do work in that hour, which cuts down on your time in the office.
You should eventually move or find a closer job. Long commutes are bad for your health in the long run.
Why did you pick the spot to live in to begin with? Millennial here who really enjoys the flexibility of wfh but do not understand this view of being shocked at how bad commuting is. It sucks, but once upon a time not too long ago we actually had to consider proximity to the office when we picked up and moved for work. It’s been pretty obvious that permanent wfh was never an option with the powers that be in finance, so…goes back to…why did you make the decision to begin with.
If I had to work 60 hour weeks in the office no way would I do an hour commute. Out of curiosity, are you reverse commuting?
Yeah reverse commute.
I would seriously consider moving closer, especially since the COL will (likely) be lower near work instead of in the city. Yes, living in the city sounds exciting, but why subject yourself to a long train ride and ticket, and pay (presumably) much more for a smaller city apartment, all while potentially sacrificing your early career? Find a friend to crash over the weekend if you go out in the city.
I commute about an hour each way, but do not have quite as rigorous hours as you, albeit close. I found that if I arrive really early and duck out early some days, I can drop my commute to about 45 minutes - but that's not everyone's circumstance. I own my house so won't be moving closer due to housing costs closer in to the city.
The exhaustion from work, frustration from commute, and lack of any personal time can quite literally kill you if you don't find ways to cope. It's a real struggle when you're working 70+ hours a week with that long of a commute on top of it, especially if you're not making enough money to splurge on yourself at least a little bit.
My only advice comes from my experience coping with it. I stay up late for "revenge bedtime procrastination", on commutes I switch off days between audiobooks, podcasts, radio or an album/playlist that gets me psyched up, and my days off I go do something outside to get sunlight. It's not perfect, but if you're focused on growing your career, it's just something many of us have to figure out how to manage and structure out lives around. Best of luck
60 hours a week is way too many to commute 2 hours a day. That makes your week really closer to 70 hours. Even with a 9-5, 2 hours a day is still a shitty commute.
Ask to WFH at least 2 days a week for now. Ideally nonconsecutive days like Tu/Th so you aren't driving back to back days. Healthy eating and no caffeine will not change this.
If you don't see yourself staying there another year and that's what's stopping you from moving closer, do a long term Airbnb or furnished corporate rental, or just try and lateral sooner than later.
What general region are you if you don't mind me asking. I did this for a couple years and have an opinion. Feel free to PM
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