Pressure and timeouts

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I've been having some problems at work lately, basicly I seem to need the ability to have timeouts when things get too much.

Since this is impossible in the current corporate culture, I'm having more and more problems to cope with every new day. I'm in my late twenties and basicly dreaming of retirement already.

What do all of you do to cope with life every day?

To be honest: I come home and go to sleep for a few hours. This is not good, as it won't be tolerated in the adult NT world.

(not work of course, I have to stay and do al the jobs there no matter what)

I found i've been crying more and more at work lately because of problems (many induced by incodents at work).

I think the best thing to do it have something good to eat, and try to think of something ahppy before you go.. I don't know >_<

When I had to be in studio classes all day, what I'd do is take bathroom breaks to be by myself for awhile. If you are able to, you can try doing this, just to get some quiet time.

After working for nearly 7 years I got sort of burned out, and generally dissatisfied with my life. I took a year off to rest (a "sabbatical", as I like to call it). I think it was a good decision. This year I started working again. I have flexible hours (nothing unusual for a programmer). When I get stressed, I go for a walk to a nearby park, and look at trees and birds. When I am in a crappy mood, I take a day off by switching it with Saturday.

This sounds very much like what I need to do. And I've been working for about 10 years nonstop in the web development business. When you have worked for that long on a single field, suddenly you realize the initial thrill is gone long ago, and you start feeling yourself running in circles, while asking yourself "Is this what I really want to do for the rest of my life?". I can think of much more interesting ways to spend my time than toiling away at a cubicle, but money and bills tell me something else.

But precisely since I have to face a lot of stress and fireman-like rushes day to day, I try to take my days off giving notice well in advance. I have just had a couple of long weekends where I even got to a hotel/spa to wind out (as I always try to do at this time of year). Needless to say I feel great right now.

The bad news: I won't get a chance to get another long weekend well until Christmas

Got to keep saving money...

I was talking to one of my coworkers about this yesterday. When I was younger I couldn't hold down a job for very long. Even if the employer was happy to keep me I got bored and wanted to change things. My current job is different because once we've been in one position for at least 3 years we're allowed to request a transfer to a new location or department. I'm on my 4th assignment in 13 years.

Ebi:

Yes, exactly my feeling now. I am working in the telecom industry, LAN and WAN (routers and switches). You can ask me to desing a "data center" from scratch with a capacity of 10000 computers connecting to a 1000 different customer with full security, constant monitoring and a garanty of "0 down time", and it would be routine for me. I fell like i have seen it all


Jetson:


My interest for a job was following my specific interest of the time. When i got bored with something, i got bored with the job too. My specific interest have always been in the same general subject : Telecommunication. But recently, i started to have intense interest in things that are not related at all (paleontology, geology, chemistry). Those are not like the telecom industry. One cannot simply go and write 1 exam and be able to work in the field and effectivly be hired. It just doesn't work that way and i can't afford to go back to school. And anyway, what will i do when the interest changes again ?

Nocturn:


Yep, i start to feel like that at around 25. At 31 i made a big burn out. Nothing, even the eventuality of having to go back at my parent's place, could force me to go back to that place (where i was working). I just got there on that day, and quit at noon, crying. After 4 months break, i got back in the market, changing from teaching the job to actually doing the job. Now, at 37, i'm back at square one. This time, i have insurance but i still had to stop, before comitting suicide (which was more and more the "only way out" i could see each and every day).

I asked a lot of time to my doctor, i called the free psychologist that came with the insurance, i did a lot of "calls" but the only way i got out of it was to present myself at the emergency and tell them i was going to suicide. That's what i have done and it worked. But now i am facing reality: i will eventualy, one day or another, have to go back. I don't know how much time i will survive

All this to tell one thing: Should i consider a real career reorientation ? Does the "Good job for Aspies" really exist ?

What kind of job does focus on results rather than on your way to get them ?

In what kind of job does the management evaluates someone's results instead of his/her social skills ?

What kind of job requires no human interaction ?

What kind of job have all this and is not boring to death ?

Maybe we could start putting together our own list of "must have/not have" criteria for a decent job ? Maybe it could help those who are at that time of the life where you have to choose a career. What about those who are already far down the road and struggling ?

I wish I had the answers for those questions too. However, here's a book called "Developing Talents: Careers for Individuals with Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism", featuring Temple Grandin and other famous Aspies. Seems to go precisely to these points...

My problem isnt guessing which career to follow - I know that from long ago, when I decided to study at an arts college. Drawing, painting, photography and model sculpting are activities I have always enjoyed doing and fulfill my soul. I never have a chance to get bored, let alone suicide... there's simply so much stuff to do and so little time.

Turning them into money... well, that's always been the hardest part. If it were up to me, I'd rather be drawing a comic book or creating clay cartoon models instead of punching code at a computer 12 hours a day. Unfortunately, both skills are appreciated very differently by society, and remunerated accordingly. I wish my doodles could buy me a new house.

I can say that this boredom issue of switching
applies to me. Would I still be washing dishes
for the Pizza company 2000-2002, and see 5
years of this? Hmmm? I wonder now, and
I am glad you brought that up. I have left
some really accepting jobs because of this
"boredom" issue, and that is slowly invading
into my current job. Hmmmm? Thanks for
bringing this to my attention.