To think that desk jobs can be as taxing as manual ones?

[KenAdams]

DH and I have both been to college/uni (not trying to sound like a dick just to illustrate my point) and had desk jobs so we've been used to desk based work for a while now.

SIL and her DP have manual jobs. She says that we don't do proper work and just look at computer all day so it's easy. They have both worked since 18 and not been to uni, so it may be just that they haven't done any desk based stuff for a while and forgotten what it's like, but AIBU to think that desk jobs are just as difficult as manual jobs, albeit in a different way?

[Jellaby]

It's a different kind of strain. My body isn't tired but my brain is exhausted.

[Gennz]

I do a senior managerial role and it can be extremely stressful at times.

However I did more manual jobs when I was at university - waitressing, retail - I can can honestly say it was more exhausting - being on your feet all day, serving people, carrying heavy trays/boxes, sore back etc etc. Not as stressful as not as much was riding on what I was doing, but absolutely bloody knackering and poorly paid to boot.

[WyrdByrd]

I think they are both so different it's just very difficult to imagine the other pov.

DH seems to think he is incredibly hard done by due to the manual nature of his work. He is a chef at a private school, so on his feel all day (from 7am-3pm when he's not on his 17 weeks holiday a year).

He appears to think my 24 hours a week in an office (also term time, but state school) is akin to sitting on my arse eating toffees, and nothing will convince him otherwise .

[WyrdByrd]

On his feet - no feeling involved !

[MissMogwi]

YANBU.

After a busy day with lots of telephone calls, meetings, pressure to meet deadlines etc, I am mentally exhausted. I need time to come down from the day.

My DP does does a mix of both manual and admin work and he is equally exhausted, although more physically.

To be fair I do spend some time pissing about and eating maltesers when the boss is off its quiet, so I shouldn't moan.

[frumpet]

The biggest thing that maturity has taught me is that tiredness isn't a competion . DH does a desk job from home , he spends hours working out figures that would quite frankly leave me in bits . I am a nurse so can leave work an emotional and physical wreck . My friend does a job every day that would leave me needing intensive physio for at least six weeks if i even attempted to do her job for more than one day . It really isn't a competition , it is about doing the best at what you are good at and appreciating everyone elses efforts at what they are good at .

[frumpet]

missmogwi i too partake of the odd malteser but only if they are in an unsealed bag , bitter experience prevails .

[StealthPolarBear]

I agree there's nothing more soul destroying than being bored - or having plenty to do but making no progress. I work in a desk job and on days where I have been really busy I go home mentally drained and physically tired but emotionally on a high. In previous jobs where I've been bored or fretted all day because I've not actually been able to achieve anything, it's

[StealthPolarBear]

as you can tell, I couldn't think of the word there. Exhausting's not right.
However there's no doubt in my mind that a desk job is easier in lots of ways, subject to where you work of course. I sit down all day. I drink coffee, eat and visit the toilet when I want. I can make and take personal calls. I can turn up late and leave early. If I have a minor injury or an illness I can still work, even if I'm not quite as productive as necessary.
That makes it sound like I completely take the piss :o I don't - I get in early, leave late, work at home, reply to emails in my holidays. But I do that because I appreciate my job so much, and part of the reason for that is because I know if I turn up at 9.10 one day, or have to call and make a dental appointment, no one will mind.

[wowfudge]

Have just had a really draining day at work. I have a desk job. Today has been a real head f*. Ended up working 50 mins extra and have come home completely done in. It's only bloody Monday :-(.

I too have had a manual job which I really enjoyed. Once I got used to being on my feet most of the day I didn't find that tiring. The work was completely different from what I do now and no where near as tiring, except when it was a peak period.

[Nennypops]

I had an extremely exhausting 12 hour day last week at my desk job. Basically it involved dealing with a mega emergency which involved organising about six different elements of the process as quickly as possible, collating a lot of information and urgently drafting something summarising it all and drawing conclusions based on it, several complicated phone calls, organising papers, filling in forms, making photocopies, indexing them, and explaining the process to someone for whom English wasn't their first language. I was totally stressed out, went home totally exhausted and continued worrying about it all night. It carried on the next day, and I also had to deal with the resulting backlog over the rest of the week.

By contrast, at one point I did manual work. Whilst it was hard going during the working day, it wasn't stressful, and I could walk out at 5 on the dot and forget about it.

So yes, I guess desk jobs can definitely be more taxing.

[rowna]

I've done both manual and desk jobs.

I think desk jobs can be stressful due to lack of activity, deadlines, sitting next to the same annoying person every day for so long, work hanging over you. Having to deal with people can be stressful too.

Manual job - physically exhausting but not really much stress and once you finish your shift it's somebody else's problem. Swings and roundabouts really.

If it weren't for the pay difference, I'd choose manual work.