So I’ve recently started working full-time at the company I’ve been with for a little over two years now. It’s been a busy couple of weeks with training, but I’ve been adjusting well. I’ve learned a lot as well as got a chance to meet lots of new people. Here are some expectations, realities, and miscellaneous thoughts I have about working in a full-time job.
Working Full-Time: Expectations vs. Reality
Having a Set Schedule
Expectation: As a full-time working adult, I have the idea that I would be working that 9-5 lifestyle. That’s what’s been shown in the media at least. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Day in and day out, I would have the same set schedule time and there wouldn’t be any questions…
Reality: Being in a new work setting means learning the ropes. I’ve been doing lots of training and getting to know how everything works, which includes any schedule changes. Since I’m also in an organization that works with other employees, children, and families, things come up which require some last-minute changes and LOTS of flexibility. There are times when my lunch break was moved around or the schedule has been modified to accommodate clients and other employees. It can get kind of confusing, but it’s helping me build flexibility and learning how to adjust quickly to changes, which is ALWAYS a good skill to have.
Being Exhausted Everyday
Expectation: So, I’m not much of a morning person… guess what I have to do every morning? I have to wake up early and get ready to go to work. Then I go to work for about eight hours and some change and repeat this every day. That sounds EXHAUSTING to me. I’m anticipating that I’ll be tired once I get home.
Reality: The first two weeks were not that bad! There’s the excitement of doing something new, so I was able to wake up early with not much trouble. However, after two weeks, I felt tired and groggy in the morning… not the best feeling in the world. I’ve been working on creating a consistent nighttime and morning routine so that I’ll get in the habit of waking up early.
Imbalance of Work and Personal Life
Expectation: I expect that I will be too tired to do anything fun for myself. I have a friend who is also working full-time and she told me that she would come home exhausted and wouldn’t want to do anything.
Reality: I’m not wrong about this one… I’m still learning how to balance work and personal life, while also incorporating self-care (to avoid burnout). When I was working part-time, I took on a lot of new hobbies and felt inspired to create. I created a blog/website, a children’s book (shameless self-promo, but if you want a copy of my book, click here), and some other photo projects. These days, it’s been kind of difficult trying to work on something new. Again, I’m still working on taking care of myself and making sure I have time to do something for myself.
Working Full-Time: Miscellaneous Thoughts
Support System
I realized that I appreciate working in an environment with co-workers. I like that I can have other people to talk to who can understand what I go through and who’s got my back. And it’s nice to have a support system that wants you to be successful. Teamwork makes the dream work for sure!
Setting Up for Success
In my job, there are a lot of little things that I need to prepare and set up. So to set myself up for success, I try to work ahead whenever I can. For example, I will prepare some parts of the schedules ahead of time, set up the materials I will need, and get started on the paperwork. Additionally, I make sure to meal prep at the beginning of the week so I don’t have to stress about it in the morning. It’s easy for me to get overwhelmed with the amount of stuff I need to get done. I’m working on trying to take it slow and be present in the moment. Not the easiest thing in the world, but I’m working on it!
More Water
So this is something I need to work on in general, but since I’ve started working full-time, I haven’t really thought about drinking more water. My days are so busy so it’s easy to forget to drink water. Moving forward, this is something I want to work on while I’m at my workplace (and in general, because hydration is key!).
