First week back at work after the Christmas holidays is a killer for most people, but particularly those of us who hate our jobs with a passion. All I can say is, it's like I've never been away.
A colleague of mine has been on long-term sick since October. The sick notes from his doctor that he emails through every two weeks reveal his symptoms to be "low mood".
Excuse my French, but LOW FUCKING MOOD?!? There's not a single person in our office... hell, you'd struggle to find anyone in the entire building... who isn't suffering from PERMANENT low mood! My mood's so low, it's already 6 feet under. God knows what it'll be like after another 20 years of this shit - 30, if Iain Duncan Smith has his way on upping the state pension age to 75+.
Low mood. Jesus wept.
Here's Chip Taylor. He's used up all his sick days, so he just phoned in dead.
First week is always the worst Rol although I suspect that is little consolation.
ReplyDeleteStay strong
Cheers, CC. It gets harder to go back after every holiday.
DeleteWhen I was a kid we were told by the media and our schools that automation and robots would do more of the labour intensive work freeing up people to work shorter hours and retire much earlier.
ReplyDeleteNowadays, most working people are working longer hours and might have to face another 10 years of slog before they retire.
It makes me glad that I'm old and already past the current retirement age. If Iain Duncan Blood On His Hands ever shows up in my neck of the woods I'll go postal on the gobshite.
Rol - you need to get a doctor like the one your colleague has.
I'm not sure robots could do my job, but I'd happily give them a shot.
DeleteHorrible feeling to be stuck in a job that one is not enjoying - especially when those around are dropping like flies (Low Mood?).
ReplyDelete2nd January my back spasms started again with the stress of returning to a sh*tty place in a couiple of days.
Fortunately for me there seems to be a bit of change gone on, and I'm actually doing something I feel is worthwhile.
Best advice - or sh*t advice, you choose - Keep going, "This soon will pass" (the words of a therapist I visited last year, which seem to be coming true)
It does pass... but every time it does, it ends up getting subtly worse!
DeleteWish I knew what the answer was, Rol, but it's a terrible indictment of the workplace generally that you're all in that low mood. I think I've now rendered myself completely unemployable in any traditional sense as I'm just too used to the freelance life but it's this kind of thing that puts me off even more. May be a stupid question but are there ever any openings to do what you do or similar but on a freelance/self-employed basis too so you can find it more rewarding? Teaching one-to-one or running your own creative writing courses or ESOL groups or anything?
ReplyDeleteThere are, C, but not ones which will pay my sizable mortgage. Working in FE is badly paid compared to regular teaching anyway, and our place us behind most. But I'm a bit niche in what I do as I prefer teaching adult learners to kids, and opportunities in that area are rocking horse droppings.
DeleteI've missed a lot this last month but spotted this post and although it's really quite funny (the whole "low mood" thing) of course I commiserate as I know I've been there. Wish I could give some great advice but everyone's situation is different so not easy. What I would say is do something about it before it all comes to a head - Speak to someone in HR or your line manager. It's far worse for an organisation to lose key people than to meet them halfway for the sake of their mental welfare. We have become slaves to our mortgages which is a real shame. As for the low mood, I'm now taking St Johns Wort daily, and I really think it helps - No need for sick notes at all.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Alyson. I get by. I think our place views everybody as replaceable. I haven't seen them make any effort to hang on to people on the verge of leaving for whatever reason. I already rattle with all the pills I take, but I might give SJW another go.
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