The I Feel Down Topic.

[Leigh]

I really wouldn’t take it personally; Thorpe security are enough to make anyone feel down, whether or not you’re in the right. However, irrespective of what Thorpe’s policies are, getting fobbed off and lied to like you were is the sort of thing that really gets me in an irate mood so I completely understand why it's affected you.

 

[The_bup]

Quite simply, this sucks and I'm sorry that the loss of your mask stings. You clearly put a lot of effort and passion into creating something which would give you and others joy, without bad intentions. A genuine mistake was made, probably because you were getting carried away in the detail of your costume, and you didn't realise that it might be confiscated. Security shouldn't have made promises that they couldn't and wouldn't keep, your trust was broken and at a place you care deeply for. Feeling upset, down or annoyed isn't minor, it's genuine emotion and something that you clearly need to express in a safe space such as this. You're also not overreacting. You're frustrated and annoyed, and you're perfectly entitled to feel all of these things.

I know that I've reiterated on other threads the expectations that come with entering a park in costume, but I should have empathised with you about the really awful situation you've been put in and the loss you've incurred.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry if I've made you feel worse in any way at all, for backing the very strict line that parks take around security and playing devil's advocate / voice of reason (this was not my intention). I'm sorry that you've been misled by people you trusted. I'm sorry that you have had a loss and that it stings.

I hope that you can find some good to come out of this somewhere and that things start to feel a little better soon.

Thanks. I don’t blame you for thinking that, I am partially responsible. There where 3 errors:
Same bringing it there without checking
Security telling me I could have it back
Customer services taking three days and a phone call to even acknowledge my email

But otherwise, I’m very happy to actually have people backing me up on this. It feels nice to know people have taken time out of their day to type a response. Well, I tell my friends about it, but quite frankly, they wouldn’t see sunlight unless they had to, so they aren’t the best at the whole reassurance thing, so thanks, it means a lot.

It is nice to have reassurance, but since I know how to make these things and have made two more before for freinds, I’m not going to let me stop making them. Who knows, come the 31st, I’ll bet you’ll see me on the I’m feeling happy Thread.

Speaking of which, is there a thread for making things and drawing and stuff? I’d love to share what I do in my abundance of spare time to more people than just my close freinds and family.

 

[AT86]

Speaking of which, is there a thread for making things and drawing and stuff? I’d love to share what I do in my abundance of spare time to more people than just my close freinds and family.

The "Look What I Made!" Topic.

I know for a fact that plenty of us have other hobbies outside of theme parks. So I thought it's about time we had a thread for people to show off their latest project. Anything remotely crafty counts. Art, model kits, painted gaming minis, knitting, papercraft, sculpture, Lego MOCs, cosplay...

towersstreet.com

 

[Poisson]

Serious hearing problems at the moment. Really not good, hurts like a bugger and my ear is so badly swollen they can't even see what's going on to prescribe the heavy duty stuff. Bugger.

 

[RicketyCricket]

Serious hearing problems at the moment. Really not good, hurts like a bugger and my ear is so badly swollen they can't even see what's going on to prescribe the heavy duty stuff. Bugger.

Same here mate.

Bought some new earphones which the quack thinks has caused an infection. 10/10 agony at times. Gave me some strong ear drops but it's so closed up they're barely getting in there.

 

[Poisson]

Same here mate.

Bought some new earphones which the quack thinks has caused an infection. 10/10 agony at times. Gave me some strong ear drops but it's so closed up they're barely getting in there.

Had a horrendous cold and the right ear never cleared. Probably infected. Great times.

 

[Matt.GC]

I don't know what it is, but I'm really struggling to multitask commitments at the moment. I started a Degree Apprenticeship in May and have settled in far better than I expected. I have a fear of education following a terrible experience at school and years since of being looked down upon so this is a big thing for me to prove all the doubters, which include myself, wrong.

Despite my highest qualification to date being a solitary C-grade GCSE from the 1990's, my second and third uni assignments were graded as 72% and 70% respectively, which my tutor has told me is virtually unheard of so early on in this course, especially for someone with my low academic ability. So I should be bouncing around jumping for joy. But the problem is that delivering those grades involved my hallmark obsessive nature, where failure was not an option and nothing else mattered. It's how I've behaved my whole career to date as I've always had to put that extra effort in to make up for the mistakes of the past.

But I'm now exhausted. I haven't even started my next assignment yet and keep putting it off. My work responsibilities have suffered and I'm now trying to pick up the pieces and recover things as we head into Christmas trading. Any retail manager will know that it's not a job where you can clock in and clock out, you're attached to the role 24/7 365 and you finish when the job is done. You shirk around and take time for yourself when times are good, you go hell for leather and do nothing else when times are challenging. Making matters worse, to stay on the programme I need to achieve a level 2 qualification in my arch nemesis subject Maths as I didn't achieve a GCSE grade C in this at school and level 2 Maths and English are a requirement. May sound trivial to most normal people but achieving anything in Maths is a big struggle for me. So I've been an idiot and avoided it for a month.

Not sure what to do. I used to have so much energy and passion. I can run any store in the country. It now seems like I can actually write academically as well after all these years of fear and doubt. But I'm now starting to doubt that it's actually my abilities that drive this, it's obsessive behaviours. Feeling tired and conflicted as I have serious issues to deal with work wise, but I can see myself getting behind with my studies. I shouldn't even be posting on this forum right now, I should probably be writing my next assignment, but I just want to whack the PlayStation on and have an early night so I can go to work earlier tomorrow.

 

[Skyscraper]

Serious hearing problems at the moment. Really not good, hurts like a bugger and my ear is so badly swollen they can't even see what's going on to prescribe the heavy duty stuff. Bugger.

Same here mate.

Bought some new earphones which the quack thinks has caused an infection. 10/10 agony at times. Gave me some strong ear drops but it's so closed up they're barely getting in there.

Hope you both feel better soon!

 

[BarryZola]

I don't know what it is, but I'm really struggling to multitask commitments at the moment. I started a Degree Apprenticeship in May and have settled in far better than I expected. I have a fear of education following a terrible experience at school and years since of being looked down upon so this is a big thing for me to prove all the doubters, which include myself, wrong.

Despite my highest qualification to date being a solitary C-grade GCSE from the 1990's, my second and third uni assignments were graded as 72% and 70% respectively, which my tutor has told me is virtually unheard of so early on in this course, especially for someone with my low academic ability. So I should be bouncing around jumping for joy. But the problem is that delivering those grades involved my hallmark obsessive nature, where failure was not an option and nothing else mattered. It's how I've behaved my whole career to date as I've always had to put that extra effort in to make up for the mistakes of the past.

But I'm now exhausted. I haven't even started my next assignment yet and keep putting it off. My work responsibilities have suffered and I'm now trying to pick up the pieces and recover things as we head into Christmas trading. Any retail manager will know that it's not a job where you can clock in and clock out, you're attached to the role 24/7 365 and you finish when the job is done. You shirk around and take time for yourself when times are good, you go hell for leather and do nothing else when times are challenging. Making matters worse, to stay on the programme I need to achieve a level 2 qualification in my arch nemesis subject Maths as I didn't achieve a GCSE grade C in this at school and level 2 Maths and English are a requirement. May sound trivial to most normal people but achieving anything in Maths is a big struggle for me. So I've been an idiot and avoided it for a month.

Not sure what to do. I used to have so much energy and passion. I can run any store in the country. It now seems like I can actually write academically as well after all these years of fear and doubt. But I'm now starting to doubt that it's actually my abilities that drive this, it's obsessive behaviours. Feeling tired and conflicted as I have serious issues to deal with work wise, but I can see myself getting behind with my studies. I shouldn't even be posting on this forum right now, I should probably be writing my next assignment, but I just want to whack the PlayStation on and have an early night so I can go to work earlier tomorrow.

If this is a normal degree course where the results from the first year (or obviously equivalent if part-time) don't count towards your final grading:

Concentrate on your maths moreso than getting the absolute best results in your uni assignments. Just pass the uni assignments to a decent pass level. Cut a third of the time or whatever from your uni assignments and put that into your maths which is actually essential in the short-term. You're obviously capable of a very good degree so worry about that in the final years where every grade counts (although I know how good it feels to get those excellent uni grades back as a mature student).

Try to delegate a bit more at work to give yourself the odd break, if at all possible. Not the best time of year for it, obviously, but something to look at after the first week or so of January.

The other option is to just crack on with everything full-pelt and hope for the best (mental-health wise). Burnout is a very real thing (I think it happened to me after finishing a full-time degree alongside working nights in my retail job and also suffering with anxiety, and have almost certainly never recovered properly since). You could always just completely drain yourself and get everything done, then when you're burned-out afterwards, call in sick on good pay, then have a nice rest and return better than ever (hopefully).

I don't know, really. It's a lot of work though. I understand both worlds.

 

[GooseOnTheLoose]

I don't know what it is, but I'm really struggling to multitask commitments at the moment. I started a Degree Apprenticeship in May and have settled in far better than I expected. I have a fear of education following a terrible experience at school and years since of being looked down upon so this is a big thing for me to prove all the doubters, which include myself, wrong.

Despite my highest qualification to date being a solitary C-grade GCSE from the 1990's, my second and third uni assignments were graded as 72% and 70% respectively, which my tutor has told me is virtually unheard of so early on in this course, especially for someone with my low academic ability. So I should be bouncing around jumping for joy. But the problem is that delivering those grades involved my hallmark obsessive nature, where failure was not an option and nothing else mattered. It's how I've behaved my whole career to date as I've always had to put that extra effort in to make up for the mistakes of the past.

But I'm now exhausted. I haven't even started my next assignment yet and keep putting it off. My work responsibilities have suffered and I'm now trying to pick up the pieces and recover things as we head into Christmas trading. Any retail manager will know that it's not a job where you can clock in and clock out, you're attached to the role 24/7 365 and you finish when the job is done. You shirk around and take time for yourself when times are good, you go hell for leather and do nothing else when times are challenging. Making matters worse, to stay on the programme I need to achieve a level 2 qualification in my arch nemesis subject Maths as I didn't achieve a GCSE grade C in this at school and level 2 Maths and English are a requirement. May sound trivial to most normal people but achieving anything in Maths is a big struggle for me. So I've been an idiot and avoided it for a month.

Not sure what to do. I used to have so much energy and passion. I can run any store in the country. It now seems like I can actually write academically as well after all these years of fear and doubt. But I'm now starting to doubt that it's actually my abilities that drive this, it's obsessive behaviours. Feeling tired and conflicted as I have serious issues to deal with work wise, but I can see myself getting behind with my studies. I shouldn't even be posting on this forum right now, I should probably be writing my next assignment, but I just want to whack the PlayStation on and have an early night so I can go to work earlier tomorrow.

First step is recognising what you need to do, so well done there and congratulations on the academic achievements.

Maths isn't trivial, I can totally understand why people struggle with it, our education system was only designed for one type of learner. Unfortunately you were let down.

The thing is, you've probably got the Level 2 Maths skills without even realising it. You can't work in retail, for as long as you have, and not have them. It's the formalisation of a test, and structure, that could be throwing you off. It's no longer abstract.

A little advice would be to find the exam board that your qualification is with, for example Edexcel, and then looking at past papers online. They're usually free. Googling "Edexcel Level 2 Maths past papers" is a good start, or practice papers, and there are usually some samples around.

Structure and routine will help, but I understand that's practically impossible in retail during Christmas. If you can carve out even 30-45 mins a day though, you'll feel better for it. Just be obsessive about making sure you have the time and making the most out of that time. Turn those obsessives into a strength.

You've got this. Well done on the achievements you've got so far, don't lose the momentum!

 

[Matt.GC]

Is this a course where the first year

If this is a normal degree course where the results from the first year (or obviously equivalent if part-time) don't count towards your final grading:

Concentrate on your maths moreso than getting the absolute best results in your uni assignments. Just pass the uni assignments to a decent pass level. Cut a third of the time or whatever from your uni assignments and put that into your maths which is actually essential in the short-term. You're obviously capable of a very good degree so worry about that in the final years where every grade counts (although I know how good it feels to get those excellent uni grades back as a mature student).

Try to delegate a bit more at work to give yourself the odd break, if at all possible. Not the best time of year for it, obviously, but something to look at after the first week or so of January.

The other option is to just crack on with everything full-pelt and hope for the best (mental-health wise). Burnout is a very real thing (I think it happened to me after finishing a full-time degree alongside working nights in my retail job and also suffering with anxiety, and have almost certainly never recovered properly since). You could always just completely drain yourself and get everything done, then when you're burned-out afterwards, call in sick on good pay, then have a nice rest and return better than ever (hopefully).

I don't know, really. It's a lot of work though. I understand both worlds.

Thanks for this. Work wise, I don't think it's necessarily the task that's missing, it's the direction and guidance. They're all fully supportive of me and are a great team who look after me, but I think it's starting to take its toll when they're all there grafting away for 5 days per week whilst their boss is only there for 4. They haven't said as such, but I think they feel a little less supported than they were. They don't want me there to do anything, but a few comments have been made about needing some direction and they're trying hard to keep things away from me to not bother me and making some wrong decisions in the process. There's also a motivational drag I feel when the boss isn't there. Another comment was made about people being on best behaviour around me but giving the rest of the team some trouble in my absence.

To tackle my fear of education, I basically approached this like it was something to do with work (since it's an apprenticeship, it is really) like my job depended on it. Whatever is needed, I just deliver it at work so I treated this the same way, but the caveat to that is that everything then needs to be right. I know deep down that you're absolutely right and as it's year 1, just 41% will do as it doesn't count. I can't go into year 2 with Maths still hanging around either. I'm thinking of just boning up on Maths for the next few weeks, knocking together a quick "that'll do" assignment for the next one due in my week off in January and spending the rest of the time at work to give everyone a bit of a boost.

I hate not having a plan and not being in control.

 

[BarryZola]

Thanks for this. Work wise, I don't think it's necessarily the task that's missing, it's the direction and guidance. They're all fully supportive of me and are a great team who look after me, but I think it's starting to take its toll when they're all there grafting away for 5 days per week whilst their boss is only there for 4. They haven't said as such, but I think they feel a little less supported than they were. They don't want me there to do anything, but a few comments have been made about needing some direction and they're trying hard to keep things away from me to not bother me and making some wrong decisions in the process. There's also a motivational drag I feel when the boss isn't there. Another comment was made about people being on best behaviour around me but giving the rest of the team some trouble in my absence.

To tackle my fear of education, I basically approached this like it was something to do with work (since it's an apprenticeship, it is really) like my job depended on it. Whatever is needed, I just deliver it at work so I treated this the same way, but the caveat to that is that everything then needs to be right. I know deep down that you're absolutely right and as it's year 1, just 41% will do as it doesn't count. I can't go into year 2 with Maths still hanging around either. I'm thinking of just boning up on Maths for the next few weeks, knocking together a quick "that'll do" assignment for the next one due in my week off in January and spending the rest of the time at work to give everyone a bit of a boost.

I hate not having a plan and not being in control.

Honestly, you can't have the maths thing hanging over you for longer than necessary. Get that sorted and you have the other things to focus on that are far more rewarding. Like the Goose said above, it'll probably be relatively easy to pass now after all of these years and real world experience. It's just a case of getting it done. Then things are simpler with one less thing to occupy your thoughts. Even speak to your tutor or whoever and tell them how things are a bit of a struggle and your Uni work might not be quite as good as it could be in the short term, but it will pick up afterwards to true standards. Most of these lecturers have been around the block. They know the score.

Also, in response to this:

"Work wise, I don't think it's necessarily the task that's missing, it's the direction and guidance. They're all fully supportive of me and are a great team who look after me, but I think it's starting to take its toll when they're all there grafting away for 5 days per week whilst their boss is only there for 4. They haven't said as such, but I think they feel a little less supported than they were. They don't want me there to do anything, but a few comments have been made about needing some direction and they're trying hard to keep things away from me to not bother me and making some wrong decisions in the process. There's also a motivational drag I feel when the boss isn't there. Another comment was made about people being on best behaviour around me but giving the rest of the team some trouble in my absence".

Is there a team member who the others look up to the most? There are probably one or two who the others look to for guidance as they've been there the longest or are just renowned as being the best at getting the job done. Maybe on your day off you can message each other to make sure the right jobs and things are getting done at the right time. Obviously, this would depend on said colleague being happy with the arrangement as officially it wouldn't be in their job description. Just for that one day where you feel you're not contributing to your team. They would still feel like you're there if any problems need to be solved via a quick message or whatever.

 

[Poisson]

I'd suggest taking small bits of the maths, try and get a basic understanding by applying them to your work where possible. The more you can relate, the easier it is to understand.

 

[MellowPasta]

Don’t forget to reward yourself either @Matt.GC Get it done in bits, step away and stick the PlayStation on, even if it’s for an hour and repeat where possible.

 

[James]

I don't know what it is, but I'm really struggling to multitask commitments at the moment. I started a Degree Apprenticeship in May and have settled in far better than I expected. I have a fear of education following a terrible experience at school and years since of being looked down upon so this is a big thing for me to prove all the doubters, which include myself, wrong.

Despite my highest qualification to date being a solitary C-grade GCSE from the 1990's, my second and third uni assignments were graded as 72% and 70% respectively, which my tutor has told me is virtually unheard of so early on in this course, especially for someone with my low academic ability. So I should be bouncing around jumping for joy. But the problem is that delivering those grades involved my hallmark obsessive nature, where failure was not an option and nothing else mattered. It's how I've behaved my whole career to date as I've always had to put that extra effort in to make up for the mistakes of the past.

But I'm now exhausted. I haven't even started my next assignment yet and keep putting it off. My work responsibilities have suffered and I'm now trying to pick up the pieces and recover things as we head into Christmas trading. Any retail manager will know that it's not a job where you can clock in and clock out, you're attached to the role 24/7 365 and you finish when the job is done. You shirk around and take time for yourself when times are good, you go hell for leather and do nothing else when times are challenging. Making matters worse, to stay on the programme I need to achieve a level 2 qualification in my arch nemesis subject Maths as I didn't achieve a GCSE grade C in this at school and level 2 Maths and English are a requirement. May sound trivial to most normal people but achieving anything in Maths is a big struggle for me. So I've been an idiot and avoided it for a month.

Not sure what to do. I used to have so much energy and passion. I can run any store in the country. It now seems like I can actually write academically as well after all these years of fear and doubt. But I'm now starting to doubt that it's actually my abilities that drive this, it's obsessive behaviours. Feeling tired and conflicted as I have serious issues to deal with work wise, but I can see myself getting behind with my studies. I shouldn't even be posting on this forum right now, I should probably be writing my next assignment, but I just want to whack the PlayStation on and have an early night so I can go to work earlier tomorrow.

Does whoever you're undertaking the course with offer any support for skills such as maths?

I'm undertaking a nursing degree at the moment after an 8-year gap of education. Maths forms a part of the course, and I've struggled loads, so I feel your pain, the same with assignments.

I would say with the maths particularly, if there's support available, take it. If not, just do a bit at a time, and go back to the basics if need be. BBC Bitesize is a great resource to go back to learning at GCSE level. You probably know far more than you think. I passed a medications calculations exam recently doing complex calculations that if you had thrown in front of me 6 months ago, I would have had a mental breakdown. I think you can surprise yourself sometimes.

Do little bits here and there, even if it's only 30 minutes one evening, and you'll soon get to where you want to be.

 

[ScottishChris]

I don't know what it is, but I'm really struggling to multitask commitments at the moment. I started a Degree Apprenticeship in May and have settled in far better than I expected. I have a fear of education following a terrible experience at school and years since of being looked down upon so this is a big thing for me to prove all the doubters, which include myself, wrong.

Despite my highest qualification to date being a solitary C-grade GCSE from the 1990's, my second and third uni assignments were graded as 72% and 70% respectively, which my tutor has told me is virtually unheard of so early on in this course, especially for someone with my low academic ability. So I should be bouncing around jumping for joy. But the problem is that delivering those grades involved my hallmark obsessive nature, where failure was not an option and nothing else mattered. It's how I've behaved my whole career to date as I've always had to put that extra effort in to make up for the mistakes of the past.

But I'm now exhausted. I haven't even started my next assignment yet and keep putting it off. My work responsibilities have suffered and I'm now trying to pick up the pieces and recover things as we head into Christmas trading. Any retail manager will know that it's not a job where you can clock in and clock out, you're attached to the role 24/7 365 and you finish when the job is done. You shirk around and take time for yourself when times are good, you go hell for leather and do nothing else when times are challenging. Making matters worse, to stay on the programme I need to achieve a level 2 qualification in my arch nemesis subject Maths as I didn't achieve a GCSE grade C in this at school and level 2 Maths and English are a requirement. May sound trivial to most normal people but achieving anything in Maths is a big struggle for me. So I've been an idiot and avoided it for a month.

Not sure what to do. I used to have so much energy and passion. I can run any store in the country. It now seems like I can actually write academically as well after all these years of fear and doubt. But I'm now starting to doubt that it's actually my abilities that drive this, it's obsessive behaviours. Feeling tired and conflicted as I have serious issues to deal with work wise, but I can see myself getting behind with my studies. I shouldn't even be posting on this forum right now, I should probably be writing my next assignment, but I just want to whack the PlayStation on and have an early night so I can go to work earlier tomorrow.

If you are an Apprentice you should e getting around 20% of your time away from your role to learn other things. This should include an element of study time. Are you getting this? I assume that you are on an Apprenticeship contract, it will have wording in it along the lines of "employment is subject to enrolment and satisfactory participation in xxx apprenticeship program". So remember, that the apprenticeship is actually just as important as your day-to-day role, so don't ever think iits secondary.

Also, you should have a mentor. Your assessor/ tutor should be having regular meetings with this person to monitor your progress. Some companies will have your line manager do this, others it may be a named person. You should also be having regular meetings with this person to discuss your progress and concerns.
Good practice amongst employers is to have an Occupational Assessment Tool to grace your current abilities against the Apprenticeship Standard - it could be worth having a chat with the person who manages your apprenticeship to see if this is something you can do. It's a good way to manage your learning and development.

Above all, you are not an idiot. You have avoided something you have a genuine concern over - we have all done that at some time. The Level 2 isn't as daunting as you think it is - and your apprenticeship provider should have a Key Skills tutor - work with them and you will be fine. Also, remember that if you fail it, learn from your mistakes - you will be able to resit it.

 

[Matt.GC]

Sorry I haven't responded to some of your kind posts folks (I don't know how to multiquote). I've supposed to have been on holiday since Saturday but have had to work both days due to unforeseen circumstances.

My employer does give me 20% of my working week and on a normal week I work 4 days, have a paid apprenticeship day where I attend lectures in the morning and work on stuff in the afternoon. I usually use one of my days off to do the main research and assignment writing. I am salary paid as opposed to hourly however, so I'm paid to deliver a standard rather than be somewhere at a set time. Last week for instance I did take my apprenticeship day, but ended up working the other 6 days (I went in after I made the original post actually).

This isn't an unusual thing, sometimes things just happen and problems need to be solved. But I thought I'd be able to manage both, now I'm finding it hard to switch between study mode and work mode, with work mode taking over as I know I need stability there to be able to focus on my studies. It's just the way my brain works, whilst there's an issue lingering I find it hard to focus on anything else until the issue is solved. I have a hard working management team and I've always promised I would be there for them and not leave them in the crap, even though they try to protect me and solve problems on their own.

I do have a tutor who I spoke with the other day. He did say that taking a year out and rejoining this time next year would be an option that could be discussed. But I genuinely enjoy my apprenticeship, I find the subject matter really interesting, I enjoy reading things I'm researching and I enjoy the sense of achievement it's giving me as I've always had a mindset that academic achievement is something that other people do, and not people like me. I just sell beans, milk, bread and bananas really well. I'm trying to slay the beast and one of the last conversations I had with my step-father before he passed away in the spring was about this just before I started and he was so proud of me. He was thrilled and has been the one person encouraging me to do better since he met me as an angry, lost and immature young man. I'm also now well into my 40's and I feel it's now or never.

With Maths, the uni does have key skills tutors and my Maths one is excellent. She's very supportive and speaks with a thick Yorkshire accent to explain things in a way I do understand. It's when I'm on my own with Maths that I tend to fall apart. It's a bit pathetic really as we're talking secondary level education here and my Year 10 son (a genius who I'm immensely proud of, no idea where he came from) had a go on my key skills website and came back as level 2.9! Had is parents evening the other day and they're now starting to prepare him for the large jump to A-level stuff in preparation (his school and his teachers are excellent, right from Primary school all three of my children have had an excellent education and have thrived). It's a bit embarrassing that I can't even achieve something at base secondary school level. Getting to level 2 key skills is fully supported by the uni but does not form part of my apprenticeship hours as it's a requirement to stay on the course which is fair as most students already have this (some have A Levels and foundation degrees) and I technically have had a stab at this once already for free courtesy of the state, it's my fault I looked the gift horse in the mouth and fluffed it up all those decades ago. I'm grateful enough for the opportunity that I don't deserve has been given to me.

I know it's mostly mind over matter. I'm probably just being a bit of a whining sissy and I just need to pull my braces up and get over it. I've always avoided things out of my comfort zone and just focused on what I do know and am good at when I don't feel great. It's just another challenge, a problem to be solved and I need to remember that.

 

[Itgoeshowhigh]

Cost of living crisis plus Christmas plus feeling poorly plus my job is horrible.
Do you have the time to listen to me whine……

I’m just fed up. I have no money. I work too flipping hard to be this skint.
I have hardly any money each month left over after essential bills. What I do have left just goes so quickly.

I’m a single mum. One child is at college. One child finished A levels and is trying to get a job (applying for anything, entry level type jobs and getting nowhere). This child is on the spectrum which makes looking for jobs and applying a little more complicated. There are lots of jobs which would quite simply be too much for them.

I’m a band six nurse which means I’m responsible for a caseload and a small team of people. My job is hugely stressful and responsible. We are going through a period at work where higher management are tightening the belt and reducing our staffing yet at the same time expecting higher standards, better results and adding roles and duties on to us which historically were done by other teams. We all work above and beyond our hours just to tread water.
The general atmosphere at work of stress and mental health issues and everybody just drowning is palpable. Everyone is broken.

Because I work so hard my personal life is chaotic. Household chores get on top of me, I never seem to have time to get on top of anything and everything just feels out of control. I’m also menopausal and seem to have lost any organisational skills I once had. Plus when I do finish work, I just feel drained. Work takes every last drop of my energy.

I usually pick up an extra weekend shift every month just to have a little bit of disposable income but I’ve been poorly the last 2 weekends with this horrible Fluey virus which is going around, so havnt picked up that extra shift.
The only luxury we have is our Merlin silver passes which cost £30 per month for all of us and I am not giving these up.
I’ve got no money for any little extras this Christmas let alone presents for anyone.

And I’m working every single day over Christmas including Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. (I am only doing half a day Xmas)

I am grateful that I’m employed, we have food to eat and a roof over our heads but my god surely working this hard I should have a little more to show for it.

I’m 50 years old and kinda feel like I’ve messed my life up. How am I this age and so skint?

Bah Humbug, sorry.

 

[Tom]

Cost of living crisis plus Christmas plus feeling poorly plus my job is horrible.
Do you have the time to listen to me whine……

I’m just fed up. I have no money. I work too flipping hard to be this skint.
I have hardly any money each month left over after essential bills. What I do have left just goes so quickly.

I’m a single mum. One child is at college. One child finished A levels and is trying to get a job (applying for anything, entry level type jobs and getting nowhere). This child is on the spectrum which makes looking for jobs and applying a little more complicated. There are lots of jobs which would quite simply be too much for them.

I’m a band six nurse which means I’m responsible for a caseload and a small team of people. My job is hugely stressful and responsible. We are going through a period at work where higher management are tightening the belt and reducing our staffing yet at the same time expecting higher standards, better results and adding roles and duties on to us which historically were done by other teams. We all work above and beyond our hours just to tread water.
The general atmosphere at work of stress and mental health issues and everybody just drowning is palpable. Everyone is broken.

Because I work so hard my personal life is chaotic. Household chores get on top of me, I never seem to have time to get on top of anything and everything just feels out of control. I’m also menopausal and seem to have lost any organisational skills I once had. Plus when I do finish work, I just feel drained. Work takes every last drop of my energy.

I usually pick up an extra weekend shift every month just to have a little bit of disposable income but I’ve been poorly the last 2 weekends with this horrible Fluey virus which is going around, so havnt picked up that extra shift.
The only luxury we have is our Merlin silver passes which cost £30 per month for all of us and I am not giving these up.
I’ve got no money for any little extras this Christmas let alone presents for anyone.

And I’m working every single day over Christmas including Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. (I am only doing half a day Xmas)

I am grateful that I’m employed, we have food to eat and a roof over our heads but my god surely working this hard I should have a little more to show for it.

I’m 50 years old and kinda feel like I’ve messed my life up. How am I this age and so skint?

Bah Humbug, sorry.

Very sorry to hear. Hope it felt good to let off some steam. I think all nurses do an amazing job, which I do not know how you have the strength for.

 

[Matt.GC]

Cost of living crisis plus Christmas plus feeling poorly plus my job is horrible.
Do you have the time to listen to me whine……

I’m just fed up. I have no money. I work too flipping hard to be this skint.
I have hardly any money each month left over after essential bills. What I do have left just goes so quickly.

I’m a single mum. One child is at college. One child finished A levels and is trying to get a job (applying for anything, entry level type jobs and getting nowhere). This child is on the spectrum which makes looking for jobs and applying a little more complicated. There are lots of jobs which would quite simply be too much for them.

I’m a band six nurse which means I’m responsible for a caseload and a small team of people. My job is hugely stressful and responsible. We are going through a period at work where higher management are tightening the belt and reducing our staffing yet at the same time expecting higher standards, better results and adding roles and duties on to us which historically were done by other teams. We all work above and beyond our hours just to tread water.
The general atmosphere at work of stress and mental health issues and everybody just drowning is palpable. Everyone is broken.

Because I work so hard my personal life is chaotic. Household chores get on top of me, I never seem to have time to get on top of anything and everything just feels out of control. I’m also menopausal and seem to have lost any organisational skills I once had. Plus when I do finish work, I just feel drained. Work takes every last drop of my energy.

I usually pick up an extra weekend shift every month just to have a little bit of disposable income but I’ve been poorly the last 2 weekends with this horrible Fluey virus which is going around, so havnt picked up that extra shift.
The only luxury we have is our Merlin silver passes which cost £30 per month for all of us and I am not giving these up.
I’ve got no money for any little extras this Christmas let alone presents for anyone.

And I’m working every single day over Christmas including Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. (I am only doing half a day Xmas)

I am grateful that I’m employed, we have food to eat and a roof over our heads but my god surely working this hard I should have a little more to show for it.

I’m 50 years old and kinda feel like I’ve messed my life up. How am I this age and so skint?

Bah Humbug, sorry.

I'm sorry that I can't help. But a single mum, working as hard as you do, doing a job of incredible importance? You sound like quite a remarkable person.

It's not anything you've done wrong. You're a skilled qualified person, you serve the public, you work hard, you pay your taxes and you've raised 2 kids. You haven't messed your life up, you've been shafted. I know this isn't of much help, but nothing you've said indicates you should feel at all responsible. Sounds like you're doing everything right to me. I wish people would think about people like you when they walk into polling booths.