New routine help?

JessicaEPope

I started my new job two weeks ago working at a supermarket, one where you are expected to do everything in the store and continually lift heavy boxes for the whole of your shift. I did 20hours the first week, 30 last week and am averaging 30 this week.

On sunday i worked 11.5 hours with two 15 minute breaks, monday i worked 7 hours with a twenty minute break and yesterday (tuesday) I worked 10 hours with two fifteen minute breaks.

yesterday at work i felt completely overwhelmed and cried. Felt so silly and embarrassed but I used to lead such a sedentary lifestyle, in the last few months I've been exercising 4 or 5 times per week but it's nothing compared to the fatigue and general acheyness I've felt over the last few weeks. I know I probably haven't been eating enough to keep my body going and due to 7am starts I have been waking at half 5 to get ready for work, so i probably haven't got quite enough sleep either. I am trying to up my calorie intake and sleep more and hope that this helps. I don't work til 3pm today and feel rather embarrassed at yesterday but I just felt completely overwhelmed, no sleep, no food, and had worked 28hours in the space of 3 days. I want to prove myself in this new position but I'm finding it hard.

I wanted to ask anyone out there who works in a physically demanding environment how they coped with starting their new jobs and how long it took for your body to get used to it. I would like t start encorporating exercise into my routine again but at the moment I feel worn down a lot of the time.

Sorry for long ramble, any comments would be appreciated

Dayquasar

First of all you need better breaks, if you work 6hrs you should have a 30 min meal. After that you should have at least 1 15 min break and a 30 min, I would talk to your boss since it is illegal to not have a meal break after 6hrs. Start with that. It sounds crazy, your not a camel!

chrisja

So sorry you are feeling overwhelmed at the moment. If I was in your position I would hold off on the exercise for now until my body has become used to the rigors of the new job. Also if you had your activity level set at sedentary how about changing it to a more active one to reflect your present job just so you will be allotted the appropriate number of calories that you will need to get thru your hard day. Don't feel too bad about things now. Its one of those things you will eventually get used to. However when it gets to you just think of all the toning all that heavy work will be doing for your body. Pretty soon you will have knocked those extra pounds off and be wondering how did I just do that....lol. Cheer up!!

jagar07

I was in your position a couple months ago, when I started my job. I was previously home all day, unemployed for 4 months, so I got used to doing almost nothing. My feet hurt so bad from standing all day (9-10 hour shifts) that I would cry on the way home and just sit in my car when I got there because I dreaded walking.

Your body just needs time to adjust. I eventually got better shoes and started wearing those and it helped a lot. But more than that I got used to it. Now I can keep going even after my shift and even started exercising again. Don't give up, just do the things you mentioned, because you need to give your body the best advantages you can to help it adjust.

JessicaEPope

Thanks, I can feel my muscles working a lot, but working 5 days means I've just been tired for the last two weeks. I hate feelin so sorry for myself. Felt embarrassed yesterday too because I do consider myself a fighter, just feels like everythings piling up on top right now. Went from living with my boyfriend for the last year at Uni to moving back to parents tiil can afford to move out, stopping smoking making coping with stress harder, not getting on well with parents, stressful household, then being constantly tired just got to me. hoping they can cut me some slack because it's only my second week and I'm not used to this kind of work. I've set my activity level to active now, as a ten hour shift shifting stock and carrying all day constitues hard damn work haha

Hopefully in a few months I can get till trained too, so get extra £1 per hour and get to sit down for a bit on the tills haha. Hoping can be more toned and flatten my stomach a bit too, unless I get a hernia first from all this heavy lifting hahaha

chrisja

That's the attitude you need to tackle this. Best wishes!

JessicaEPope

Thanks all! Going from living with boyfriend to seeing him once or twice a week if lucky has been hard as he is my rock. Seeing him in a few days so trying to look forward to that. Today and tomor working then got a day off

Just need to try get a more positive mental attitude to working so much and try to have faith that my body will get used to it and I'll be alright then. I can get through this shift at work, I'm sure of it