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Does contracting cause loneliness?

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    Does contracting cause loneliness?

    Okay, the post about depression got me thinking. I am needing to be in the office 5 days meaning early morning train and 4 nights in a hutch all week. It is a nice hutch in a military hotel with well behaved people in the bedrooms so a perfect sleep without any loutish hotel people which is very unusual for a city, but it is a lonely existence. My ‘life’ is office, which insists being on site every day while the permies who are local work from home loads. I take a regular gym class most evenings so the instructors know me, dine in the club restaurant every evening, then watch tv until time to sleep. It started out kind of nice chilling, but, the things I would like to do at home are not possible at present. The restaurant, reception and gym staff know me well, I am Alan Partridge.

    There is an enforced two week Christmas break which I am for once very grateful to have.

    I have had a look into Meet-Up but cannot see anything of interest. I am in central London which is a party place for youngsters. Maybe I should just get into the hotels bar and chat with people, but it would be good to get out and about – I end up just reverting to gym, meal, tv and sleep.

    Has anyone else felt this way? The solution I know is to man up or change contracts, but I am committed to this one and want to see it through. It pays well, but maybe I need to factor in a Friday off once every 3-4 weeks. The kicker for me is the 4 nights way which cannot be changed which is frustrating.

    #2
    Originally posted by Wilmslow View Post
    Okay, the post about depression got me thinking. I am needing to be in the office 5 days meaning early morning train and 4 nights in a hutch all week. It is a nice hutch in a military hotel with well behaved people in the bedrooms so a perfect sleep without any loutish hotel people which is very unusual for a city, but it is a lonely existence. My ‘life’ is office, which insists being on site every day while the permies who are local work from home loads. I take a regular gym class most evenings so the instructors know me, dine in the club restaurant every evening, then watch tv until time to sleep. It started out kind of nice chilling, but, the things I would like to do at home are not possible at present. The restaurant, reception and gym staff know me well, I am Alan Partridge.

    There is an enforced two week Christmas break which I am for once very grateful to have.

    I have had a look into Meet-Up but cannot see anything of interest. I am in central London which is a party place for youngsters. Maybe I should just get into the hotels bar and chat with people, but it would be good to get out and about – I end up just reverting to gym, meal, tv and sleep.

    Has anyone else felt this way? The solution I know is to man up or change contracts, but I am committed to this one and want to see it through. It pays well, but maybe I need to factor in a Friday off once every 3-4 weeks. The kicker for me is the 4 nights way which cannot be changed which is frustrating.
    Away from what?
    It's not as if you're married or have a significant other. You row with your neighbours and have no friends. You're the male equivalent of the "Mad cat woman". When you die, they'll find you with one hand on your keyboard, the other clutching your wank sock.

    Loneliness is your future.
    Old Greg - In search of acceptance since Mar 2007. Hoping each leap will be his last.

    Comment


      #3
      Originally posted by Zigenare View Post
      Away from what?
      It's not as if you're married or have a significant other. You row with your neighbours and have no friends. You're the male equivalent of the "Mad cat woman". When you die, they'll find you with one hand on your keyboard, the other clutching your wank sock.

      Loneliness is your future.
      Thanks for the reality check... I think!

      Comment


        #4
        Originally posted by Wilmslow View Post
        Okay, the post about depression got me thinking. I am needing to be in the office 5 days meaning early morning train and 4 nights in a hutch all week. It is a nice hutch in a military hotel with well behaved people in the bedrooms so a perfect sleep without any loutish hotel people which is very unusual for a city, but it is a lonely existence. My ‘life’ is office, which insists being on site every day while the permies who are local work from home loads. I take a regular gym class most evenings so the instructors know me, dine in the club restaurant every evening, then watch tv until time to sleep. It started out kind of nice chilling, but, the things I would like to do at home are not possible at present. The restaurant, reception and gym staff know me well, I am Alan Partridge.

        There is an enforced two week Christmas break which I am for once very grateful to have.

        I have had a look into Meet-Up but cannot see anything of interest. I am in central London which is a party place for youngsters. Maybe I should just get into the hotels bar and chat with people, but it would be good to get out and about – I end up just reverting to gym, meal, tv and sleep.

        Has anyone else felt this way? The solution I know is to man up or change contracts, but I am committed to this one and want to see it through. It pays well, but maybe I need to factor in a Friday off once every 3-4 weeks. The kicker for me is the 4 nights way which cannot be changed which is frustrating.
        Pornhub.
        But I discovered nothing else but depraved, excessive superstition. Pliny the younger

        Comment


          #5
          I rather liked being in new places. Don't consider myself enormously sociable but usually found a few people in local pub I would get to know and chat with over a vodka or two. Being a cheap skate, I usually rented rooms in a shared house rather than stay at hotels, so was with other people anyway. Maybe you should have a go at that if contract's long enough. Don't you ever go for a drink with blokes at work?
          Last edited by xoggoth; 9 November 2018, 09:15.
          bloggoth

          If everything isn't black and white, I say, 'Why the hell not?'
          John Wayne (My guru, not to be confused with my beloved prophet Jeremy Clarkson)

          Comment


            #6
            Originally posted by xoggoth View Post
            I rather liked being in new places. Don't consider myself enormously sociable but usually found a few people in local pub I would get to know and chat with over a vodka or two. Being a cheap skate, I usually rented rooms in a shared house rather than stay at hotels, so was with other people anyway. Maybe you should have a go at that if contract's long enough.
            Yes but don't leave crumbs in the grill!
            But I discovered nothing else but depraved, excessive superstition. Pliny the younger

            Comment


              #7
              As you're in central London, you definitely should come along to the CUK Xmas Do on 14 December
              https://www.contractoruk.com/forums/...-december.html

              London isn't just a party place for youngsters. There's plenty to do if you want to do it.

              That said, being away from home is hard. You don't have your usual stuff around you, your routine is messed up, etc.

              One thing I would recommend is getting out of the hotel and eating 'out' - there's so many good and reasonably priced places to eat that you can't go wrong. Living off hotel food is going to drive you potty in the end.

              Comment


                #8
                Any fellow contractors in same predicament?

                Spent many a night and much money socialising with those also doing the Monday to Friday work away from home thing.

                One client had the permie manager take us all for regular curry nights at his favourite restaurants. He was ex-military so probably knew things about keeping the troops motivated when cooped up in a foreign place.

                Alternatively, watch Lost In Translation and look out for Scarlett Johansson types in the hotel bar.
                Maybe tomorrow, I'll want to settle down. Until tomorrow, I'll just keep moving on.

                Comment


                  #9
                  I think it does cause loneliness. I've lived in our house for 21 years and first started taking contracts away from home about 19 years ago. Since then I've managed 4 years where my contract was commutable from home - and by commutable I'd class a 100 mile round trip as a commute. There are some jobs that crop up locally, but they are scarce and never seem to crop up when you need them - and the rates can be woeful

                  Generally my mode of operation is a hotel for the time it takes me to rent a flat - that way I can at least have some of my home comforts around me and it's not as miserable as being stuck in a single room with a TV. It also means I can cook for myself.
                  Rule Number 1 - Assuming that you have a valid contract in place always try to get your poo onto your timesheet, provided that the timesheet is valid for your current contract and covers the period of time that you are billing for.

                  I preferred version 1!

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Throw in a random, or not so random, OU course to fill the hours and keep the old grey matter ticking over is one way to while away the hours.

                    Or you could just join an adult dating site.

                    Comment

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