Employee shares her struggle of commuting 3 hours to work, leaving little personal time to even do chores, receives sound advice: 'In a single 24-hour weekday cycle, I have on average 4 hours a day to just exist without work'

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Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Jul 16, 2025 7:00 AM EDT

What should you do in this situation? Like any situation, good or bad, try to make the best of it and make your current circumstances work for you as much as possible, while seeking to improve your situation and make changes when and where you can. Of course, this is easier said than done, and when you're in the moment and lacking energy due to stress and strain, things can feel impossible. Great advice was offered in the ensuing discussion, particularly by one user who shared how they dealt with a similar situation.

I myself lived this, the pain of being stuck in unmoving and unpredictable rush hour traffic while commuting from my parents' house shortly after graduating from university. Finding a job had been hard; finding an apartment in a city that had a massive influx of people from another state was impossible. There was no telling on any given day whether the drive would take an hour and a half, two, or occasionally three hours. So the best I could do was leave hours before I actually needed to be at work, allowing plenty of room for things to go horribly wrong, which they frequently did. It was a miserable existence for the entire time I did it, but it gave me some perspective and set a low bar for existence, which I hope to never go back to.

I did learn a thing or two about how to deal with this, and like the advice that this employee received, I found that the best thing I could do was to find things to do around work, before and after, so that I didn't have to waste as much time sitting in traffic. See the post that sparked this discussion below, followed by some of the helpful advice and responses.

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  • 01

    "I don't know how anyone manages a 40 hour + work week"

    I am 2 weeks into a new corporate job. It's the kind of job that is probably considered 'good' by most people; pay is adequate, company is known, position is stable etc. But I'm absolutely ding inside.
    via Numerous_Forever8584
  • 02
    Cheezburger Image 10530479872
    via Nabeel Syed

    The image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 03
    I no longer have any free time, what time I do get is usually spent just trying to catch up on chores and sleeping. To make matters worse my roster has me on revolving weekends, meaning once a month I work 6 days a week. I just literally don't have a life anymore. I wake up, commute an hour and a half to work, do my 8 to 9 hour shift (if I'm lucky) and
    via Numerous_Forever8584
  • 04
    then commute the same amount right back (3 hours a day all up). By the time I get home it's dinner time, and then I have to get my stuff ready for the next day. By 9:30 pm I'm too tired to do anything but go to sleep and start the day over again.
    via Numerous_Forever8584
  • 05
    In a single 24 hour weekday cycle I have on average 4 hours a day to just exist without work. What's the point of 'decent' pay if I don't have time to even use any of it?
    via Numerous_Forever8584
  • 06
    Edit: Since it's a commonly asked question in the comments I'll answer it here. I can't move any closer to the job as it's in the middle of a very unaffordable city. Rent where I live is ridiculous, even for less appealing properties. Which is down to greedy landlords, and a lot of eligible housing being used for air bnbs, but that's another topic entirely.
    via Numerous_Forever8584
  • 07
    Edit 2: Wow, I wasn't expecting this tired little rant to take off so much. It's basically impossible to keep up with comments but I thank everyone for all the advive they've given. Also I'm a woman for those of you who assumed. I just thought being a career woman was a good idea... I've changed my mind so if you're looking for a housewife hmu (this is a joke, please don't really)
    via Numerous_Forever8584
  • 08
    Cheezburger Image 10530480384
    via Valeriia Miller For Unsplash+

    The image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 09
    clothespinkingpin Yo I did the long commute thing for years, my commute was longer than yours. I moved after saving up for 6 years and it's a lot better now, but how I was able to do it before: Things to make it better: If you drive- Wait out traffic. Find a gym, or hobby, near work. Also a nice park. After work, go to the gym. Or go to a hobby class (dance...
    via Numerous_Forever8584
  • 10
    art... community center... bowling alley... whatever). Go for a walk in the park and unwind with a podcast. Find restaurants near work and about half way home on your commute. Get dinner on the way home once or twice a week. If you're on a budget, sack lunch at the aforementioned park for a picnic while listening to a favorite podcast.
    via Numerous_Forever8584
  • 11
    You'll get home hella late but who cares? Home is now a crash pad and for the weekends. If taking a train/public transit- Get an iPad or similar tablet that's light weight, and a little keyboard for it.
    via Numerous_Forever8584
  • 12
    Download movies/shows/games/things you would be doing to unwind. Pay for a grocery delivery app, it's worth the cost if you're commuting. Do your grocery shopping from the train. Boom, that's one less chore on the weekend. Use this time for life admin tasks; paying bills, etc. Train has no wifi? Pay for a hotspot or data. It's worth the cost, if it allows you to continue to live far away.
    via Numerous_Forever8584
  • 13
    Bartholomeuske 3 hour commute! My god. I'd refuse the job based on that alone. Is moving an option?
    via Numerous_Forever8584
  • 14
    RiseUpRiseAgainst The system has been slowly stealing more of our time. There was a time when it was 9 to 5 and not 8 to 5 as the standard. There was a time that a single wage would be enough so someone could be a home maker and raise the kids.
    via Numerous_Forever8584
  • 15
    Now even in a two wage home, most don't make enough to pay skilled labor or services they need. Car repairs, house repairs, etc. While social safety nets and government assistance to subside education and healthcare keep getting removed in favor of giving more wealth to the ever shrinking select few.
    via Numerous_Forever8584
  • 16
    The elites want more and want to work less for it. Which means someone else has to pick up the slack and take less of the cut.
    via Numerous_Forever8584
  • 17
    JGonzales94 4 day work weeks is a must. I've been on a 4 day schedule since 2018. It really makes life much easier, and I do 12-14 hours a day.
    via Numerous_Forever8584
  • 18
    _golf Most people don't drive 3 hours a day
    via Numerous_Forever8584
  • 19
    ConnertheCat Your commute is a third of your "working hours" (or 50% of hours worked if you don't want to include it in that). You need to find a job closer to where you live or another place to work; if you could get that commute down to 20-40 minutes you'd get back multiple hours a day.
    via Numerous_Forever8584

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workplace discussion employment issues antiwork workplace-stories jobs employee employment-discussion job work employees overworked-employees workplace Horrible Bosses employment in the workplace
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