Quick Check-In

(Warning... Some whining is likely to ensue....)

I would love to say that things are calming down for me at work and that I am soon going to be around much more regularly, but I am afraid that would be a promise I don't know that I can keep. I am still continuously putting in 10 and 12 hour days, with no lunch or other breaks. (I told you I was going to whine.) It is a far worse schedule than I ever experienced while working in the public school system, which I thought was insane enough.

The work itself, hours notwithstanding, is fine. I do enjoy the clients. I just wish I had known I was expected to practically live with them.... Including working all Holidays (unless we reqest them off and use our vacation time to do so - one interview question omission I will never make again!). Watching other therapists who've been there a while I can't say with any great conviction that things will settle down once I learn the ropes a bit more. A few of the people don't seem to mind working 12-14 hours a day, and some take work home after the long hours. Today I learned that one of my co-workers, who has been there only 5 months (and who relocated for this job from the east coast), is giving her notice because she is tired of being owned by the place and because there seemed to be little response to her feedback regarding that. If this was our first attempt at relocation, I would be tempted to consider drawing similar boundaries while I am still within my 180-day probationary period, but I don't think at this point I have the luxury of another short-term stint on my resume.

I feel stuck and overwhelmed, concerned about the long-term viability of this, and confused about the general acceptance (so it seems) of the situation by the other therapists. And I don't think we seriously want to have to think about "options B or C" because of all the ramifications of what that would mean. Not after all that we've gone through in the last year and a half.

So, I will work on my ability to draw some boundaries. And for now I'll do my brief updates here as often as I have energy and time for. Sorry for the lack of any true content for now. And I promise to work on not whining.

I still have a quote by a fellow blogger, Pearl on my bathroom mirror: "I allow myself to be amused and realize I am in a state of choice." It seems I am still working on that one....