I don’t want to do this anymore

Former Member

I am so so tired of being a keyworker.
I’m now trained to take peoples tests and now I do so many each week, both the ones you have to post and the 30min ones we have to do before starting work.

It’s probably selfish but I just want to stay at home, work is so much everyday. It’s not hard, there is just too much of it. Everyone seems to need me all the time for things I’m sure they can do themselves. And if I mess up a test then the vulnerable people we work with might suffer. And it would be my fault.

It’s not like I can relax at home, I don’t have my own place and am crashing with my friends parents. They are very kind but it’s hard to relax without a place to call my own.

Former Member

I'm sorry to hear that you're so washed out by this all @Eyepatch I can only imagine how stressful it must be for you. Do you mind me asking how long you've been taking people's tests? I can only hope that with vaccinations rolling out it won't be much longer that you have to deal with all this.

Have you considered talking to the people you're staying with and trying to get some time to yourself so you can properly relax? Everybody needs time to themselves sometimes and hopefully getting some time to yourself would help you feel a little less run down like you described. Please let us know if there's anything we on the boards can do to help!

Former Member

Thank you, maybe four months or so- it’s interesting in an educational way but so stressful because no one likes being tested and if I mess up they have redo it. I told my boss I was stressed and he got me some new office stuff which was really nice.

Where I live I feel like I’m always avoiding them I feel rude but also just too tired to be social. I play lots of online games instead because I don’t have the energy to draw or write like I used to and games are easy and distracting. It helps to get this off my chest tho, I was hoping I wasn’t the only one feeling this way

Former Member

@Eyepatch
I can only imagine what you're going through... It must be so difficult though I am positive that you are not the only one feeling this way. To a certain extent, I can relate though I feel your situation is more difficult than my own. There is a support chat on here if you would like to speak to anyone else about how you are feeling. There are also services on here to support you and my PMs are always open if you wanna talk to somebody Hope you have a lovely day

Former Member

Hi @Eyepatch,

This isn't selfish of you at all. It seems you have been working so hard, and with the responsibility it can feel emotionally draining too. Thank you so much for all you have done so far by the way

I really hope it helped you in some way to let this off your chest. As Riley says, if there's anything we can do to help please do let us know - right here for you

Former Member

Thank you, I think I just bottled everything up for too long. I get that being stuck at home must be hard for a lot of people, but it’s all I want right now I think my boss at work noticed I was stressed, they got me a bigger office desk and let me choose paint for the walls, it was very kind and thoughtful. Playing games helps as a distraction so at least I’ve got that.

Stay safe everyone

Former Member

I'm really glad to hear things have gotten a little better for you @Eyepatch your boss at work seems very nice. Bottling things up can get really stressful over time so having a place like the boards where you can get everything off your chest can be a big help. Feel free to keep us all updated with how you're doing!

Former Member

Quick update-
Im trying to buy a house but it’s impossible. Even being a keyworker and doing covid tests I still only get minimum wage. So I can’t borrow enough to afford even the smallest houses. Government help to buy is pointless as it only counts on new builds which are stupidly priced to the point where they still cost too much even with the government ‘helping’.

I still live with my friends parents, I work in the same place as my mum so everyone seems to think I live with her. Which is stupid and annoying as she clearly never bothered to mention to her colleagues that she asked me to moved out at 17 because she “couldn’t afford a third child in the house.”

Why is everything so crap right now?
I love my job, it’s the only thing that makes me happy even though it’s tough most of the time. But I feel like I’m going to have to go back to working in some crappy place I hate just so I can afford to have a roof over my head.

No one in government has ever struggled with minimum wage, had to go hungry, or been homeless. None of them have ever lived in a council flat or had to work in a supermarket to pay rent whilst studying. So why are they running the country?
I don’t understand anything anymore.

Former Member

Nice to see an update from you @Eyepatch

Saving to buy a house can be a struggle, especially with the current economic situation. I know you mentioned that all support avaliable is for newbuilds, but have you looked at "Lifetime ISA's"?. As far as I understand, they are open to all property types under a specific value. I'm trying to avoid offering what might be considered finacial advice but to sum up the page I linked: To open a Lifetime ISA you need to be between 18-39. You can put up to £4000 each year into your lifetime ISA. You get a 25% bonus to anything you save, up to a maximum of £1000. For example, if you put away £1000, the government would give you £250. You can ONLY take money out from a a Lifetime ISA if you are using it to buy your first home or are 60 or over.

If you are saving to buy a house, it might be something to look into/read more about

I'm glad you love your job, even though it is tough. Working with relatives can be tough, and it sucks that your colleagues assume you live with your mum. Does this assumption bother you? If so, do you think there is anything you could subtly say to clarify it?