Overworked and underpaid. When i get home all i want to do is have something to eat then go to bed to wake up the next day to do the same boring, monotonous thing at a job i dont like. Then the weekend comes and the only thing i want to do is chill out, get some house chores done.
441
SexDrugsAndPopcorn1 day ago
+93
If I give myself too much fun during down time it just makes me more depressed when I return to work
93
riotmanful1 day ago
+17
I’m this way about my days off. I work 10-7 then 7-3:30 so I only get to enjoy a few hours on my early working days, then I have Thursday and Friday off most weeks. Having two days off gives me just enough freedom to hate going back to work. If I have my days off split up like say Tuesday and Friday then I don’t feel as bad because it’s hardly a taste of freedom.
17
woosy1 day ago
+7
everything has its upsides and downsides, days split apart usually meant i would almost do nothing just trying to get my body to recover.
The depression remark people are making really resonates and teh only real solution ive found for it is better planning for the future.
You have to have people you like that you need to do something new with. have a hobby or activity that provides solitude but also some type of personal growth, something that scales with time, be able to exercise work out do something physical that is taxing but fun.
Things have to be planned and follow through'ed on.
The work is a blessing that provides a type of structure but also a way to grow in your on way.
The problem I felt with myself is work required so much energy that I would conserve myself to show up at work. But by the time I was done working I had accumulated too much fatigue to be able to think and shift gears. It was all just lazy dystopian recovery.
There has to be intentionality behind how you operate/ spend time/ live. Movies, music, tv, social media need to mostly take a back seat to real human contact and building novel experiences. but also things that arent just an escape.
7
riotmanful1 day ago
+3
If I’m being entirely honest I don’t really feel anything good at all from interacting with my family. Or “community”. I don’t have a good time interacting with people at all really. Maybe I am just lazy but I certainly do overindulge in escapism. I’ve tried a lot of things in life and, total honesty, I haven’t had a single day I feel has been worth waking up and getting out of bed for in over a decade. The only times I’ve ever been close to happy have been when I’m getting drunk or smoking. Having been sober for a few years has not made a positive difference. Trying new things has not made a difference. Effort for me is largely just another expenditure and the juice has never been worth the squeeze. Maybe I’m depressed but I’m not spending the money I make on going to another doctor who will not actually help, which has been my only experience for my entire adult life.
3
satishtreks1 day ago
+11
This is really suffering to both mind and body. Weekends will get spent in resting, no time for any hobbies of any sort.
11
imhitchens1 day ago
+4
I moved to working a week straight (10.5 hours/day) and having 1 whole week off. It's so nice. Regular office drone life was literally ruining me.
4
Me_Gupsta1 day ago
+4
Correlation != Causation but... [Britons are now working like Americans](https://www.ft.com/content/b9ac3fd6-b3c6-4497-b03f-208bcec3966c?syn-25a6b1a6=1) 🤷♂️
4
Tuxhorn1 day ago
+1
I really try to get chores done early in the work week if I can, it helps a lot.
But yeah it's tough.
1
Xsiah22 hr ago
+1
I like my job and I'm paid well but I also do this.
1
bilyl16 hr ago
+1
Aside from watching happy people on bake-off, the UK just seems to be pretty miserable in many respects.
1
touristtam1 day ago
+1
Missing your ration of Victory Gin, do you?
1
autumneliteRS1 day ago
+172
This isn't surprising. Prices went up, spending power dropped, more services have been put behind a paywall or outright cancelled, little investment, fewer accessible green spaces, very little indication this will change anytime soon. All adding up to a poorer quality of life filled with more stress.
172
catbrane1 day ago
+113
It's silly to blame one person, but I'd still blame George Osborne.
After the 2008 crash, there were six or seven years with very low global interest rates. It was a perfect time to borrow cheaply to invest in infrastructure. The US and many of our EU peers did exactly this.
In the UK, Osborne, one of the Conservative Party's small-state-ist ultras, took advantage of what his group saw as a one-in-a-generation opportunity to permanently shrink the UK state. Austerity was a choice, an ideologically driven push to destroy a lot of what made the UK civilized.
Austerity gave us 10 years of stagnation and collapsing public services, that in turn gave us Brexit and another lost decade, and might well next give us Reform and ANOTHER 10 years of stagnation.
We're looking at thirty years of drift and regression, all caused by one misguided choice back in 2010.
(edit: to address the root post's point about health, it's the consequence of austerity's flatlining of the NHS for 2010 - 2020)
113
carpinus241 day ago
+65
...and back to his idol, Margaret Thatcher, who thought it was a good idea to sell off national assets for a quick buck, leaving us without the industries that generated the wealth to create and upgrade infrastructure. A few got rich quickly, but generations have been impoverished. The classic 'knows the cost of everything, but the value of nothing '
65
ixid1 day ago
+14
Even though I'm centre-right I see this selling off of national assets as a massive failure. The state can do some things efficiently, especially when it uses some market mechanisms to force continual efficiencies. What we've seen is that what the private sector offers is actually monopolistic capture (or outright lies like breaking pollution laws to save money), and as soon as it gets that the prices go up, it's not more efficient.
The duty of the state is fundamentally to provide the necessary services for life as efficiently as possible, because this frees up resources for growth. So any commercial activity that is highly mature should be provided at as close to cost as possible. The private sector should exist in the gap between highly mature industries and innovation, where new methods provide genuine improvements in productivity.
14
Xurbax1 day ago
+13
Gee, that sounds an awful lot like Socialism... perhaps you should reflect on whether you really are "centre-right", and the fact that the "right" does these things because they fundamentally don't believe in helping people.
13
fuedlibuerger1 day ago
+3
To be fair, the first half was a good idea, meaning to privatise cetain infrastructure organisations, the second half was stupid, in that the sole owner isn't the state. The UK should have made the sole owner of these privatised entities the state. We have that in Switzerland for example for the Swiss Post, Swisscom (telecommunications), Ruag (weapons and defense) and other companies that are infrastructure relevant. This way the companies deliever profit to the state and have to compete in the private market, meaning keeping costs low. One exemption is the SBB (Swiss Federal Railway) which is privatised, owned by the state but still needs subsidies for the infrastructure.
3
merryman11 day ago
+19
The fact they so casually inflicted generational-scales of harm on us over this for frankly just purely ideological purposes, the *entire* media system got in line behind them to support and justify what they were saying despite the numerous expert voices pointing out it was bullshit, and then absolutely no one has faced any real personal consequences for doing that just genuinely really upsets me. Its as bad as as Brexit and the covid response, these people have affected all of our lives on a deeply personal level, thousands upon thousands are simply no longer with us now as a direct result, for reasons that even they don't really seem able to explain, and yet the idea that they ought to face some kind of consequence for that feels almost alien.
19
Frank95671 day ago
+2
About one third of the population couldn't be bothered to vote. Another third fell in line with the Party that did it without thinking.
As far as I am concerned, those two cohorts are actually now getting their just desserts. While the likes of Osborne actually did the cutting, they couldn't have done it without the 2/3rds of the voting public I outlined.
So, while it might be satisfying to make an example of the politicians, a goodly number of the whole population is reaping their just rewards.
I only feel sorry for that third who voted against austerity.
2
bilyl16 hr ago
+1
The problem comes down to the fact that nobody in the UK wants to do anything to actually juice the economy in a meaningful way, whether it be left or right wing policies.
1
cryyingboy1 day ago
+92
austerity worked exactly as expected, just not for the people
92
Guizz1 day ago
+6
10 years of Tories will do that
6
Fun-Can-89351 day ago
+7
thank the milk snatcher
7
Saddam_HusseinsCorgi1 day ago
+31
Christ, has any quantifiable in the UK improved in the last decade? I struggle to think of any
31
ParanoidQ1 day ago
+78
Not to be that guy, but when people get despondent and cynical it can help to get out of the bubble and see that some things are definitely improving, or on the upside.
Renewal Energy has massively increased in the last decade
Air Quality has improved drastically via reduction of emissions and other air pollutants.
The jobs market is a little depressed at the moment, but over the last decade the Jobs Market has been surprisingly robust even with the twin bullaches that were Covid and Brexit getting involved.
Minimum Wage has increased (though this is admittedly somewhat offset by insane cost of living increases).
Child health is improved, and obesity levels down - especially in primary school aged kids.
Cancer survival rates are improved, especially in cervical thanks to the HPV vaccination.
Smoking is on its way out. Not only is is being banned for those born 16 years ago, but smoking use has been on the decline for a long time. Better health, better environments for people living in those areas. Pubs are definitely a hell of a lot more pleasant now!
Crime, despite what social media likes to gleefully exacerbate, is actually down with sustained, not just occasional, drops in many areas (including theft and violent crime).
And I know this one will be something of a so-what for some people, but the UK government website improvements are incredible. Compare it to pretty much any other country, and the ability to find information, self serve and interact with government requirements is so obscenely smooth. The civil service should definitely get more appreciation for this than they do.
I know it isn't specifically looking at the economic improvements you might have been seeking, but those are just a few of the improvements seen in the UK over the last 8-10 years.
UPDATE:
I actually did a little digging and have the following economic positives!
Borrowing is hugely down, beneath forecasts by around £700,000,000
Economy grew by 0.5% in last update before Iran War, suggesting things were improving at least.
UK is the tech hub of Europe, seeing the largest number of start ups and the highest amount of funding/investment in Europe.
Unemployment is actually actually dropping, although the job market is still difficult.
78
BingoLuck1 day ago
+22
If this is being "that guy", then I wish more people would be "that guy"
22
ParanoidQ1 day ago
+2
Maybe. But being mr positive isn’t always accepted well when everyone wants a reason to be miserable.
2
kusuriii1 day ago
+14
This actually helped, thank you
14
ParanoidQ1 day ago
+3
I’m genuinely glad it could help.
The internet is not generally a good place to be because people seem to find it easier to bring people down. There is definitely good news out there and the U.K., contrary to what people insist on telling you, is doing pretty well comparable to its peers.
3
Covid19-Pro-Max1 day ago
+3
I know you just answered OPs question for any improvements but most of those measurements should be proxies for the quality of life for brits but the headline says that, despite all that, despite improvements in air quality and cancer treatment, they still are less healthy. So it’s hard to find comfort in these things.
3
ladafum1 day ago
+2
I’m British and have lived in Germany for the last ten years. I had to renew my passport and I was shocked by how seamless and integrated the online process was. Here I would have had to fax something and wait days for DHL to lose a TAN
2
Irtexx1 day ago
+2
Thank you for posting this. It's made me feel better.
2
[deleted]1 day ago
+1
[deleted]
1
ParanoidQ1 day ago
+5
No disrespect, but you're kinda the negativity I was talking about. I give a list of things that can cheer people up a bit and you feel you have to piss on the parade?
Renewable Energy, has increased everywhere. But the UK was dead last in 2010, we're now 3rd best against Western peers. Room for improvement? Certainly, but it's still a good news story and great progress.
Air Quality - there are many reasons why general health will have been in decline. Improving air quality isn't going to be one of them. But you had to be cynical about it. Grats, pat yourself on the back. Improved air quality is still something to be optimistic about.
"A little" is still improvement and sure beats the hell out of getting worse.
Minimum wage increase - I highlighted already that the cost of living would have offset that.
Child health improvement - there are a number of reasons. Better education about healthier eating in schools. The sugar tax making high sugar foods less appealing. Better foods being provided in schools for lunches. I never said that it was the governments doing, again, you just want to be negative.
The ban on people smoking has only recently been proposed and put through parliament. They asked about the last decade. The improvements have been seen and solidified over the last decade and are continuing.
Crime - quite true. I said many areas, I didn't say every area. Just look for the ONS. Since 2015 there has been a 34% decrease in violent crime. Theft, burglary etc. has decreased by a similar amount.
Fraud and digital crimes have increased by about a third. But I said "many areas" not, all.
5
CakeOk2971 day ago
+1
Who cares if air quality is up and obesity is down if we're spending fewer years in good health? Id rather be fat breathing fumes and healthy.
1
WorkJeff23 hr ago
Those "primary school aged kids" will care in 40 years when they're not on blood thinners and can still run up a flight of stairs.
0
Blackintosh1 day ago
+10
Some things are improving under labour,
with a big fat caveat... being that real terms wages are not rising and probably never will.
So while labour are actually investing into public services and seeing improvement in some areas, nobody is actually feeling any better off.
The sad truth is though, labour don't have the backbone to do what is necessary to take the grip of capitalism off our neck.
Royal mail is a perfect current example. It is in the process of collapsing under the effects of privatisation, but because the government investigations are met with the usual corporate plausible deniability BS, nothing is being done. Yet give it another year and the government will have no choice but to bail out the mail system while the private individuals run off with the profitable parcels side of the business and all the tax-payer bought infrastructure.
10
Saddam_HusseinsCorgi1 day ago
+10
Tale as old as time. Defund a public institution to degrade its functionality and the public's perception of it, giving you a smokescreen to sell it off to the highest bidder. They take over, jack up the prices, and enshittify.
10
SlinkyRaccoons1 day ago
+11
Wealth distribution to the upper .1%
11
duluoz11 day ago
+2
Crime rates
2
mrayner91 day ago
+1
Renting i guess
1
touristtam1 day ago
+1
House pricing in general then.
1
Reznik811 day ago
+5
The wonderous results of UKIP at work.
5
IIllIllIlllIIIl1 day ago
+4
Brexit happened
4
Doomergeneration1 day ago
+10
Have so much to look forward to….
10
AnyaSatana1 day ago
+4
Thanks Brexit voters and austerity. This is down to them in large part 😖 (plus Ukraine, Iran, etc.). As a UK person this news doesn't surprise me in the slightest. The NHS is extremely over worked and under resourced. Throwing in worsening economic inequality with dying town centres and bankrupt councils it's obvious it would be the case.
We have to tax the rich. The rest of us haven't got anything left.
4
cyberianscribe1 day ago
+9
I honestly don’t know if it’s a coincidence or not, but the brexit referendum happened a decade ago. And, the consensus reached by economists is that brexit has indeed had a long term negative impact on the economy.
I guess the awareness that you’re not likely to be as prosperous as you were (however insignificant) or imagined you’d be has impacted people’s mental and (to some degree) physical health.
9
[deleted]1 day ago
+3
[deleted]
3
Same_Grouness1 day ago
+3
> We have practically full employment which is why there is a lot of competition for jobs
That doesn't add up, if nearly everyone was employed then they wouldn't be applying for every job.
3
Pacifist_Socialist1 day ago
+2
That was prior to the eu split disaster right, for anyone keeping score
2
wgbe22 hr ago
+2
The UK is slowly directing to the US, one year at a time.
2
Retroagv1 day ago
+6
Is this good news that even unhealthy people are kept alive when they previously would have died?
Or are they measuring the same people who are no longer healthy 10 years on?
Or looking at my nan is it because factory workers are living longer and 15 hour days for 20 years is in your 40-60's is not conducive to long term health.
That whole generation didnt have the motto " health is wealth". So they just have all the wealth and dont give a shit about smoking, walking, eating despite them literally being the current best off in society.
6
ceffyl_gwyn1 day ago
+7
It's more like the latter. Healthy years have fallen despite life expectancy remaining the same.
The principle causes in the article are rising obesity and impacts of alcohol consumption. Health inequality and suicide are given as secondary drivers.
7
Standard_Diver_31281 day ago
+3
Look arsenal what have you done
3
WorkJeff23 hr ago
+1
what they always do, try to walk it in
1
h5n1zzp1 day ago
+4
Another of those Brexit benefits I’ve been hearing so much about!
4
Sans-valeur1 day ago
+1
Yeah it was a big step to take but in the end it’s paying off?
1
InsideOutCosmonaut1 day ago
+2
Over worked, underpaid are among the many americanisations that are ruining this country
2
Lain_Staley1 day ago
+2
>underpaid
>americanisation
Wouldn't the UK rank 51st in income compared to all 50 states?
2
InsideOutCosmonaut1 day ago
+3
I don’t know about that stat, but even if true then that doesn’t mean average americans aren’t underpaid though?
All I hear about is how it’s impossible to live on minimum wage over there.
3
JustCopyingOthers17 hr ago
+1
There's not a direct comparison due to differences in how healthcare is paid for and who gets included in the averages. Medians are approx $41k in UK, $54k in Mississippi (lowest in US). The UK figure drops to the equivalent of approx $36k after tax, but effectively includes all healthcare costs other than opticians or dentists.
1
IMCopernicus23 hr ago
+1
Smoking a pack a day probably doesn’t help longevity either
1
martechnician17 hr ago
+1
Being in good health in one’s older years takes money. All that money now belongs to billionaires and oligarchs.
1
DevelopmentSome349116 hr ago
+1
uk is what america will look like in 100 years. theyre not a dying empire theyre a dead one
1
B1ueRogue12 hr ago
+1
Yeah well at least we have a health care service and safety nets.
1
lifeinthebeastwing1 day ago
-4
Diet just continues to get worse. People don't take care of themselves.
-4
Feniks_Gaming1 day ago
+9
That is such a simplistic view of the complex problem.
69 Comments