How are you expected to have any sort of life outside a 9-5 job?

Good question.

We’re not. It will never change and it will only get worse. Unless…we move out of the country.

Great question, but I don’t think there’s an answer.

My last job was 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., which sucked even more. Still, I found myself engaged in a lot of extracurriculars, such as crewing for theater productions or playing league tennis. I think you either get really busy or you don’t. It is a stupid schedule though, especially when compared to the leisure afforded in other countries.

I think one trick is finding a job that leaves you with something left over at the end of the day. You might also take a crack at The 4-Hour Work Week.

I work usually from 9am to 9pm. Sometimes even until 3am, if the morning after we have an important meeting and we are not ready yet.
Still, my employer gives me so much money I can hardly spend during the weekend, where I don’t spend more than necessary at home, if I am not travelling around. That’s acceptable for me.

I think is just a matter of balance between how much they pay you for renouncing to your week-day life and how much free time you have. If the wage is good, I bet you wouldn’t even feel the need to ask this question.

Find balance, and see if your place of employment would offer either flex time or a 4 day 10 hr week. A sweet schedule is work Mondays, Tuesdays, off Wednesdays, work Thursdays, Fridays, off the weekend. A lot of employers are now looking at schedule adjustments due to increasing gas costs, because let’s face it raises aren’t what they used to be.

Yes. I know a lot of people that do, it just depends if you actually want to make the effort to go out…. Or to sleep. Like the others said- it’s about balance. For me, working full time and going to school full time can be a bit of a challenge to make time to do things. I like planning things to do ahead of time so I know I’ll have the day off or can make time for it. Spontaneous? No. But it’s better then nothing..

That’s what weekends and holidays are for! And honestly, I’d consider myself lucky if my schedule was that consistent. But alas, this week it’s 7–4, next week it’s 8–5, every few months it’s Mon-Sun followed by Wed-Fri…..of course come Sept. there’ll be the added 6–9pm at college twice a week.

My solution is live in reasonable proximity to work, so at least there’s no serious commute time. Have hobbies you can do at home for only 1–2 hours at the time. Plan things for your weekends that are as opposite to your everyday as at all possible. Spend your holiday (vacation) time wisely and make the most of it.

Now, I’m not saying I have a life, but that’s how I maintain the illusion that I do :)

A good friend of mine who is a police officer works 12 hour shifts.

3 days on, 4 days off, then 4 days on, 3 days off. Awesome.

P.S. What’s also awesome is the overtime past 8 hours.

In other areas of my company, they work 36 hour week: 3×12 – I’ve often evied them!! But, don’t think I want to move to the manufacturing part though…

o.k. I’ll tell u my day
6 a.m. get up
8 a.m. ready to work
12:30 lunch break
17:00 leaving office
17:30 arrive college
21:00 leave college
21:30 coffee/drinks/dinner with friends (almost every day)
23:00 read or something elese, like doing homework
00:00 bed
and during the weekends I try to do something to fulfill my life, we don’t need to look for more free time, we have to look for a better organized schedule :)

Maybe your free time is split up between morning and evening, so it feels like it’s not enough? What don’t you have time for that you’d like to be doing? Also if you’re feeling more fatigued than usual, have you ruled out any potential medical conditions, like anemia, thyroid problems, depression, or similar?

I usually work 7:30ish to 4:00ish and my commute is 45 minutes to an hour, so I’m home by 5ish most days. Bedtime is ideally 10ish but realistically tends to be closer to 12, lately, which leaves 5 to 7 hours for whatever*. Also I don’t waste time doing boring things like cooking or cleaning. So that’s more than enough free time for me.

*whatever=alcohol

You only have one job? I have three jobs, a wife, three teenage girls, and a dog. You have plenty of spare time.

it ain’t easy…

9 to 5 Monday through Friday? You’re kidding me right? I wish I had those hours! I work 10 to 9:30 Monday through Friday and 9–5 on Saturdays. But all that’s about to change because my boss just informed me that beginning Monday I need to come in at 7:30. I am at work for breakfast lunch and dinner. Then I am home for an hour before going to bed so I can get up and do it all over again

Yeah… at this point I am getting paid to fluther!

Just out of curiosity, If you weren’t working, what would you be doing? When would you do what you need to do to pay your bills?

9–5 is a dream in terms of working hours here in Hong Kong. You get it only at government offices. Overtime here generally makes it 9:30am – 8pm (on a good day), and as late as 10 or 11 or midnight on a bad one….

I usually put in a 50–60 hour week, with no overtime pay. Salaried.