Which is your least favourite day of the week?

[Neil_1]

Hi all

Just heard the ever-popular comment in the tea room at work - "Wow, thank goodness it's Friday, yeee haaa" (and no it didn't come from my lips).   The person they were speaking to confirmed their happiness, but then went to a depressive spin on it by saying, "Yep, we love our Fridays, but we hate Monday's".

Simple human speak that would be spoken many thousands of times during today in workplaces and beyond all over the world.

However, I just wonder if we on this site feel the same emotions as what a lot of other people do.  I know that I "used" to, but I really don't any longer (and yes it's a shame in a way).

But Monday is Monday, Tuesday is Tuesday, Wednesday is ... well, you should be sensing the trend there so I'll stop.  What I think I'm trying to say is that there is no one day that is better (or worse) than the others we we who suffer every day.

I was just thinking about the comments made and thought I'd raise it to see if others think like the people in the kitchen or whether they think like me (you poor souls whoever raises their hand to that) or perhaps a combo of the two.

Thoughts dear people?

Neil

[MaryG]

Hi Neil,

I used to love Fridays. The start of the legitimate drinking period of the week. Drinks at work from 4 then on from there. When I had to stop drinking I mourned Friday's for a while..in fact I hated them. Friday night seemed vast and empty. Then I felt better about it as my life began to be filled with other things and I was resigned to sobriety. I have always been worse on Mondays. Always much lower than normal. At the moment my days just drift from one to the next in a never ending stream. The only difference is I have to work for 5 of them. 

Mary

[Neil_1]

Hi Mary

Damnit, I'm jumping in on my post already before others get a good chance to voice.  But you've triggered some things that jumped out to me.

When I first started working, way back mid 1980's - wow - so much has changed since then.  There typing pools and type writers ... no such thing as work computers.  Offices had papers everywhere and pens pens and more pens.  Whoops, digression again.  But in those days it wasn't uncommon to go out to lunch on a Friday and stay out till around 5pm when we'd go back to work, purely to tidy up our desks and then head to the office happy hour.  From that we'd then go out and yeah, that was a helluva big Friday.

The other comment is not nearly as jovial as the above.  I'm not sure how many of us there are who work 5 days a week - but for me it's one hell of a bad stressor for me - one of my many balloons of depression (as I refer to them).  I sit in an office for pretty much 5 days a week, and for the most part not really doing anything of great value.  Sure I'm getting paid and all that, but am I doing something worthwhile;  I don't really think so, but that's the issue.  We need to make money in order to get by.  Again it brings up that old question, of what would you really like to be doing if you didn't need to work.  Ahhh, that's a good title for another thread.

So dear folk, sorry about my slight digression as I wanted to chime in against Mary's comment - but what do people think regarding days of the week?

Cheers

Neil

[scorch]

I work between 9am and 1pm Mon-Fri.  I used to work full time in a stressful management job, but I couldn't deal with the anxiety that it triggered in me so I found a new job that only does half days.

I hate this job, but it seems like the only thing I'm able to find that doesn't deal with too many people. So whether it is Friday or Monday it doesn't really make a difference to me.  It's all a struggle.  But it could be worse.

The only thing that makes a Friday good is that the next day is Saturday.  Saturdays are awesome.  I get to spend them with my husband and usually there's no pressure or expectations to drag me down.

I really like Saturdays. 

And to comment on what Neil said.  I too feel like I am working a meaningless job, but you gotta do what you gotta do to pay your way.  If I could do anything I choose, I would become a baker or a writer.  I just applied for a baking apprenticeship, but I'm not holding my breath. I haven't heard back from them 😞

[MaryG]

Says something about our work day that we're on line posting here instead of working.

[geoff]

dear Neil, a good and interesting post, as for me I'm on a DSP pension, bugger all money but I have some left in the kitty, but for the days I still dislike Mondays because another week has started and that means appointments etc. for me and those that I help, pay bills which never stop and the week just rolls on by, and before I know it it's back to Monday, and you say where have all those years gone.

But for someone with depression the week end goes far too quickly, and pay day not soon enough nor large enough, and so the struggle continues on, never seeming to make any head roads. Geoff.

[JessF]

Ahh yes, how I love Fridays (as it means I can sneak on here at work and post!)

Neil this is a really good one, you've made me think, I have changed quite a lot about how I feel about days of the week. I have been through the 'every day is the same what does it matter' when off work because of my illness and isolated from people. I have been like garfield the cat and hated Mondays. I have loved Fridays. I have spent all of Sunday anxious because of Monday (never understood in the bangles song 'manic monday' why Sunday was her 'fun day', I think it was just because it rhymed!)

I like Geoffs point too, I getn anxious about the passing of time, where the year just whips through and you think where did it go? But i suppose in a positive way, if we are worried about how much time we have left and how quickly its goingmaybe its some sort of incentive to try and enjoy whats happening now.

Which brings me to now! Life is not perfect, but I have a good relationship with days of the week now, probably because for the first time in a long time I am enjoying mty time at my job, we have lots of laughs and somehow the frustrating things that used to worry me at night or upset me during the day and have me running home at lunchtimes just dont seem to be happening. I enjoy Monday because its a busy day, Fridays have a relaxed feel because of 'casual Friday' (i've yet to try and push the boundaries of casual by coming in wearing trackies or PJs!), and I can even enjoy Sunday without getting stressed about Monday morning.

The middle of the week was a struggle but I have tried to counter that by organising some things during the week after work that I can do so there's always a little carrot dangling a day or two ahead, and that keeps me going on my low days.

[Guest_3712]

Hi all,

from someone who was forced out of work for 5 years ago and only recently scored a job my days are charted as follows:

workdays -

actual name of day varies but for me work day is me day. I am someone. I am part of this throbbing mass we call life. I belong somewhere. The place I get my coffee doesn't know my name but knows how I like my coffee, and the security guard says "hello gorgeous" every day. I have an employee number, and if I don't turn up I will be missed.

Non work days-

I wake up and remember I have depression.  I go through the things I know I have to do, I avoid the mirror as I am scared the mask will slip and I will hide away. If I have to go out, shop, pay bills I keep my head down and avoid eye contact. No- one says hello. My anxiety is increasing and I use medication to get by.

Weekends

I put on my weekend mask and try to make the free time my husband has happy and stress free . If we are lucky the weather is good and we can go to the beach. I love the beach- no matter what the day. By days end I am anxious and stressed from keeping up the act, I love my husband but he can't be what I need him to be.

I worry constantly I am wasting 'days', not using my life in a meaningful way, not making great memories for my family .

Today is Friday and I am depressed.

Be kind to your selves

Stressless

[JessF]

Hello Stressless, I see a really clear picture of your week after reading that. Two things popped out for me, one is that when you are not at work you talk about having a mask on, and concentrating on making your husband happy, keeping up an act. Is there anything you can do that you would enjoy? Even if its going to the beach by yourself? The second thing is what you say about work - it's me day, that you feel like you are someone and that you belong.  This sounds really positive.  is there any way you can work out what's driving those feelings and work out things you can do outside work that can help those feelings 'spill over' into the rest of your life? 

I know what you mean about the wasting days and time feeling. I know its hard to push the anxious thoughts away but honestly, just being there for your family, being you and doing things with them, showing you love them as you no doubt do, that is meaningful, and those are the memories that matter.

[Guest_3712]

Hi Jess,

yes you are right . I am working with my psych and trying to get those positive feelings I have at work to spill over into the rest of my life.

I do go to the beach on my own, but I find being alone with my thought is the biggest contributor to my depression. I need to be constantly on the move doing things to occupy myself.

This is why I had such a breakdown when I couldn't work. Those feelings of worthlessness and being nothing are strongest when not just my body is idle but my mind is too ,because then it goes to places I can't cope with.

As far as my family goes my psych has also said to me what an achievement to have raised happy healthy kids but my feeling is they have turned out well in spite of me not because of me.

I guess I am a kind of 'glass half full' kinda gal.

Stressless