Anyone else can't handle working full time?

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Working full time helped me down a path that led to my major burn out episode...that I still haven't fully recovered from and I doubt I ever will. I used to work 40 plus hours a week. It damn near killed me. This was on top of raising kids, managing a house, running errands, all that. I wasn't built for that and I didn't know it. I thought everyone felt what I was feeling so I pushed through thinking I was being a baby, and it wrecked me. I ended up freaking out, shutting down, not leaving the house for about nine months and requiring several years of therapy once I finally fell apart. I'm still not okay and suffering the consequences of trying to push through, but now that I know to pace it, I'm much better off and will never try to do that again. I'll take the low income disability pay I live on now any and every day over the hell it was trying to survive those jobs I used to work all those hours in. I'm not built for that and now I know it. It's arguable I once was able to work full time, but it never was good for me. Now? nope. That time is over.

Don't give up. Just because a few of the jobs you've had are high stress or not stimulating enough, doesn't mean all jobs are like that.

20 hours of a horrible job can feel worse than 40 hours of a decent job.

IIRC, around here, the local UFCW contract gets folks benefits at around 20 hours a week. Which winds up being about 3 days a week. That may still be too much for some people, but there's a much larger number of people that can manage that than 40 hours.

It may vary union-to-union, but usually one has to work X amount of hours in a calendar year to get benefits the following year. If they work less hours in the second year, they risk losing or having to pay for benefits in the third year, repeat cycle.

Most do offer dental and vision for those who work the minimum number of hours per week. Medical is iffy, some only giving the option of buying medical for a discounted rate.

As for me, I've had some VERY bad experiences in certain jobs. Always with the people. Crazy s**t I wouldn't believe if it hadn't happened to me. Maybe I'll elaborate further one day...

In the meantime, I still have to work. Not making much from either of my part-time jobs. Would really like to get SSDI and still work limited hours below the threshold that triggers an earnings investigation.

Anyone here on SSDI specifically for Autism or something else mental?

Not SSDI for a physical disability or ailment. Not SSI for mental. Did anyone get SSDI for mental. I've paid into the system 20+ years.

It definitely does, my last union didn't have a contract that allowed enough hours for anybody to get benefits. The one that I'm in now, the insurance eligibility is determined on a shorter term basis. But, it means that you can get on the plan fairly quickly, and usually if you're any good you can find hours somewhere to pad things out.

For whatever reason, my current contract has better benefits at the expense of pay, but I'm OK with that personally, the consequences of all the stuff I've got going on with my head can be relatively expensive to pay for without good insurance.

I don't see any reason to try it again. If a finacial emergency comes up, I might end up taking on full time work for as long as I can manage it, but I would probably quit again as soon as possible (assuming I didn't break down right away). For now, working part time seems to be the best option for me.

i cant do full time but i also struggle with too little work, too much free time drives me stir crazy.

i have poor executive functioning, so i need some extra time to cook, clean the house and sleep. usually this leaves me with 6 hours a day i can work.

my boss is understanding, though sometimes i need to do overtime, which i'm fine with as long as it doesn't become a regular thing

I worked full time for a while but since I need 9 hours sleep per night and a lot of extra time to do all the chores (I'm very slow and I get tired easily) it wasn't doable in the long run. I switched to 30 hours and I will soon switch to 20. In the meanwhile I'm starting job coaching to be able to find a job that doesn't make me so anxious and exhausted.
Both coworkers and acquaintances ask questions and comment about my part time, I think they're just envious because otherwise it wouldn't bother them so much.

Last edited by Moonlight999 on 14 Dec 2023, 11:56 am, edited 1 time in total.

It was difficult at my last job. Working five days a week, 8 till 5. I don't function well in the mornings and caffeine doesn't work on me, so the early start was not great.

The commute was long and by the time I got home, it was time to eat, maybe watch some TV, go to sleep and do it all over again.

Which is why I fell into revenge bedtime procrastination. I didn't have time in the day to actually enjoy my time, so I stayed up late and regretted it later.

There was also nowhere to go on lunch breaks, so sometimes I'd just walk in circles repeatedly in the storage room. I naturally fidget a lot. I have a significant amount of nervous energy, so sitting in an office chair with no time to walk about did weigh on me.

However, it wasn't just the hours. My former boss made it very difficult to get time off. I actually downright dreaded asking for a day off and would only do so if I really needed it. Which is ultimately one the reasons I cracked in the end. The stress was too much.

I'd rather work a four day week full-time rather than five days. Preferably 9am or later. I hate working before 9.