Diamonds are pushups with your hands close together.

I hope he works in retail.

I have an identical occupation at my university. Our department as a whole is responsible for many things on the campus, such as network infrastructure and the email system, but the computer helpdesk I work at pretty much just keeps customers' computers running. The job itself is not really stressful, and I certainly couldn't ask for better supervisors. I can get time off whenever I need if I have a good reason.

However, because we are undermanned, it gets hectic at times. Since we are also responsible for the campus' internet access, when it goes down, that phone rings nonstop. Also, when the fall semester starts in August, our manpower will consist of 3 full time staff (who have other responsibilities so they rarely have the time to work on customer computers), myself, and one other student technician. The university has roughly 500 faculty and we are the main source of tech support for all of them. Thats not going to be a good situation, but the stress won't be too bad because of the people I work for, and the customers that I will be working with.

The only thing that is stressing me out at the moment is the fact I will probably divebomb an exam tomorrow. I have spent several hours tonight studying for it but I still do not feel adequately prepared. Oh well. If I do flunk the class, I can just take an easier course in the same category later.

Haha, thanks for answering his question for me.

Nah, don't work in retail, but construction. I'm an Apprentice over at Automatic Fire Systems. A lot of menial work that requires too much physical assertion. Hopefully, I'll be changing jobs soon. :)

I love it when civilians bitch about their jobs.

Except retail, retail is probably worse than the military, only because you deal with the sniveling general public-- of course, it all depends on where you work.

Smoke a big fat fucking bowl of weed, man.

That alleviates all the stress.

Wait - how is the military any different. You signed up for the shit, no one twisted your arm.

Did you think it would be a cakewalk?

Our company provided us with a massage chair. Quite frankly, I don't see anyone using it and the company in general doesn't get much use out of it as intended, although it is a nice gesture towards the employees. (It also might have to do with the fact that it's sitting in the front lobby where anyone who walks in might spot anyone using that chair)

I still think a punching bag in the place of that massage chair would have served the purpose better.

I tend to drink and play violent video games when I get stressed out from a hard day of work, but it's getting to a point that my normal activities are not helping, so I usually feel bummed out.

And at work, I take long walks (10-20 mins) to relax my mind. Sometimes it helps, or sometimes I'm thinking ,"I need to find a f**king new job."

I may need to look for something new....Auditing for the US govt/military is kind of..crappy...

Definitely listening to music, or playing music.

Also, just hanging out with friends is good. Any conversation with other people helps. The worst thing to do when stressed is to sit alone in the room and brood.

I play the piano, but mostly I just take a good sleep.

I do the normal things I guess, listen to music, play video games, take a long hot shower, or some combination there of, I work in a call center so I deal with complaints and bullshit all day long from the callers to the managers but after awhile you sort of develop the thick skin to deal with it and learn how to not bring it home with you. Thankfully I'm normally a laid back guy anyway so I really try to not let work bother me that much.

Loud punk music and a pack of camels and I'm usually fine.

See, with a civilian job, there's nothing really keeping you from walking out the door. Sure, bills have to be paid, but if you're resourceful that's not that big of an issue. Not to mention basic labor rights, labor unions, and all of these other legal protections you get as a civilian that don't apply to military at all.

Even with civilian contract employees, their contracts are similar to ours, except theirs usually include somekind of escape clause. Ours doesn't.

I just think it's funny what people bitch about at their jobs. You're late for work, you get bitched at, I'm late for work, I look at judicial and non-judicial punishments and possible incarceration. You guys go home at the end of the day, and they can't take your right to eat or sleep away from you, they can for us.

It's like comparing apples and oranges, I just think it's absolutely hilarious what civilians choose to bitch about. As I'm typing this, I haven't slept in 3 days, why? Because that's what I've become accustomed to.

And I'm sure there's someone out there that's had a harder life than you thinking how lame you are for thinking you've got it hard.

Saying other people shouldn't complain because you've got it harder (due to your own choices!) is kinda lol.

I mean, you go AWOL, you just get in legal trouble. Do that back in Soviet Russia and you're dead. God, you're such a pussy for whining.

PSP...while I'm at work. There's only one aspect of my work that I hate, and that's the officer that comes on to relieve me. I just stick a bunch of movies on it. Like today I watched Zatoichi for the umpteenth time, with a little dash of Fifth Gear (I don't like Top Gear in comparison).

I don't really complain that much about my job. It's not THAT bad, except for time spent away from friends.

I just think it's funny that people complain about theirs, when it's really easy to change their situation. It's like you're saying that they can't change their situation. Because, they, like me, put themselves willingly into their job. It's not like anyone came by and put a gun to our heads and said "YOU MUST TAKE THIS JOB!"

Well, like anything in life there's things you like and don't like about work. I mean, I enjoy when I'm under a lot of stress at work and can have a difficult time function when I don't feel like I have a lot to get done, but that doesn't mean at times I don't feel frustrated from it.

It's not like any little thing should be enough to make you quit your job. =\

Yikes, talk about stress. I start a job today that is priced high. Not high for the job: it is a lot of work. I am self-employed, and let me tell you, it is much more stressful being the one completely responsible. I smoke a cigarette and rant to my sisters. It helps.