Triggering: Adjusting to increased hours at work ?

[WhisperingSilence]

Okay recently my hours got increased at work not by a-lot or anything but before I was working 10 hours and 1 hours paperwork now beginning of may my hours got upped to 19 hours a week but I have found myself staying on at work to help tidy up etc un-paid I used to do this but it never used to make this tired and exhausted. I've put it down to the increase in hours meaning I am working lots more hours and not yet adjusted to the new working hours I've been given. Its taking its toll on me I'm constantly tired and am finding myself constantly thinking ' I need a break' ' I need a holiday'. I'm finding myself with very little energy and I'm constantly feeling drained. I know some of this isn't new feelings due to depression etc. But the more hours I've been given at work have defiantly made the tiredness and the feeling drained worse. I'm trying to eat healthier (when i'm not having periods of starvation or binging). I guess what I'm asking here is are there any other ways or anything else I can do to maybe decrease this tiredness, also what are some other ways to adjust to my new hours ? I go to karate twice a week so on average I'm active for about 24- 26 hours a week. I know its not alot of hours still.. but I'm finding it hard to adjust to these hours. During the week every day other than tuesday, saturday and sunday. I'm getting up at 6.30am. and not going to bed till about 11pm.

[MGICECUBE15]

Hello ,

Is there any way you could ask your boss or your manager to slowly increase your time for work, so you get used to it easier and quicker. For example instead of having your hours upped to 19 hours, why dont you ask if you can first do 11 hours then once you feel comfortable with 11hours you can ask your boss/manager to increase your hours of work to 12 hours. Hope that makes sense.

Love from Meera xx

[WhisperingSilence]

No I can't do that I work in a pre-school so am needed for the staff ratio etc. Also 11 hours is what I was orginally working before my hours got upped. I'm just finding it hard to adjust to the new hours..

[PSY]

Definitely keep working on the eating habits. I've found that I feel TERRIBLE when I don't get enough fresh fruit/vegetables. Have a big breakfast before going to work, bring healthy snacks to work (so you can keep up the energy throughout the day), and drink plenty of water! Coffee can be nice when you first wake up, but it can't replace water. Also, be sure to continue those healthy eating habits throughout the week. Continue to eat breakfast, even if you're waking up later (by the way, it helps to maintain somewhat regular sleeping habits... so sleeping in until 9-10 may be okay, but until 12+ could throw you off), and limit your alcohol/caffeine/sugar consumption on your days off.

Little things kept me sane on my "long days" (which were generally 6 AM - 10 PM), like reading a book during my short breaks, or grabbing a treat from Starbucks after a particularly rough day. I kept up a routine during my "off" days (ex. buying groceries, doing laundry, washing dishes), but I also made sure there was plenty of time to do things that genuinely gave me pleasure (such as working on TeenHelp, reading, or watching my favorite TV shows). Finding the right balance could take you more than a couple of days, or even a couple of weeks. Be patient, and keep doing things that are good for your body (healthy eating, exercise, and adequate sleep). Everything will click into place eventually. If it doesn't, then you may need to look into other possibilities, such as your job not being a "good fit" in the long run (in which case, you can use your days off to hunt for new jobs).