How many hours do you work? Do you have much energy in evenings and weekends?

[careerplanning]

Wondering how much energy people have in the evenings after work?

How long do you, for example, spend cooking dinner? Do you have enough energy to go to the gym or go to the cinema after work?

Or to focus on watching some telly before bed? Or so tired you just zone out until you can fall asleep?

How many hours do you do, and does your employer expect you to be available and work in your evenings or at the weekend?

I feel my energy levels are so, so low and wondering what is in any way normal.

37.5 but over 3 12.5 hours shifts. Sometimes i do an extra 8 or an extra 12. Energy after work is none existent, after 2 days in a row im wiped out the 3rd too, but i do ok doing 3 or 4 nights in a row. It all depends on how much shifts are. Im also doing an MSc and sometimes that wipes me out too. But generally my energy levels are much much lower than they used to be at 40. I dont think i can keep doing the job i do until retirement, which is why im doing the MSc.

I am a teacher I am drained every night. Sometimes I just sit and stare.

same here ! same hours and have a toddler and 2 teens. knackered after work and often resort to takeaways. cook from scratch 4 nights out of 7

I work 4 long-ish days a week, plus a few hours at the weekend at home. I'm mid-40s, have a 4yo. I get very, very tired in the evenings. I had anaemia last winter which I'm not sure I'm over yet. I try to do things in the evenings but the temptation to lie on the sofa is strong.

I'm hoping that now I have a day to myself in the week as DS has started school, I find a bit more energy from somewhere rather than constantly being either at work or with a preschooler.

christ do you have kids?

I work 7.5 hours at home Mon-Fri.
I do the gym 2-3 times a week (this is recent)
Me and DH have 2 hours together(ish) at night- although that is definitely not us sitting down together and binging tv as we potter about a bit
I cook meals from fresh every other day

This above routine, which I like has only been in play since our youngest DD started reception last year.

37.5 hrs and not a minute more as I have. 1.5 year old who is my priority.

I usually exercise between 5.30-6.30am, evenings are for chilling. Dinner takes about 30 mins or it’s in the slow cooker / leftovers.

I feel the same as the PP. I’m a part time teacher but have another job on my non teaching days which is also physically active. I have less energy in the evenings of my teaching days. It’s the pace and decision making required as there is no down time during the day when the children are in.

Absolutely none. I’m early 50s, work 50-55 hours in stressful work. Kids are mid and older teens but need emotional support. I feel shit.

@jolaylasofia what do you mean (to @BitOutOfPractice)?

A 10k run after a 10 hour day isn't too exceptional? I sometimes do a long day then a long gym session. I do have kids although they are self-sufficient these days.

I work 35 hours a week. I also have a 3 year old. I do sometimes have to work outside my contacted hours but I try to avoid it when I can.
I feel exhausted all the time. I don't get home until 6:20 most nights and literally get my DC to bed, cook tea and then collapse in bed. In bed by 9 every night.
Not too bad on the weekends but never feel really rested by Monday.

I officially work 35 hrs a week, three of those days I leave at 7.45 and get home at 18.45 if everything is going according to plan, on those days I tend to fall through the door, sort out stuff for DS for school the next day and make something to eat, maybe stick some washing in if needed. Some days I start later and finish later so not home until 20.30. I also work weekends quite regularly. Full on menopausal, fat and very unfit and trying to figure out how to get fitter when I am completely knackered after work.
I can't exercise in the morning as DDog would get DH up if I left the house, so either take elderly DDog with me which won't be popular with her, she is very much a sedate bimble along type dog or organise exercise after work which means doing essential stuff much later when I get home.
DH gets up after DS and I have left, due to DDog and then watches TV all day, if I am late home he will feed DS and DDog their evening meal, but that's about it !

Feel the same now on 37 hrs as I did on 18 hrs.
Energy ok, I sleep better the more I do in the day. But often have to push myself! I work 6-8am break for an hour, 9-3 and then 4-5. Ish… we get flexi but job is demanding at times. Studying at the moment.
Might go out one evening a week, walk to local pub for a drink/meal, cinema, what have you. On the weekend I take DM shopping and food, then out with DD. Probably eat out too much thinking about it.

Young DC x 1 and I’m 45 -DH fifty plus.

I try to walk everywhere if possible, I’m vegan, still overweight though because wine😕🙄. Don’t sit down until 8/9pm after sorting food/chores/washing/vacuuming/dog/homework etc. Lunchtime may do some weights in the house, walk for 30 mins, wall Pilates.

Actually this evening will now be heading up for a shower and bed! Probably won’t sleep as peri, or presume I am!

I’m a teacher in a boarding school and during term time my weekly hours are 50-60. Averaged over the whole year it probably works out ok, but term time is exhausting. (Good job I love it!)

Off to bed now.

I work 37-40 hours a week over 4 days, plus 5x12 hours and 2x 24 hours on call a month, someone's I get called out but not all the time, most can be framed with by phone. I've recently had a promotion and actually I'm not logging on in the evenings etc anymore which is good. I go to the gym/classes 3 times a week either early morning or when DS is in bed and we're usually out and busy at the weekends, DH and I get 90% of the housework etc done during the week so weekends are family time. I find the less I do the less I'm motivated to do.

40 hours. WFH. Can be highly stressful. When it is I force myself out. Martial arts 3x a week with DD (so can spend time with her) in addition to yoga. If I don't exercise I feel shit.

One weekend a month I'll spend a half day batch cooking and stock up freezer to reduce UPF. Meal plan for very simple 20 min healthy meals. Don't eat crap. Drink wine Sat night.

Writing a novel too which also stressed me out if I slack.

I really do think you have to be committed to exercise and proper food otherwise you will crash. Not just by not receiving the benefits of doing it, but regret saps energy too.

12.5 hours x4 days out of the 7. But with travel on public transport my days are around 15 hours door to door. Zero energy most of the time. Lots of bed/sofa rotting on days off, but obviously have no choice but to adult and do shopping, cooking, cleaning etc.

@Missingmyusername love the idea of wall pilates, do you have a link etc to how you get your regime ?

I have but they are older and have Left home. I’ve pretty much always been like this? Am I a freak?

I do have a DP who does pretty much all the cooking. But I do 50:50 of the rest (he works PT now).

I’m 42, peri menopausal and work 50 hours a week. I get home from work exhausted, make dinners and lunches for the next day, do some housework and usually watch tv or read for an hour or so before bed. My job and kids are my exercise.

I work full time, shift work - so some weeks up at 3am, the next week starting at 5pm. Work weekends too.

Tbh I feel tired a lot. Lack of sleep pattern, menopause etc.

I do exercise a lot, running 6 days a week and gym twice but some days I have to really force myself.

Also two dog walks a day.

Every so often I'll have lazy week and hardly exercise. My body just feels so heavy and tired and I give in and nap instead 😴

I think if I had a regular sleep pattern I'd feel so much better. Infact as weird as it sounds, I felt better when I had cancer and was off work. Not during chemo etc but after it was finished. I had a sleep pattern and woke up feeling a bit refreshed rather than just knackered still.

32 hours officially. I just logged on and did an hour of admin so a few more hours unofficially. I have zero energy.

I work 32 hours a week.

Am carer for my disabled ds (who is 19 now) but is also a swimmer and trains at 5am 5 times a week and 4 evenings.

I've forgotten what energy is 🤣🤣

I'm contracted for 33hrs a week and usually do somewhere between 34 and 38hrs, but I only go into the office 1x a week. I have a horse so I'm out the house for 6.45/7am every day (weekends included!). Then work fairly normal hour office hours. Probably 2 to 3 weekday evenings I go out and do something. I chilled tonight, going climbing tomorrow, dinner with a friend on weds, date on Thurs and chill again on Friday.
This is a pretty typical week, Im 35 and I think fairly high energy. I don't have kids and I do usually have a nap sat or Sunday afternoon!

I agree with a PP who says that it does depend how stressful / busy your day is. Mine varies; the hours are often the same (9-5 approx) but a day with lots of tricky issues and urgent decisions is exhausting. Whereas today had three shortish routine meetings, and catching up with emails and admin. So not tiring. Travel does exhaust me, as does presenting, training people, or facilitating long meetings.