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I was talking to a colleague yesterday who husband is a NT ranger. Apparently it's fine in the winter, but the summer months are pretty grim now. She was saying that he spent a week building a fence for deer control, and came back a week later to find large amounts of it had been ripped down for arseholes to use as fire wood along with trees he'd planed, and getting threatened with knives or axes is a daily occurrence when you ask people not to have BBQ's or fires and to clear up their own shit.
On the other hand, a friends brother got a job as a grave digger when he went back to work after a breakdown. You turn up with a van and mini digger, dig a hole and tidy it up with a shovel then lay Astroturf around it. Wait in the van with a book and a flask until the funeral arrives then stand at a respectful distance whilst the ceremony goes on. Once everyone leaves, fill in the hole and tidy up, then on to another. There's no time pressure as no council wants to be on the front page of the DM because the grave digger didn't have time to dig the grave, there's a high level of job satisfaction in making it as nice as possible for the families. There's no changes of schedule as funerals are planned well in advance, and the customers (well, the living ones) are grateful and thankful - he regularly gets tips!
He seems very content with life these days.
We've had a succession of Tesco delivery drivers who tell me that they find the gig very relaxing, quite a few of them seem to do it as a second job. They don't seem to be under huge time pressure, unlike parcel delivery guys, and get to drive around the Peak District at moderate speeds before answering inane questions from idiots like me.
I suspect one of the upsides of that sort of thing is that once your shift is done, that's it. Nothing to worry about until the next time when you load up your truck and pootle around the Peak again. I'm sure there are moments of drama - finding out that someone has the wrong yoghurt or the substitution of apricots for mangoes isn't appreciated, plus a bit of driving stress, but mostly it sounds like a pretty chilled option.
Some of it's always going to depend on the individual. Some people can make pretty much anything stressful.
before answering inane questions from idiots like me
You've never done a job where you needed to find locations based on very little info, like an address? In theory it's a great system, but finding a remote farmhouse where the centre of the postcode is half a mile away? Finding the entrance to an estate is two postcodes away and none of it is registering on your sat-nav? Also, it's rush hour, the road you're on is backed up and you've moved 85m in the last 25 minutes...
Then you get there and, as you say, speak to idiots...
I drive a delivery truck part time for a well known retailer. Easiest job I've done, certainly preferable to the postie job I sacked off before it. The management are incompetent but largely decent, rather than the actively malicious ****s who've fought their way up the Royal Mail ladder. The only stress comes from the fact that on most of my shifts, the van is loaded by whichever ****wit is driving the van before me, which often means cleaning it out, refuelling it, addressing mechanical issues and tracking down the deliveries they've failed to load (I refer you back to the incompetent management at this point). Regarding obscure addresses - I don't use the in-house software. The 'delm8' app is worth the price of a pint a month - first 30 days free, give it a go...
We've had a succession of Tesco delivery drivers who tell me that they find the gig very relaxing, quite a few of them seem to do it as a second job. They don't seem to be under huge time pressure, unlike parcel delivery guys, and get to drive around the Peak District at moderate speeds before answering inane questions from idiots like me.
I suspect one of the upsides of that sort of thing is that once your shift is done, that's it. Nothing to worry about until the next time when you load up your truck and pootle around the Peak again. I'm sure there are moments of drama - finding out that someone has the wrong yoghurt or the substitution of apricots for mangoes isn't appreciated, plus a bit of driving stress, but mostly it sounds like a pretty chilled option.
Some of it's always going to depend on the individual. Some people can make pretty much anything stressful.
My son did Supermarket deliveries during the summer and it made me decide it's the kind of job I want to take in semi retirement.
Key positives for me was that it would keep me fit, at least partly outside, I like driving, but most importantly there are no emails/meetings and once you've done your deliveries there is nothing to hold over to the next day - that's it, it's all done until you get back in the van the next day and start again. Nothing gets held over or left for you to worry about, if you have a bad day (idiot customer/spilt milk) no need to cry about it!
Of course, it helped that as a teenager filling in until he found something more substantial he didn't give a toss about it anyhow - hopefully the same position I will be in during semi - retirement!
But if you can’t manage that I reckon dog walker looks like a low stress rewarding gig.
My cousin does it with her own van.
But if stress finding or firing out a van with separate cages for the dogs. Bit repetitive going to the same spots and having the same route and held to a time schedule.
She's ended up with tendonitis.
Walking one or two dogs is fine.... Ealing eight at a time?!
Think most jobs are stressful if you let them be.
Used to do a lot of work in the event and exhibition industry and am currently back in it as my old colleagues/friends need a hand.
10-12 hour days and 6//7 day weeks are the norm. Deadlines always looming. Customers with stupid queries/requests/ complaints.
But I enjoy it. I'm also fortunate that I don't *need* to do it.
If you can say FU without worry then most jobs are quite stress free assuming you assured to do so ..... Basically this:
Interesting thread. Stress is related, in my opinion, to pay, job stability and how many ****s you give.
It's not the job, but the balance of conditions involved with that job.
Is it interesting enough (sometimes this is as much about the people you work with as the actual work itself)
Is your boss a dick
Do you earn enough not to worry
Do those you work with gel as a group
Do you have to encounter dick heads
Do you want to do the job, and will you continue wanting to do the job
Are you well looked after generally
Etc etc
Tbh, the biggest challenge I've encountered at work is people I can't stand the sight of. That's some proper hard graft. If I compare the effort of working with a **** compared to working for a fencer, then fencing job was a piece of piss. All they had to do, was be decent human beings and provide daily bacon rolls....
At risk of becoming an anti-dog thread
Then lets not, I merrily pile on when the topic is complaining about dogs and their stupid, stupid owners.
But that’s not the topic, and my observation stands (IMO) I know some seemingly very contented people who walk dogs as a job (self employed).
I’m not so sure it’s about avoiding stress it’s about having control of your work and doing something you are engaged in and enjoy…
Are there any, many stress free careers though?
I'd rather have a job that's a bit interesting and take a bit of stress as a price to pay. 8 hours a day is a long time to be bored and play pretend jellyfish
Quite right, 6 max
Probably being a tiler for me. I enjoy it and seem to be pretty good. and given the prices I've been quoted I can see how they can afford brand new transporters.... am also tempted by being a spark
if I had no money concerns I reckon I'd love to design and build kids adventure parks and play grounds. that would be amazing. probably some annoyance around regs and inspectors to deal with
Being a spark can be hard work, BiL, in his mid-50s, does it and says his knees are knackered from it.
if I had no money concerns I reckon I'd love to design and build kids adventure parks and play grounds. that would be amazing. probably some annoyance around regs and inspectors to deal with
FIL used to run a pedal powered playground equipment company for public parks.
He said the worst part was regulation changes - mostly for good reason, but still a pain when you have to retrofit all existing kit to meet the new requirements.
I guess if something terrible happened and you were liable it would be very stressful too.
I think that a delivery driver for a supermarket must be pretty low stress.
That would surprise me. Still have other people/systems planning your route and deliveries. Dealing with uncontrolled dogs. Sharing the road all day with idiots that seem set on endangering your life to save themselves a few seconds. Entitled customers upset that they’ve had cod roe substituted for caviar. Drop offs where there’s nowhere to park anywhere near the recipient. No thanks.
Exactly what I was thinking - that summary there.
I think that a delivery driver for a supermarket must be pretty low stress.
That would surprise me. Still have other people/systems planning your route and deliveries. Dealing with uncontrolled dogs. Sharing the road all day with idiots that seem set on endangering your life to save themselves a few seconds. Entitled customers upset that they’ve had cod roe substituted for caviar. Drop offs where there’s nowhere to park anywhere near the recipient. No thanks.
Exactly what I was thinking - that summary there.
As a part time delivery driver for a Supermarket I think it is down to location as well. I drive through rolling hills and rarely encounter any of the problems listed 🙂 At the end of the day I then hand the keys back and go home without worrying about what emails/tasks/support requirements will come in overnight. It's not without stress if you want to get stressed, but I am getting better at that part
Influencer .
The attention seeker market is huge and it seems an easy gig.
Steal borrow content from others using a weapons grade AI data gatherer.
Set up all my social media using Cambridge Anusytica style harvesting bots.
Sign up and absorb all conspiracy theories and flood other Influencer feeds.
Set small sign up fee for all followers,promising them fame and riches.
Blag sponsored travel from expensive brands.
Wait for the money to roll in. 😉 🤣 🤣
For me, having any kind of job = stress. I've never not been stressed, even when I had a part time job in a Homebase store when I was younger literally tidying up and mixing the odd tin of paint.
Influencer .
The attention seeker market is huge and it seems an easy gig.
Steal borrow content from others using a weapons grade AI data gatherer.
Set up all my social media using Cambridge Anusytica style harvesting bots.
Sign up and absorb all conspiracy theories and flood other Influencer feeds.
Set small sign up fee for all followers,promising them fame and riches.
Blag sponsored travel from expensive brands.
Wait for the money to roll in. 😉 🤣 🤣
LOL I so wish it was that easy.
I do quite a lot of brand creator work and it's nothing like this but I am at a very low level.
Most stuff is just gifted so it's not what you earn but more what you didn't have to spend. I have had some really nice stuff.
Paid work is hard to come by and isn't really that high for often what is expected, though I could earn well if I did voice over work.
For me the money is by promoting products with affiliate codes I only do this for things I really like though, I turn a lot down.
It is stress free work tough, imagine getting paid for just opening a box 🙂
I also do BETA testing for companies again not a money earner but it's a bout what you get, for example I have a free Netflix account.
Emergency lighting extended run time tester.
Yes , this is a real job . Rock up and switch on the em lights and wait 30 mins to see what fails.
Most companies just do a 2 min walk round to see if the lights are working. Alot are nicd batteries on constant trickle charge and they die over time.
Hence the reason for checking
This was an actual job on Indeed. And it's a 3 day week followed by a 4 day week followed by a 3 day week. Van supplied.
Cushy number
In my 30 something year career of being stressed at work, I've now come to the conclusion that my capacity to be stressed will fill any stress-free void. So effectively you could put me on a desert island with the task of making sure the waves keep coming, and I'd find something to get stressed about.
I work for myself now and it's the closest thing to a happy medium that I can find because I don't really like working, so if it goes a bit quiet I I'm happy because it means I'm not running around like a lunatic, and if it gets too busy I get stressed but there's lots of cash to spend on bikes.
As long as it evens oit so there's enough money coming in over the course of the year to cover the bills and keep me in Stans, then I'm reasonably content.
Much like any job it depends on how much you're expected to do for the resources and money provided, and how your customers treat you. Case in point: