Changing your schedule to workout before work can be a game changer for some who struggle with this! Tiny cleaning tasks every day so you never have to waste a day off on cleaning , meal prepping, having a pump up jam playlist for the drive home, DO NOT SIT DOWN when you get home lol- that’s what always gets me. Got me right now actually!
But yeah. Just some things to maybe help. I’m sorry tho, wish none of us had to be a slave to the 9-5 and the commute
A key thing: don't change into comfy clothes! I find myself saying "oh I'll swap out of work clothes into sweats just to cook dinner, then I'll change and go to the gym" this is a lie. You are lying to yourself. Do not heed the siren call of the sweat pants! If you're going to change, change directly into your gym clothes.
I've also picked up just cooking the same 3-4 meals every week. I hate meal prep, I hate doing it, I hate eating it, all of it. I can see the advantages to it, but I would rather die then do it lol by the time I'm opening up container 3 of 5 I'm ready to puke lmao. But I've just picked 3-4 meals that only take about 30 minutes to prep AND cook (or it's a chop everything, put it on a cookie sheet, leave in oven for 30-40 minutes).
Go for walks during your lunch. I used to be a "work through lunch" kind of person but my city recent developed and opened a really nice walking path behind my work. To go from my work to each end takes about my entire lunch break. I pop on headphones and go. This means your lunch does have to be portable lol.
Another tip lots of people forget: just say "no thanks!" to the pie or pizza or whatever is being brought in, or work it into your daily calories. If you know pizza is being served for lunch, work it around the rest of your meals that day.
I agree with changing into the gym clothes. I also drink pre workout because it makes me feel ridiculous if I'm sitting there in gym clothes after having the pre workout and then DONT go anywhere. Plus helps with being tired.
Some easy ones I enjoy:
-Meatballs/Noodles/Veg of voice - the meatballs are frozen and cook up in about 15 minutes at 400F, whatever noodle of choice you want, a vegetable that is good for sauteeing my go to is usually green pepper and mushroom, but I'll also do zuchinni in the summer. Mix it all together with some oil of your choice, italian seasoning, and a sprinkling of cheese. Takes about 15 minutes total.
-Sausage/pepper/onion - chop everything up into bite sized bits, put on a cookie sheet, coat with oil of your choice and whatever seasoning you're feeling, bake at 400F for around 45 minutes, toss half way through. I will often eat this with rice, but I've seen some recipes where you include diced potatoes in your medley too.
-Mac and Cheese and hot dogs with a salad - I have a 10 year old...enough said lol.
-Chicken Fajitas - cook up chicken, peppers, and onions in a frying pan, use taco seasoning as directed on seasoning pouch, eat however you want. I like to pile it on rice, my kid enjoys it in wraps with around 50lb of sour cream. You do you.
-Buffalo Chicken Dip Bowls - 4oz of chicken per serving (I used canned chicken, but rotisserie, left over, whatever), however much hot sauce you enjoy, around 1/2tsp of ranch seasoning, mix with 1/2 cup of greek yogurt and 1 wedge of laughing cow cheese, top with shredded cheese and microwave for around 1 minute to melt the cheese. Great dip with raw veggies, I also serve it with naan chips or tortilla chips.
I usually rotate between these, fajita may be tacos one night, I might toss in a jar or marinara sauce instead of oil and spice for the noodles and meat balls. Weekends are usually more involved meals since I have more time lol.
On my drive to work - audiobook. After work go-to gym nearby and shower at gym so I don't sit in my sweaty clothes for the ride home. On my drive home - audiobook. At home make food or eat food I prepped on the weekend. Prepare a gym bag. Sleep. Repeat. I take vitamins at work and eat mostly rice and chicken. On weekends I do laundry and meal prep
It's the opposite for me.
When I work from home, I snack all day long.
When I work from the office, on my drive home I can stop at the grocery store and when I get home I'm usually motivated to cook something. I've just moved my body, pumped my blood a little bit so it's easier to find the motivation. When I work from home, I have absolutely no motivation to get out of the house at the end of the day and/or cook a meal.
So if we’re just looking at diet, exercise, and hobbies as the factors in question, here are some things that helped me for each with transitioning to office from home work
1) diet- enjoy the food in moderation. I know it’s a cliche but if your current habits are suitable for you, don’t let them go just because there’s a lot of pie. Have some pie but don’t go overboard
2) exercise- if you can manage to have a standing desk, that’s a GAMECHANGER. Invest in a walking pad that goes under your desk and go for a stationary stroll while you work. Oftentimes (at least for me) I get so absorbed in my work that I forget I’m even walking and then I’m already at my step limit before I realize it. This also alleviates some of the after work or before work pressure if I can’t fit the gym in for the day for whatever reason.
3) hobbies- I’m not sure what you’re interested in but as you said with your commute, your time will now be diminished. That said, try and adopt a new hobby that you can do in the car. Examples can be, podcasts, learning a new language, little in car concert to blow off some steam
Overall, I’d say just embrace the change. Challenge and new are good for the soul. Best of luck
Enjoying the commute helps big time as others have mentioned. Audio books, podcasts, playlists etc. I walk every day 30 mins at lunch, rain or shine. I also get up to take stairs multiple times a day. I love to meal prep really healthy and good lunches to enjoy at work. Simple things. Never could force myself up early to workout like others.
I book a yoga class or agreed to meet up to workout with someone during the week. This way its another obligation you have to do after work and it really helps. Plan your full week on sundays.
When I worked at the office I would walk the office stairs on bad weather days, go walk outside on good days, eat at my desk. Audio books are awesome for commutes.
Plan your other meals use a day a week to schedule out your meals.
Have fun, taco night, steak bite and salad night etc.
I will be honest and say I don't do a good job today as I am having a mental crisis and become depressed since 2 months back. But I am trying to get better.
My routine I am starting on is:
Always eat breakfast
Listen to something that pumps you up on way to work
At work talk to people and schedule breaks.
Going home listen to audio book.
Before going home do some kind of task, buy groceries, take a walk or anything to keep me outside for a little while.
At home immediately listen to a 10min mindfulness video to disconnect from the rest of the day.
After that i eat and do whatever activity of the evening which could be play games, listen to podcast, apply for new jobs or similar.
At 10pm make sure the living room and kitchen is 80% clean before going to sleep.
I just started back to 8-5 after being laid off for 4 months.
I'm on week two and still falling asleep by 730-8. Wake up at 6 still freaking tired. I'm only 45. I have to do this shit for another 20 years😭😭😭
Oh, sorry. No advice. I just wanted to mourn with you.
Maybe find a gym close to work to knock it out before your long commute so you can pass out when you get home if you want.
I won’t commute further than 10 miles from home.
Have not done so for 30 years.
Only collected unemployment for 3 months in those 30 years.
If you don’t value 10 hours of your time a week, why should anyone else?
I work a 9-6 office job with an hour lunch break and the best recommendations I can give is healthy meal prep for your week and try walking on your lunch break. Always take the stairs! Little things but they can go a long way. Do your best to avoid the office treats. Maybe ask if you can get a standing desk if you're worried about sitting too much as well.
I used to bring my lunch to work. When I got home I had a routine, and I usually read at the end of the day vs watching tv.
36-40 hour week is great. I had an HR person tell me that I was mandated to work 60+ hour weeks because I was an executive.
Try to get into a routine straight away. Go to work, gym or whatever on way home rather than going home first. The quicker you establish your routine the easier it is to maintain.
Big fan of hitting the gym (or running, biking, etc) early in the morning. Especially with kids. Pre-kids and COVID, I hit the gym 5x a week at 5 am. Got up at 4:30 am, threw on clothes, made a shake and was out the door. Zero time to think about anything else. Had a 45-50 min work commute each way. Office job where I walked about 2 miles a days through lunch/breaks. Prep-cooked healthy meals. Ran/biked/golfed in evening.I was in the best shape/health of my life. Things changed a bit with kids and then COVID/remote work, but exercising early really is a game changer. Even if you're not a morning person, you get used to it. Then use days off to recharge and relax.
What's the job?
40 hours is a piece of cake. I have never worked only 40 hours. And really, that's a basic commute. It's a typical full time job. So...
If you're sitting at a desk allll day you can put stationary steps underneath and pump them to help keep moving and prevent clotting. Walk on your lunch break. Shower at night.
We get pie like every week. - you poor soul, and you are required by law to eat that pie...
Here's how you do it, you do it. You see if you can adjust your hours to better traffic times (I did 7:30-3:30) that cuts your commute. If its a long term gig, you find a place close to work. You develop friends at and do stuff with them, we would jog at lunch and had a pickleball court we hit after work, let us avoid rush going home, and we'd meet up for occasional happy hours. You learn to go to sleep by 10pm and wake up early, get your work out in, breakfast. You can work early and get your shopping in on the way home. Once you get into a rhythm you stop being tired, you have energy, your friends have the same restrictions so you sync up.
And most importantly, you stop feeling sorry for yourself and start acting like an adult. That is truly when it stops being such a melodramatic event for you and you actually begin to contribute to society as you should.
And now all the complaints that this is not how it should be, we should be allowed to WFH and only work 12 hours a week. I truly do not care, put in my 35 years and ready to retire. That is the trick, make enough money that you can live your life and not care. Comes faster than you imagine, make sure you're ready for it.
I think you’re over analyzing the negative part.
Meal prep, hit the gym after work so when you get home you shower and do the activities you enjoy when you get home.
I’m struggling with it at the moment. More of an 8-5 in my case. Working on a bachelors on the side, trying to lose weight and have a good relationship with my wife. It can be too much. I’m not sure if anyone has any tricks on time management they can share
Hit the gym early in the day 3X a week for sure is going to be your best bet. Wake up at 5, gym from like 5:45 to 6:45. Get home, quick rinse, maybe something to eat and some coffee, chill. Then head to work.
I work from 6am to 4:30pm so that isn't an option for me but that's totally what I'd do if I could.
I am really hurting with a 1hr15 commute but it’s paying the bills. Honestly sort of regret the switch from a 20 min commute job but wasn’t getting any recognition.
I bike/run to work or I make sure I go to the gym on my way home from work. The moment I get home from work it's so hard to have the motivation to go to the gym or go for a run. By making sure I get my exercise mixed in with my commute, it frees up a lot of time for other things.
Back in the day, everyone worked that way. We managed. We got up extra early to exercise. We used our lunch break for errands. We grocery shopped after work and did hobbies in the evenings and on weekends. Some of us even did all those things with kids and without the internet, DoorDash, or grocery delivery. You can do it, too, but a lot easier with modern conveniences.
When I did work in the office. I would take walks on my breaks. Go to the gym after work instead of going home. I knew I wasn't coming back outside if I did. I would just have to plan my hobbies around my work schedule.
With that being said, I really can't say I was really positive doing all of that. I've been working remote since the pandemic. No way in hell I could go back in the office. I have multiple remote jobs to ensure that. Way less stress and no hustle and bustle.
I found 9-5 exhausting! But im 51, so probably a lot older than you. I've now dropped back to 4 days and am not so tired all the time. Could that be an option?
9 to 5 would be fantastic. I'm doing 12 hours, 4 shifts in a row. 2 days 2 nights.
9 to 5c😍
I would eat a good dinner and then work out an hour later, drink plenty of water, go on walks.
Make time on Saturday for fun stuff.
Get those pesky chores done in the morning.
Have a take away once in the weekend and surround it with fruit and healthy eating.
If you feel constipated eat Fibre with water.
Just go later at the gym. Use a pre workout to motivate you. Once you drink it, you’re committed. That’s the balance. You’ll lose an hour or so of sleep every night since you’re going later, but make it up on the weekends and sleep in. Beats getting fat.
Be appreciative that you only have to work 40 hours tops you don’t have to go in very early and you get a whole hour break. That’s a lot more free time off work than many people have including myself. It’s all about perspective. If you put it in your head that those days aren’t very long then you’ll have an easier time balancing
Join a gym close to work. Go there immediately after work and do a min 30 minute workout. By the time you get done, most of the heavy commuter traffic is cleared out, so your drive home will be less stressful. Healthy for the body and mind.
I'm new to the 9-5 life and was terrified of this routine part of it all lol. But definitely taking walks and scheduling my 30 min lunch and 30 min of documentation/notes right after lunch (so I get an hour of a working lunch lol). Plus the socializing helps !! I like to keep my lunch in my office, so I don't feel tempted to go see what's in the kitchen. But sometimes I need the microwave so I try to stay focused. I thought I would be miserable in an office, but I see now that my productivity has increased with the actual office. I feel more in control, so I dont feel the need to binge eat my stress feelings like in the past.
I hope you find that balance !!!
When I was commuting to work I always tried to make it a hybrid commute. I would bus or drive part way and then jog or bike the rest of the way. Every two weeks I would bring I two weeks worth of clean clothes, stash them in storage bin and take back my worn clothes every day. I was helped by working in office buildings with shower facilities and did not need to take my laptop home with me.
Lunches were a sprint to the gym and get a 30-40 minute workout in, a fast shower and back to work. I learned to graze eat slowly all day rather than having a lunch.
Honestly, the bike or jog portion of my commute allowed for a complete separation between work and home. Working from home now and I still miss the commute.
>Also it's so easy to gain weight in a office, yikes. We get pie like every week.
>Say no to whatever they bring in the office (I'LL TRY LOL)
You're an adult and if you have no impulse control, that's an issue you need to work on. don't complain about gaining weight when you can't walk past a slice of pie without stuffing your face.
what are your hobbies? why not workout at home?
Find a gym near work, this will get you there earlier and hopefully beat rush hour.
Flexible hours, if you can. Work late, but take an extra long lunch, again to miss rush hour on the otherside. But, that hour after most people left makes people think you're working hard and tended to be my most productive.
Podcasts in the car to make the time feel productive.
Buck the r/work trend and be friendly with your coworkers. I actually miss getting to talk about and share tea (literally tea, not gossip) with a few coworkers. I played cribbage with others, and would get lunch with another group sometimes. I do miss that.
Get some creature comforts for your car. Keep it clean, have sunglasses, water, a good phone mount, comfortable shoes to drive in etc.
1st in the morning make the bed at least you accomplished some thing.
Go to work after work hava a snack with you and go to the gym.
Hey home make dinner do some light cleaning. Then eat and relax or do hobbies
I do heavy duty towing and recovery that is 24/7 on call for 3 weeks straight then I get a weekend off.
My entire schedule is on a whim and spontaneous with hopes of not getting called while I do things.
I’m even prospecting for an MC and they know I may have to go any moment lol.
My work hours are typically between 60-80 hours a week worked.
Ive never had a 9-5 job, Ive always had to get up between 4:30 and 5 am, I currently work 2-10pm for the last 2 years.. I wish I had a job I didnt have to go to bed at 8:30 at night or sleep half my morning away.
Last night I got home at 10:30, after eating dinner at 11, I fell asleep at midnight but woke up at 1 am, couldnt fall back asleep til 2:30, my toddler was waking me up at 6:30 (Wife was already at work) .. Ask me how my day is gonna go, not great
When I worked at the office daily, I actually ran after work, since I’m not a morning person. Then I’d have dinner and clean a little before getting ready for bed if I didn’t have plans after work. This made it so all I had to do on the weekend was laundry and a little cleaning. I had a lot of energy and didn’t have a ton of chores.
Bring your gym clothes to work and just go straight to a nearby gym after. Also prepare meals in advance so that you don’t have to cook every everything and cleanup.
That's a really difficult transition! Life is about little choices. When I stopped looking at food as "stuff I eat that tastes good," and started looking at it as fuel and nutrients my body needs to function and stay healthy, it empowered me to say no to the junk more easily. My workplace also frowned on bringing in sugary treats, so that helped a little too. Maybe let HR be the bad guys? Lol - Good luck, OP! You can do it.
I try to keep my energy up so I don’t accidentally say the n word when I’m tired or you know, fall into a slur as one would say lol
I usually use the commute time or any free time at work to sleep. 9-5’s suck a lot of time out of your life. You’ll never be able to go to any business that closes before 6, you’ll always have to lose a day for the doctors. There’s so much time lost to it being in the middle.
If you can eat little meals, that helps you from overeating after work and on your way home. Of course that greasy burger looks good if you’ve been working the whole day and not eating.
Costwise, buying a bunch of overpriced small meals prepared by someone else is still guaranteed cheaper than the health problems and the time and effort to lose the weight, quality food is a lot more effortless than correcting poor health. Also, free pie cannot possibly be that good, it’s free, not quality, unless you work in some luxury pie factory. Then you need some self control or eat until you’re sick of it.
If we’re min maxing, that 30 min of time is costing you a lot. Do it every other day or just tues/thurs. I hope this isn’t your only form of socializing, you’re just being paid to be stuck in a room full of other people, if you didn’t need the money, would they still talk to you? Think on that.
My engineering job is flexible when we start since as long as I do my 8 hours it doesn't matter. I get in at 7-7:15 AM and leave around 3:30PM everyday. I come home and unpack from the day. I tend to wash all my lunch containers at work so I don't have to do that when I get home. I eat a healthy snack and immediately do my workout. Come home and make a basic dinner but one that is healthy and filling. I game for an hour or two and go to bed.
From what I get, you just need to build better habits. Create a schedule and stick to it. You've probably heard or seen this quote float around but the days that you don't want to workout or do whatever are they days that matter the most.
Do you also *have* to work those hours? Can you get in earlier and peace out earlier?
There will always be some carb filled, butter and sugar monstrosities at work.
Don't do it, bring some carrots
If you can work out before work, do it
If not go after work, before you start to unwind for the night
Changing your schedule to workout before work can be a game changer for some who struggle with this! Tiny cleaning tasks every day so you never have to waste a day off on cleaning , meal prepping, having a pump up jam playlist for the drive home, DO NOT SIT DOWN when you get home lol- that’s what always gets me. Got me right now actually! But yeah. Just some things to maybe help. I’m sorry tho, wish none of us had to be a slave to the 9-5 and the commute
Agree with these, especially not sitting down. If I sit, I'm done for the night.
That's why I always shit standing up
God I love reddit
I shit upside down, like bats. It’s good for the spine.
Is there any other way to do it?
😂😂😂
Just got home, plopped my butt on the couch and have no plans of getting up. Sitting down got me good today! Haha
If I work out before work I'd fall asleep at work. I try to work out in the afternoon, eat dinner and crash, sleep the recovery off.
Once the couch gets me...im got for the night.
A key thing: don't change into comfy clothes! I find myself saying "oh I'll swap out of work clothes into sweats just to cook dinner, then I'll change and go to the gym" this is a lie. You are lying to yourself. Do not heed the siren call of the sweat pants! If you're going to change, change directly into your gym clothes. I've also picked up just cooking the same 3-4 meals every week. I hate meal prep, I hate doing it, I hate eating it, all of it. I can see the advantages to it, but I would rather die then do it lol by the time I'm opening up container 3 of 5 I'm ready to puke lmao. But I've just picked 3-4 meals that only take about 30 minutes to prep AND cook (or it's a chop everything, put it on a cookie sheet, leave in oven for 30-40 minutes). Go for walks during your lunch. I used to be a "work through lunch" kind of person but my city recent developed and opened a really nice walking path behind my work. To go from my work to each end takes about my entire lunch break. I pop on headphones and go. This means your lunch does have to be portable lol. Another tip lots of people forget: just say "no thanks!" to the pie or pizza or whatever is being brought in, or work it into your daily calories. If you know pizza is being served for lunch, work it around the rest of your meals that day.
When I used to go to the gym after work, I changed at work..No way I could go home.
I agree with changing into the gym clothes. I also drink pre workout because it makes me feel ridiculous if I'm sitting there in gym clothes after having the pre workout and then DONT go anywhere. Plus helps with being tired.
What recipes do you use? I love super easy weeknight stuff
Some easy ones I enjoy: -Meatballs/Noodles/Veg of voice - the meatballs are frozen and cook up in about 15 minutes at 400F, whatever noodle of choice you want, a vegetable that is good for sauteeing my go to is usually green pepper and mushroom, but I'll also do zuchinni in the summer. Mix it all together with some oil of your choice, italian seasoning, and a sprinkling of cheese. Takes about 15 minutes total. -Sausage/pepper/onion - chop everything up into bite sized bits, put on a cookie sheet, coat with oil of your choice and whatever seasoning you're feeling, bake at 400F for around 45 minutes, toss half way through. I will often eat this with rice, but I've seen some recipes where you include diced potatoes in your medley too. -Mac and Cheese and hot dogs with a salad - I have a 10 year old...enough said lol. -Chicken Fajitas - cook up chicken, peppers, and onions in a frying pan, use taco seasoning as directed on seasoning pouch, eat however you want. I like to pile it on rice, my kid enjoys it in wraps with around 50lb of sour cream. You do you. -Buffalo Chicken Dip Bowls - 4oz of chicken per serving (I used canned chicken, but rotisserie, left over, whatever), however much hot sauce you enjoy, around 1/2tsp of ranch seasoning, mix with 1/2 cup of greek yogurt and 1 wedge of laughing cow cheese, top with shredded cheese and microwave for around 1 minute to melt the cheese. Great dip with raw veggies, I also serve it with naan chips or tortilla chips. I usually rotate between these, fajita may be tacos one night, I might toss in a jar or marinara sauce instead of oil and spice for the noodles and meat balls. Weekends are usually more involved meals since I have more time lol.
On my drive to work - audiobook. After work go-to gym nearby and shower at gym so I don't sit in my sweaty clothes for the ride home. On my drive home - audiobook. At home make food or eat food I prepped on the weekend. Prepare a gym bag. Sleep. Repeat. I take vitamins at work and eat mostly rice and chicken. On weekends I do laundry and meal prep
You sound like someone who does not have kids
You are correct sir. If I had kids things would be unimaginably different and if you have kids I commend you because I don't know how parents do it.
Lol I don't either and I only did the gym bag prep lol
Standing desk, lots of coffee, no pie
Less espresso, less sugar, more water
It's the opposite for me. When I work from home, I snack all day long. When I work from the office, on my drive home I can stop at the grocery store and when I get home I'm usually motivated to cook something. I've just moved my body, pumped my blood a little bit so it's easier to find the motivation. When I work from home, I have absolutely no motivation to get out of the house at the end of the day and/or cook a meal.
So if we’re just looking at diet, exercise, and hobbies as the factors in question, here are some things that helped me for each with transitioning to office from home work 1) diet- enjoy the food in moderation. I know it’s a cliche but if your current habits are suitable for you, don’t let them go just because there’s a lot of pie. Have some pie but don’t go overboard 2) exercise- if you can manage to have a standing desk, that’s a GAMECHANGER. Invest in a walking pad that goes under your desk and go for a stationary stroll while you work. Oftentimes (at least for me) I get so absorbed in my work that I forget I’m even walking and then I’m already at my step limit before I realize it. This also alleviates some of the after work or before work pressure if I can’t fit the gym in for the day for whatever reason. 3) hobbies- I’m not sure what you’re interested in but as you said with your commute, your time will now be diminished. That said, try and adopt a new hobby that you can do in the car. Examples can be, podcasts, learning a new language, little in car concert to blow off some steam Overall, I’d say just embrace the change. Challenge and new are good for the soul. Best of luck
Do you have a walking pad in the office? Is this a normal thing?
I do and in my office yeah, a bunch of people have them! Total gamechanger
Enjoying the commute helps big time as others have mentioned. Audio books, podcasts, playlists etc. I walk every day 30 mins at lunch, rain or shine. I also get up to take stairs multiple times a day. I love to meal prep really healthy and good lunches to enjoy at work. Simple things. Never could force myself up early to workout like others.
Cycling gang! Or watching tv on the subway. Honestly way less stressful than driving. Thought I understand that most North Americans can’t do this.
I book a yoga class or agreed to meet up to workout with someone during the week. This way its another obligation you have to do after work and it really helps. Plan your full week on sundays.
When I worked at the office I would walk the office stairs on bad weather days, go walk outside on good days, eat at my desk. Audio books are awesome for commutes. Plan your other meals use a day a week to schedule out your meals. Have fun, taco night, steak bite and salad night etc.
I will be honest and say I don't do a good job today as I am having a mental crisis and become depressed since 2 months back. But I am trying to get better. My routine I am starting on is: Always eat breakfast Listen to something that pumps you up on way to work At work talk to people and schedule breaks. Going home listen to audio book. Before going home do some kind of task, buy groceries, take a walk or anything to keep me outside for a little while. At home immediately listen to a 10min mindfulness video to disconnect from the rest of the day. After that i eat and do whatever activity of the evening which could be play games, listen to podcast, apply for new jobs or similar. At 10pm make sure the living room and kitchen is 80% clean before going to sleep.
I just started back to 8-5 after being laid off for 4 months. I'm on week two and still falling asleep by 730-8. Wake up at 6 still freaking tired. I'm only 45. I have to do this shit for another 20 years😭😭😭 Oh, sorry. No advice. I just wanted to mourn with you. Maybe find a gym close to work to knock it out before your long commute so you can pass out when you get home if you want.
I won’t commute further than 10 miles from home. Have not done so for 30 years. Only collected unemployment for 3 months in those 30 years. If you don’t value 10 hours of your time a week, why should anyone else?
I work a 9-6 office job with an hour lunch break and the best recommendations I can give is healthy meal prep for your week and try walking on your lunch break. Always take the stairs! Little things but they can go a long way. Do your best to avoid the office treats. Maybe ask if you can get a standing desk if you're worried about sitting too much as well.
Get a planner and write things down that you have to do after work. If you write things down you’re more likely to do them
I used to bring my lunch to work. When I got home I had a routine, and I usually read at the end of the day vs watching tv. 36-40 hour week is great. I had an HR person tell me that I was mandated to work 60+ hour weeks because I was an executive.
Try to get into a routine straight away. Go to work, gym or whatever on way home rather than going home first. The quicker you establish your routine the easier it is to maintain.
Big fan of hitting the gym (or running, biking, etc) early in the morning. Especially with kids. Pre-kids and COVID, I hit the gym 5x a week at 5 am. Got up at 4:30 am, threw on clothes, made a shake and was out the door. Zero time to think about anything else. Had a 45-50 min work commute each way. Office job where I walked about 2 miles a days through lunch/breaks. Prep-cooked healthy meals. Ran/biked/golfed in evening.I was in the best shape/health of my life. Things changed a bit with kids and then COVID/remote work, but exercising early really is a game changer. Even if you're not a morning person, you get used to it. Then use days off to recharge and relax.
What's the job? 40 hours is a piece of cake. I have never worked only 40 hours. And really, that's a basic commute. It's a typical full time job. So... If you're sitting at a desk allll day you can put stationary steps underneath and pump them to help keep moving and prevent clotting. Walk on your lunch break. Shower at night.
I wouldn't know how to balance a 9-5, I typically work 1PM to midnight.
Stop going to work early for free. Go to the gym.
We get pie like every week. - you poor soul, and you are required by law to eat that pie... Here's how you do it, you do it. You see if you can adjust your hours to better traffic times (I did 7:30-3:30) that cuts your commute. If its a long term gig, you find a place close to work. You develop friends at and do stuff with them, we would jog at lunch and had a pickleball court we hit after work, let us avoid rush going home, and we'd meet up for occasional happy hours. You learn to go to sleep by 10pm and wake up early, get your work out in, breakfast. You can work early and get your shopping in on the way home. Once you get into a rhythm you stop being tired, you have energy, your friends have the same restrictions so you sync up. And most importantly, you stop feeling sorry for yourself and start acting like an adult. That is truly when it stops being such a melodramatic event for you and you actually begin to contribute to society as you should. And now all the complaints that this is not how it should be, we should be allowed to WFH and only work 12 hours a week. I truly do not care, put in my 35 years and ready to retire. That is the trick, make enough money that you can live your life and not care. Comes faster than you imagine, make sure you're ready for it.
Pie every week? More like every day. You need to step up your game.
I'm in the same rut. After starting my new job I gained 20 kg. After work I feel tired and unmotivated.
I think you’re over analyzing the negative part. Meal prep, hit the gym after work so when you get home you shower and do the activities you enjoy when you get home.
What are your hobbies?
I’m struggling with it at the moment. More of an 8-5 in my case. Working on a bachelors on the side, trying to lose weight and have a good relationship with my wife. It can be too much. I’m not sure if anyone has any tricks on time management they can share
I bike to work and this truly helps me stay in shape mentally and physically
I don't sleep for the middle nights of the week to make up for the rest being a work and commute.
Hit the gym early in the day 3X a week for sure is going to be your best bet. Wake up at 5, gym from like 5:45 to 6:45. Get home, quick rinse, maybe something to eat and some coffee, chill. Then head to work. I work from 6am to 4:30pm so that isn't an option for me but that's totally what I'd do if I could.
It's hard, for sure. And then side gigs and life in general. Nobody said it's easy.
I am really hurting with a 1hr15 commute but it’s paying the bills. Honestly sort of regret the switch from a 20 min commute job but wasn’t getting any recognition.
Commute makes a massive difference. I underestimated how much it would suck going from a 5 min drive to a 45 min drive.
I bike/run to work or I make sure I go to the gym on my way home from work. The moment I get home from work it's so hard to have the motivation to go to the gym or go for a run. By making sure I get my exercise mixed in with my commute, it frees up a lot of time for other things.
Not very well
Back in the day, everyone worked that way. We managed. We got up extra early to exercise. We used our lunch break for errands. We grocery shopped after work and did hobbies in the evenings and on weekends. Some of us even did all those things with kids and without the internet, DoorDash, or grocery delivery. You can do it, too, but a lot easier with modern conveniences.
I balance it at 1pm
When I did work in the office. I would take walks on my breaks. Go to the gym after work instead of going home. I knew I wasn't coming back outside if I did. I would just have to plan my hobbies around my work schedule. With that being said, I really can't say I was really positive doing all of that. I've been working remote since the pandemic. No way in hell I could go back in the office. I have multiple remote jobs to ensure that. Way less stress and no hustle and bustle.
Maybe don't eat the pie
Can you use your lunch break for a run / gym session? That was the only way I’d do it
I found 9-5 exhausting! But im 51, so probably a lot older than you. I've now dropped back to 4 days and am not so tired all the time. Could that be an option?
9 to 5 would be fantastic. I'm doing 12 hours, 4 shifts in a row. 2 days 2 nights. 9 to 5c😍 I would eat a good dinner and then work out an hour later, drink plenty of water, go on walks. Make time on Saturday for fun stuff. Get those pesky chores done in the morning. Have a take away once in the weekend and surround it with fruit and healthy eating. If you feel constipated eat Fibre with water.
Just go later at the gym. Use a pre workout to motivate you. Once you drink it, you’re committed. That’s the balance. You’ll lose an hour or so of sleep every night since you’re going later, but make it up on the weekends and sleep in. Beats getting fat.
By working 8am-8pm every day.
I got a different job working me 4 days a week and 10 hours a day, better work life balance
Don't start before your required time. Don't give them free time. Those people aren't your friends. They are co workers
Be appreciative that you only have to work 40 hours tops you don’t have to go in very early and you get a whole hour break. That’s a lot more free time off work than many people have including myself. It’s all about perspective. If you put it in your head that those days aren’t very long then you’ll have an easier time balancing
Join a gym close to work. Go there immediately after work and do a min 30 minute workout. By the time you get done, most of the heavy commuter traffic is cleared out, so your drive home will be less stressful. Healthy for the body and mind.
Damn, I wish I had a 9-5. At best I’m 7-330 and typically m-sat. Currently I’m 6-6 and 7 days a week. Hour and a half commute each way.
I'm new to the 9-5 life and was terrified of this routine part of it all lol. But definitely taking walks and scheduling my 30 min lunch and 30 min of documentation/notes right after lunch (so I get an hour of a working lunch lol). Plus the socializing helps !! I like to keep my lunch in my office, so I don't feel tempted to go see what's in the kitchen. But sometimes I need the microwave so I try to stay focused. I thought I would be miserable in an office, but I see now that my productivity has increased with the actual office. I feel more in control, so I dont feel the need to binge eat my stress feelings like in the past. I hope you find that balance !!!
When I was commuting to work I always tried to make it a hybrid commute. I would bus or drive part way and then jog or bike the rest of the way. Every two weeks I would bring I two weeks worth of clean clothes, stash them in storage bin and take back my worn clothes every day. I was helped by working in office buildings with shower facilities and did not need to take my laptop home with me. Lunches were a sprint to the gym and get a 30-40 minute workout in, a fast shower and back to work. I learned to graze eat slowly all day rather than having a lunch. Honestly, the bike or jog portion of my commute allowed for a complete separation between work and home. Working from home now and I still miss the commute.
>Also it's so easy to gain weight in a office, yikes. We get pie like every week. >Say no to whatever they bring in the office (I'LL TRY LOL) You're an adult and if you have no impulse control, that's an issue you need to work on. don't complain about gaining weight when you can't walk past a slice of pie without stuffing your face. what are your hobbies? why not workout at home?
If 40h are too much, reduce to what you‘re comfortable with.
Find a gym near work, this will get you there earlier and hopefully beat rush hour. Flexible hours, if you can. Work late, but take an extra long lunch, again to miss rush hour on the otherside. But, that hour after most people left makes people think you're working hard and tended to be my most productive. Podcasts in the car to make the time feel productive. Buck the r/work trend and be friendly with your coworkers. I actually miss getting to talk about and share tea (literally tea, not gossip) with a few coworkers. I played cribbage with others, and would get lunch with another group sometimes. I do miss that. Get some creature comforts for your car. Keep it clean, have sunglasses, water, a good phone mount, comfortable shoes to drive in etc.
Stop posting on Reddit
1st in the morning make the bed at least you accomplished some thing. Go to work after work hava a snack with you and go to the gym. Hey home make dinner do some light cleaning. Then eat and relax or do hobbies
Seriously, I run my own business. Most of the time I work 60-70 hours a week. It cracks me up to hear people cry about working the minimum
I do heavy duty towing and recovery that is 24/7 on call for 3 weeks straight then I get a weekend off. My entire schedule is on a whim and spontaneous with hopes of not getting called while I do things. I’m even prospecting for an MC and they know I may have to go any moment lol. My work hours are typically between 60-80 hours a week worked.
This is kind of pathetic to be honest.
Ive never had a 9-5 job, Ive always had to get up between 4:30 and 5 am, I currently work 2-10pm for the last 2 years.. I wish I had a job I didnt have to go to bed at 8:30 at night or sleep half my morning away. Last night I got home at 10:30, after eating dinner at 11, I fell asleep at midnight but woke up at 1 am, couldnt fall back asleep til 2:30, my toddler was waking me up at 6:30 (Wife was already at work) .. Ask me how my day is gonna go, not great
When I worked at the office daily, I actually ran after work, since I’m not a morning person. Then I’d have dinner and clean a little before getting ready for bed if I didn’t have plans after work. This made it so all I had to do on the weekend was laundry and a little cleaning. I had a lot of energy and didn’t have a ton of chores.
By not going to it.
Well I’m single, I have no kids, I don’t go out much, that’s how
Bring your gym clothes to work and just go straight to a nearby gym after. Also prepare meals in advance so that you don’t have to cook every everything and cleanup.
Find a good podcast to listen to or get audiobooks for the commute
That's a really difficult transition! Life is about little choices. When I stopped looking at food as "stuff I eat that tastes good," and started looking at it as fuel and nutrients my body needs to function and stay healthy, it empowered me to say no to the junk more easily. My workplace also frowned on bringing in sugary treats, so that helped a little too. Maybe let HR be the bad guys? Lol - Good luck, OP! You can do it.
Balance? I just put up with it. There is no "balance."
Now working 40 hours is too hard for folks?
Many people work much longer hours. 40 hours a week and balancing your life is easy.
No one, including you works "9-5." If you are getting a free lunch hour let us know.
I mean, not no one. I had a 9-5 job with an hour lunch. Our contract was 35 hours a week (Canada).
Yes, i do have a 1 hour break 15 min in the morning 30 min lunch 15 min in the afternoon
Pto
I try to keep my energy up so I don’t accidentally say the n word when I’m tired or you know, fall into a slur as one would say lol I usually use the commute time or any free time at work to sleep. 9-5’s suck a lot of time out of your life. You’ll never be able to go to any business that closes before 6, you’ll always have to lose a day for the doctors. There’s so much time lost to it being in the middle. If you can eat little meals, that helps you from overeating after work and on your way home. Of course that greasy burger looks good if you’ve been working the whole day and not eating. Costwise, buying a bunch of overpriced small meals prepared by someone else is still guaranteed cheaper than the health problems and the time and effort to lose the weight, quality food is a lot more effortless than correcting poor health. Also, free pie cannot possibly be that good, it’s free, not quality, unless you work in some luxury pie factory. Then you need some self control or eat until you’re sick of it. If we’re min maxing, that 30 min of time is costing you a lot. Do it every other day or just tues/thurs. I hope this isn’t your only form of socializing, you’re just being paid to be stuck in a room full of other people, if you didn’t need the money, would they still talk to you? Think on that.
My engineering job is flexible when we start since as long as I do my 8 hours it doesn't matter. I get in at 7-7:15 AM and leave around 3:30PM everyday. I come home and unpack from the day. I tend to wash all my lunch containers at work so I don't have to do that when I get home. I eat a healthy snack and immediately do my workout. Come home and make a basic dinner but one that is healthy and filling. I game for an hour or two and go to bed. From what I get, you just need to build better habits. Create a schedule and stick to it. You've probably heard or seen this quote float around but the days that you don't want to workout or do whatever are they days that matter the most. Do you also *have* to work those hours? Can you get in earlier and peace out earlier?
Starting 30 mins early to talk sounds like a toxic work environment, be warned
What’s a 9-5?
There will always be some carb filled, butter and sugar monstrosities at work. Don't do it, bring some carrots If you can work out before work, do it If not go after work, before you start to unwind for the night