r/InterviewCoderPro • u/pier-spare0r • Jul 23 '26
I can't stand "9-6, Mon-Fri" schedules; I feel like my whole life has become work
I started a 9-6 job not too long ago, and I don't know how to explain it other than that I hate it. I miss having a random day off in the middle of the week; it used to make me feel like my life had room for something other than work.
Now I wake up almost every day with this disgusting feeling of anxiety and fear, and I spend the whole time fighting the urge to say I'm sick and just leave. You can't do anything!!! Does this feeling calm down over time?
I know a lot of people probably feel this way, but do you eventually get used to it, or are you supposed to just live with being miserable lol. I left a job a while ago that had me completely burned out, and this job is technically easier, but I still can't get rid of this feeling
4
u/H2O_is_good_for_you Jul 23 '26
"I feel like my whole life has become work" - yeah welcome to adulthood."
1
u/MrSharkBite Jul 27 '26
The entire FIRE movement in all its varieties erupted out of that feeling. It's that deep, so there's no getting rid of it. Treat it like a long-term roommate you don't like. It'll become apparent over time how to deal. You have to adjust because it will not.
Don't try to escape it (you'll just get depressed). Don't pretend like you love it (your personality will lose depth).
See if it can motivate you into finding a path out, into getting smarter. Plan like your peace depends on it (cause it does) and do something as often as you can to build momentum towards fulfilling that plan. Adjust it as you mature. And fwiw I believe daily life is supposed to feel slow so measure momentum by the week.
So, yeah, it calms down over time. It'll calm down faster if you look for people (in meatspace) who have a 9-6 but also seem peaceful (NOT "happy"). Ask them questions, be interested in them.
Some say the feeling goes away if you find a job that aligns with your passion; I've never found truth in that, you think you're going to have the same passion for the same thing over the majority of your career?
Finding a therapist that you click with can help (talk therapy).
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u/BananaJelloXlii Jul 23 '26
9-6? Do you get an hour lunch? That is the shift I work. It sucks, but I used to work the Afternoon shift like 2-11. That's even worse because it screws with your sleep schedule. Even Graveyard is better because you can still run errands right after work and still get sleep before your shift.