First Person: Don’t let work steal life’s little pleasures from you

It’s Sept. 4 and my partner and I are outside sipping from Halloween-themed mugs. As we sit in the sun in camping chairs around our backyard firepit enjoying the peace and quiet, relief washes over me.

School starts soon. The nightmare is over.

The nightmare of working two jobs.

In June, just three months before, my hands shook as I typed in the password to my banking app. A cold sweat hit me as I realized a bitter truth: I was two months short on rent.

After a frantic month of job hunting, I landed two positions unintentionally. Desperate, I handed out resumes to local businesses. One call-back came, then another a week later. Excited by how much money I could make, I kept both jobs.

Starting your first adult job often feels like being a small fire in need of kindling. Newbies need the right amount of support and mentorship in order to grow. Elizabeth Grootendorst is a professional with a criminal justice background who specializes in working with youth. She acknowledges this struggle.

“It’s hard enough trying to find a job these days,” she said. “I think it’s mostly about feeling safe in the workplace. Especially these kids in the middle of growing up… kids are tough and mouldable, but it’s hard to find a fine line between moulding and breaking their spirits.”

As I continued to work, I noticed two main issues that plagued me: poor self-esteem and unhappiness. My self-esteem suffered from over-analyzing mistakes my bosses corrected. My unhappiness stemmed from lacking energy to enjoy life’s little pleasures.

I’d often come home exhausted, hungry and irritable. My roommates would encourage me to rest and have something to eat. My partner would drag me out for fresh air and dopamine.

In fact, spending time with my roommates seemed to be the only thing that eased my stress.

I recall sitting on our dingy, navy blue couch, that was far too small for me and my three roommates. Yet, as I was handed an Xbox controller and encouraged to play a game or two, I found myself beginning to relax.

This would become a reoccurring soother.

Adam Hassan, my roommate who has known me since moving to Ottawa, was aware of what the stress did to me.

“You seemed very worn out, for lack of a better descriptor,” he said. “Constantly tired, constantly busy. And when you weren’t busy you were often very restless, hardly anything seemed to make you happy, even things you would otherwise enjoy.”

There would be days that I would be rotting in my bed. My hair was unbrushed, my skin shiny from the hot summer heat and my body limp and lifeless.

Despite that, my roommates would peek through my door, pull me out of bed and take me outside, reassuring me that this too, shall end.

I wish I had answers for everything that happened during those jobs. What did Boss A mean by asking if I was “artistic?” Why did Boss B correct non-existent grammar mistakes? I don’t have those answers.

But I know the key to surviving two jobs: surround yourself with love. I couldn’t control being short on rent or the way my bosses acted. However, I now understand that a supportive environment makes life more manageable.

The struggle of juggling two jobs while trying to make ends meet is a reality for many young adults entering the workforce. Oftentimes, it’s a balancing act between financial necessity and personal well-being.

The experience taught me valuable lessons about resilience, time management and the importance of self-care. It also highlighted the critical role of a support system – friends, family and my partner who provide emotional sustenance during tough times.

While the journey was difficult, it shaped my perspective on work-life balance. As I move forward in my academic and professional life, I carry these insights with me, hoping they’ll guide me toward a fulfilling career path.

For other young adults facing similar challenges, remember: it’s okay to struggle, it’s okay to ask for help, and it’s crucial to prioritize your well-being alongside your finances. The workforce can be intimidating, but, with the right support, it doesn’t have to be.

Ultimately, the key to surviving challenging work situations lies in surrounding yourself with love. I know if it wasn’t for my partner and my roommates, I might not have been able to get myself back to school to tell the tale.

I’m on the other side now, where it’s calm and peaceful. Where I have a backyard that I can spend time with my loved ones, who helped me through the storm. Work sucks, but the people you love sure don’t.