How to stay sane working 84 hours a week?

The one thing I can tell you is that make sure you get enough sleep and yet try to carve out a little "me" time to do something other then work or sleep.

I once held a dealership job that required some crazy hours and lots of walking outside...all for minimum wage. Juggled that and school for 7 months.

Was tough but like maflynn said, adequate sleep and me time are key. Plan your days off well and schedule some quality time with friends when they are free.

waloshin said:

Right now I am in a job that has me working 12 hours a day 7 days a week. The job is janitorial. I have been doing this job now for 4 months. And I have another 6 to go. How do I keep myself from going insane?

Rhevonly thing keeping me is $20 an hour with double time over 8 hours.

(Cleaning bathrooms, cleaning atco type offices, random labour jobs and what's even better is we rotate between day shift and night shift ever two weeks).

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You'll never be sane with that schedule. Trust me I been there and tried everything, even meditation. I hope your saving and/or have a goal.

waloshin said:

How to stay sane working 84 hours a week?

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don't post on forums in your sparse free time

copykris said:

don't post on forums in your sparse free time

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Unless posting here makes you sane, but since this is the internet I highly doubt that is the case

If you've been putting in these crazy hours for 4 months, how do you know that you've not already gone insane?

If you have been doing it for 4 months, just keep doing what you have done during that time.

Listen to audiobooks while you work - It makes your brain relax more, and inspire you. Especially when doing autonomous repeated work, like sweeping floors, etc.

T'hain Esh Kelch said:

Listen to audiobooks while you work - It makes your brain relax more, and inspire you. Especially when doing autonomous repeated work, like sweeping floors, etc.

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That is a great idea. It will certainly make the time go by quicker.

rdowns said:

If you've been putting in these crazy hours for 4 months, how do you know that you've not already gone insane?

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Maybe that explains some of these threads….

84 hours a week at $20/hr with double-time over 8 hours = $2,240 a week for doing janitorial work. That's over $100k a year. But for 84 hours a week, 7 days a week, someone's going to have to pay me more than that!

Listen to some podcasts. I find that physical labor tends to go pretty quickly when listening to a podcast, and I always learn something new. I mainly listen to the Joe Rogan Experience and there are a variety of guests from comedians to martial artists to philosophers and many more.

waloshin said:

Right now I am in a job that has me working 12 hours a day 7 days a week. The job is janitorial. I have been doing this job now for 4 months. And I have another 6 to go. How do I keep myself from going insane?

Rhevonly thing keeping me is $20 an hour with double time over 8 hours.

(Cleaning bathrooms, cleaning atco type offices, random labour jobs and what's even better is we rotate between day shift and night shift ever two weeks).

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I recently left a job where I was working over 100hrs a week. However, the pay was muuuuuch nicer.

Might look into that if you want the hrs, making six figures easy,and have a 2 week on 1 week off schedule.

Granted, you will work in the dead of night and in extreme cold at times

In my state, it is illegal for an employer to require someone to work seven days in a row. But, there's talk about allowing it.

id try to get a day off or lower your hours per day at least. but unless my math is wrong, you are making 2 grand a week?

waloshin said:

About $2000 a week.

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not bad!

waloshin said:

Working 84 hours a week means 12 hours a day and one day off every 2 weeks for shift change. So I pretty much get no time off.

My goal is to be debt free after July of this year and save some money. Then I plan to be on Employment Insurance for 6 months hopefully then find a job where I only work 40 to 60 hours a week.

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What in the world is 'employment insurance'?

GizmoDVD said:

What in the world is 'employment insurance'?

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I'm guessing Unemployment?

I work 14hours a day and get payed way less.
12 hours is only half the day and you can do a lot with the other 12.
I know cuz I do all kinda stuff with my spare 10hours.

Where I live noone would pay you 20€ for janitorial work.
You might get half.

g33kologist said:

I'm guessing Unemployment?

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So he's gonna quit his job and have the Government pay him so he can do nothing? Nice. OP really delivers.

GizmoDVD said:

So he's gonna quit his job and have the Government pay him so he can do nothing? Nice. OP really delivers.

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Well, he did say he was planning to be on unemployment for six months, and then find a job. The intent is that you have unemployment insurance to fall back on while looking for another job.

I know that in some cases, a week's worth of unemployment insurance is more that 1 day's pay at an entry level job, even a little above minimum wage. So if you have years of experience in a certain field, but can't find a job in that field, your options then become jobs for which the bar is set very low for prior experience, and thus the pay is low. So sometimes that unemployment check is the next best deal for the individual. When it runs out, then you try to hook on at entry level.

Gregg2 said:

Well, he did say he was planning to be on unemployment for six months, and then find a job. The intent is that you have unemployment insurance to fall back on while looking for another job.

I know that in some cases, a week's worth of unemployment insurance is more that 1 day's pay at an entry level job, even a little above minimum wage. So if you have years of experience in a certain field, but can't find a job in that field, your options then become jobs for which the bar is set very low for prior experience, and thus the pay is low. So sometimes that unemployment check is the next best deal for the individual. When it runs out, then you try to hook on at entry level.

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I don't really know how Unemployment works, as thankfully I've never had to be on it, buuuut I didn't think it was intended to be a "plan". I thought it was for if you were laid off etc to help you along until you found something else.

I did the math, and you're going to net over $100,000 during your time. Yes, it's unpleasant, a daily grind, no time for ANYTHING else but work or sleep. My advice to you is to remember that it IS temporary. You have an end date. It is not a way of life, it is just something you're doing right now.

Not one upping you, but to let you know it can be worse:

A long time ago, I worked 36 hours on / 12 hours off for over 2 months straight, and I lived over an hour and a half away by car. Oh, and I was bringing in about $3200 per month. (for any US Navy out there, I was in the shipyard in an undermanned division, port and stbd duty, port and stbd watches, for over two months!) Ah, to be in the early 90's and in the military once again . . .

You're banking serious cash, for work that shouldn't really be THAT taxing to you, right? You still have time for a good movie, TV show, video game, or book to read, and get 7 hours of sleep. You're good. Hang in there.