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Adapting days to help with fatigue

Bwfc

Active member
Messages
351
Location
Dorset
Now I'm 34 I know still young.. starting to struggle doin long day, I normally start at 8ish then finish at 3.30 but finding I'm done by 3 now so trying to shorten days. Also with mental health has an affect can't seem to cope with too much.  Did 15 today & knackered. Anyone else done a similar thing? 

 
Now I'm 34 I know still young.. starting to struggle doin long day, I normally start at 8ish then finish at 3.30 but finding I'm done by 3 now so trying to shorten days. Also with mental health has an affect can't seem to cope with too much.  Did 15 today & knackered. Anyone else done a similar thing? 
Yep. Sold off a lot of my round when my worker went to work in Australia.

Now am finishing around 3 and hoping to sell of a bit more to get me to a four day week.

Mind you I’m 54 not 34, so am surprised your struggling with fatigue already ??‍?

 
I struggled for a while but since I’ve started exercising again (anything to help with shoulders, legs and back) I’ve been a lot better. Make sure your diets good and full of healthy protein and your energy levels should stay constant. Agree with Steve though - work like balance with early finishes is the way forward!!!!

 
Any healthy guy in his thirties should be able to eat the work, certainly up to two storey level. Providing he has the right equipment and is working efficiently. But sadly depression is a big factor in the case of Bwfc and is very draining for anyone. Fifteen average size jobs in a day of working solo is nothing to be ashamed of though.

When I started I found working on my own to be a bit of a drag for sure. My son has been working with me now as a partner for about three years. Would a business partnership be a possibility? Not always easy to find the right person for sure but it can be done. Especially if they have to invest in in the business. We fly through the work and I'm hardly tired when I get home after most 5~7 hour days.

Just to show what can be done, I'm not far short of 65 years of age, I'm a lightweight little thing and I'm still recovering from chemo and having my innards rearranged ten months ago during an Oesophagectomy operation (about as big an op as they come). Some of the most successful windys I know are two man partnership buddies.

Largely it comes down to being interested in the business. Remembering that the benefits and profits are our own not someone else's and running the business accordingly.

We windys don't have to clock in and we have the decision on what jobs and customers we take on. I don't know about the rest of you but that's a huge deal to me.

Depression is horrible, I fully understand. Working in good company though can be a great help.

 
Depends what you have going on outside work and if that can be sorted, personal pressures can play on your mind when working alone so in effect you lose your drive, if you are just hacked off in general then take a few days off or start a bit later rather than been out the door so early, as your fatigue may be more so with things playing on your mind

I have been stressed through September and this month as well I had a week off and we had 3 nights away which made a difference but had a couple of days when I didn't want work like last week when it was raining and so on, but days were I got to speak to some customers lifted my mood as did getting through a days work even if it wasn't a full on day, I know there is always brighter days ahead and I am sure there is for you.

 
We all have our own demons, some can manage them, some can't. We all have bad days as well, some people have much worse days than others. On our bad days our energy is low so 15 houses with low energy levels will be very tiring. Have you tried listening to music or getting a story told through your headphones. Anything that distracts you might help your mood and therefore your energy levels. 

I wouldn't worry about what age you are as age is immaterial to mental health issues so no matter if you're 18 or 68 when you're down your energy levels will be down. I always have spare days available to do what I want as I don't find doing half a day anywhere near as calming as a full day off. If you thought of doing 12 houses a day 5 days a week to lower your daily workload, personally I'd do 15 a day and have a Monday or Friday off as your treat for working that bit harder. You could work it some weeks that you had Friday and Monday off. 

 
Ime 58 and do 8 hours a day 5 days a week on the glass then three nights a week doing quotes etc for another couple of hours , and jumping out of bed several times a night on shouts , I have had enough of it and by the middle of next year will go back down to one van and work on my own most of the time and just get 2-3 guys in on the large commercial work I can still keep up that pace  but find ime exhausted so will be cutting back quite considerably, I am lucky that I dont suffer from any mental health issues though . 

 
heres what works for me(im 49 today!)and ive been window cleaning 27 years....

25-30 hour weeks(including admin and end of the day jobs,etc).....no weekend working

no more than 6 hours a day actually window cleaning

good equipment(fixed electric reel,hot water,xtreme poles)

gym 3 times a week and a good diet

bluetooth headphones for music,podcasts,etc

i dont get too bored/tired with cleaning working this way and i actually work more efficiently working shorter hours....

I'm sure you said this last year or am I wrong 
its obvious he is a workaholic.......they find it very hard NOT to work......

 
I would suggest organizing your work so that any large or difficult jobs are done in the mornings, leaving yourself easy jobs for the afternoons.

 
I'm sure you said this last year or am I wrong 
Possibly did it’s just having the time to down size the business it just keeps growing quite dramatically without any input from me the phone never stops had 6 calls in the last 30 muinits ,and have 28 emails in the in box from this morning it’s gone absolutely mental , priced up a potential new job for someone this morning 2,000 solar panels on a couple of barns/workshops , three massive farm houses with over 25 windows per house , three barn conversions turned into beehive industrial units and 800 meters of gutters to vac , gave them a price and it wasn’t cheap ??? said yes that’s fine how soon can you do it !,,,, said it will be mid December at the earliest , fit us in ASAP was the reply !,,

 
Possibly did it’s just having the time to down size the business it just keeps growing quite dramatically without any input from me the phone never stops had 6 calls in the last 30 muinits ,and have 28 emails in the in box from this morning it’s gone absolutely mental , priced up a potential new job for someone this morning 2,000 solar panels on a couple of barns/workshops , three massive farm houses with over 25 windows per house , three barn conversions turned into beehive industrial units and 800 meters of gutters to vac , gave them a price and it wasn’t cheap ??? said yes that’s fine how soon can you do it !,,,, said it will be mid December at the earliest , fit us in ASAP was the reply !,,
Don’t get how you have time to do all that work, you’re on here 24/7 ?

 
Now I'm 34 I know still young.. starting to struggle doin long day, I normally start at 8ish then finish at 3.30 but finding I'm done by 3 now so trying to shorten days. Also with mental health has an affect can't seem to cope with too much.  Did 15 today & knackered. Anyone else done a similar thing? 
Could it be that you are suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD):

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/seasonal-affective-disorder-sad/about-sad/?gclid=CjwKCAjwlbr8BRA0EiwAnt4MTqHcc5oeWTAbmj4aokHX2kZtkYXRbe_40R7JkSMngiHvhzaVF6OsHRoCnrgQAvD_BwE

What with the shorter days and the poor weather it's not easy this time of year.

 
Now I'm 34 I know still young.. starting to struggle doin long day, I normally start at 8ish then finish at 3.30 but finding I'm done by 3 now so trying to shorten days. Also with mental health has an affect can't seem to cope with too much.  Did 15 today & knackered. Anyone else done a similar thing? 
I know exactly where you are coming from and have been there myself. 

A genuine question for you? Do you actually enjoy your work? 

Darker mornings darker nights is never good for mental health and wellbeing and it's going to be a fight but a fight you'll win.

I'm knackered all the time and having a body that’s been blown up is painful but I put it to the back of my mind and keep going strong.

You're not alone mate, always here if you want a chat 

 
Could it be that you are suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD):

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/seasonal-affective-disorder-sad/about-sad/?gclid=CjwKCAjwlbr8BRA0EiwAnt4MTqHcc5oeWTAbmj4aokHX2kZtkYXRbe_40R7JkSMngiHvhzaVF6OsHRoCnrgQAvD_BwE

What with the shorter days and the poor weather it's not easy this time of year.
Definitely struggle with that do take pills to help but still get that feeling of dread with dark mornings now & darker days. Thanks for some of the tips

 
I know exactly where you are coming from and have been there myself. 

A genuine question for you? Do you actually enjoy your work? 

Darker mornings darker nights is never good for mental health and wellbeing and it's going to be a fight but a fight you'll win.

I'm knackered all the time and having a body that’s been blown up is painful but I put it to the back of my mind and keep going strong.

You're not alone mate, always here if you want a chat 
Do enjoy it sometimes but prefer little an often don't know how people do full time fortunately I take off every Friday & can afford to do that. Last winter was first I wanted to give it up think cos it was constantly wet so frustrating. Think seeing customer's is best part of the job. I got some amazing people. Definitely more good people than bad.

 
We're rooting for you kid. Depression comes in troughs and waves in my experience. You're in a trough at the moment mate. Not the first time and won't be the last time unfortunately. I think it's the same for a lot of us. Hang in there and ride it out. I know it's not easy but tomorrow's another day and hopefully you can start your way back up.

 
Bloody hell mate I feel for you. My misses suffers from depression and ansxiety and it’s not nice, especially being on your own all day. I know you have your custys to talk to but it’s not the same as having a laugh with a work college. Maybe try and take someone on to share the load even if it’s just part time. I could t imagine working on my own, when my employee rings in sick my motivation levels instantly drop and I end up just having an easy day. Also if you have an employee you can send them on the crappy jobs? Don’t think u could do the hours I do now if I was in my own. I’m 37 and regularly do 8 hour days so can’t imagine your not physically capable. 

 
Now I'm 34 I know still young.. starting to struggle doin long day, I normally start at 8ish then finish at 3.30 but finding I'm done by 3 now so trying to shorten days. Also with mental health has an affect can't seem to cope with too much.  Did 15 today & knackered. Anyone else done a similar thing? 
Maybe it is because your a sole trader...a lot of people find it difficult to motivate themselves when working for themselves.

 

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