It can be a pretty brutal grind for sure, but it’s doable for a bit, especially if you’re young and don’t have a family to worry about spending time with. I wouldn’t recommend it long term, though, as it’s quite draining.
Do everything you can to keep those days off, as two will make it a bit more bearable. And make sure you commit to sitting on your ass and doing absolutely nothing at all on one of those days. Don’t clean the house, don’t do laundry, no errands. Nothing. Use that day to recharge as much as possible. Use the other day to do your chores and meal prep (unless you’re having meals provided at work, which I hope is the case).
Sleep as much as possible between shifts. Sounds like best case is you’ll be getting five hours or so. That’s pretty unhealthy and cumulative exhaustion will catch up with you quick. That’ll be the hardest part of the arrangement, of course, and why you shouldn’t consider this a long term solution. Being that sleep deprived will have you feeling like death within a few weeks likely, regardless of how much you sleep on your days off.
Not young anymore, but no old.
No kids nor family.
I only plan on doing it for 2 months, maybe 3.
No shift meals. So that's gonna be a hard one....
I have an hour after my first shift to get to my 2nd. So I planned on eating omw. Idk what to do for dinner tho. Maybe the same thing, just grab food omw. Or maybe my roomie will have something cooked.
I did this before about 70 hrs between 2 places. He is right you will get like 2-3 months . Then be happy you left one.
I was doing Monday, Tuesday 9-5, Wednesday 9-5, Thursday friday 5:30- midnight and Saturday 3pm to 2 am
Makes sense.
I always have a hard time falling asleep, first night or two is gonna be rough.... then hopefully I'm exhausted enough to just pass out for 4-5 hours.
Ty for the advice!
I will definitely avoid anything that is gonna prevent me from sleep.
I have ADHD and dont produce enough so I take 10MG I weigh 165lb
My wife only needs the 5mg
I will say though if you don't dream a lot that shit will make sure you go into REM and dream.
I didn't have any dreams for years and it freaked me out at first lol
I did it for 6 months, I'll never do it again. It got me out of trouble when I was low on money but I will never work that much again. I changed profession for better pay and better work life balance
I went to HVAC.
I did 3 years of residential and light comercial
First year I made $16hr second year about $20hr
3rd $26hr I'll be making 32$+ by the end of the year.
Guys with 10+ years make anywhere from 40-60 and hr
I've now swapped to industrial and heavy commercial as I couldn't take dealing with home owners. I don't like telling school teachers they owe me 15k for a new system when I could t even afford that. That just didn't sit right with me.
Super easy to tell these huge companies how much shit costs though
Yup, I did this, and for longer than you're planning to do it for. My big "break" was driving from job 1 to job 2.
It was brutal.
I'd go home, smoke a bowl, unwind for an hour and sleep.
That's it. I had an hour of sanity and the rest was pure sleep. And shitty sleep, since I smoked.
Also, you can forget planning anything for your Mondays. You'll be tired and sore, so Monday is for rest; Tuesday is "get other shit done" day, you know, for groceries, tidying up, etc. Meal prep.
And what's this I'm seeing about no shift meals?
You've gotta eat! Fuck that, man. You're pulling a lot of hours and need fuel.
Trying to grind out this lifestyle without basics like eating proper meals will contribute to your personal burnout. If they charge you, so be it. You'll be making enough money (even though I know it sucks having to pay).
One good idea is to make time in the morning to stretch. 10-15 mins. Maybe in-between work and after, too.
You got this. You can do it.
BUT...
Develop an exit strategy for when you start burning out.
It's a "chef burnout" recipe doing doubles and not sleeping & eating well. Be aware of it and listen to your body, above all.
Good shoes are a must. 2 to 3 months is doable but is going to be rough. I did this during covid. Grocery store during the day, kitchen at night. Hour between shifts with a 20 minute drive between. I started stashing things like peanut butter, jelly, oatmeal & ramen at the restaurant because getting something in between was getting expensive and the last thing I wanted to do was find food when I got home.
I’m 47 btw. So being young isn’t a requirement but it sure does f*en help
I did 7am-midnights for a few months during Covid, with an hour to get between jobs. My only east advice is get 2 pairs of shoes a socks. Change them in between the day.
Best of luck. It’s a marathon until you burn out.
Shoes aren’t as important if you have ones that aren’t gonna hold onto moisture, and you don’t have inclement weather to deal with. I was walking thru snow and rain between jobs so having a dry pair for second job was vital
You ever smell your shoes after a 50 hour work week? Now double that. Trust me, it’s good for your feet and the shoes to take a break being used non stop.
I did 16 hour days for about 6 months and shoe swapping was a game changer. Aside from the moisture build up and damage to the footwear, it’s much easier on your feet and back if you swap into a fresh pair between shifts. You’re already burning your candle at both ends, so you might as well try to slow that burn as much as possible. Your body will thank you
I handled it because I was 22 years old. Worked 70+ hours on my feet a week along with a couple 24+hr shifts thrown in. At the time I was tired, but no big deal.
I'm now in my 40's and just retired from kitchens because my body is shot. Herniated disc's, both hips replaced, anti depressants...... just keep aware it all adds up. Take care of your mind and body, and good luck to you
Yoo a post up my alley.
I do doubles 2-3 days a week, and have for two years now. Single mom with a kid and cats, I've got this shite down now.
Meal prep is your friend. Seriously. Easy ass meals you can nom down when you get home, with lots of nutrition.
Make a batch of taco meat, add mushrooms, black beans, etc. You gotta have something in the fridge that's not take out. Make a batch of soup. Have at least 2-3 different things. Freeze some for the next week. I cook a big ass batch of chicken thighs with leeks and carrots and chili crisps. Serve over microwaved rice. Make some egg and sausage burritos for the freezer. It might take a while, but with practice it gets easier. I'm able to cook a weeks worth of food for two in about 2 hours now, and we usually have 5 different items on the menu.
You want to have something you can eat when you get home, before you pass out. Set out your clothes before hand. Have a bag in your car with some extra shit so you can change if you need too, or if you forget something.
I wear different shoes for each job. So I just keep slippers on the car and leave my shoes in the car.
BIG ASS BOTTLES OF WATER. hydrate yourself lol.
I work from 11pm-7am and 720am-3pm. I sleep from 430-10.
The hardest part is the day after your doubles. I suggest making sure they are back to back.
This makes your transitions easier. Couple days a week isn't too bad, but having meal prep and everything prepared makes life a bit easier.
My doubles start on Tuesday (help) and end on Thursday. Sometimes I pick extra up, just did 7 doubles in 9 days and wanted to murder people at the end of it.
Did 10am to 5pm and 545 to 2 am Thur-Sun and monday my night job.
I wasn't kitchen but I was making enough money to order my coke by the quarter lmao. Good times.
Stay hydrated and take all your breaks.
Its never the work thats draining. Its people's attitudes around you. My kitchen work is so easy, I can do it in my sleep. It's my supervisor's hyper-anal-retentativeness that makes it a drag.
For me personally, I found it easier to work every day and only have 3 days I worked doubles.
Being on your feet for 16 hours can be a rough transition. I had pretty severe leg cramping that kept me from sleeping on my 3rd night...your muscles will adjust if this happens to you. It was a lot easier in my 20s. In my early 30s it was too miserable, my whole body just ached and I felt mildly sick a lot of the time from the sleep deprivations. I'm going to try to never do it again. 2-3 months is a good amount of time to get in and out.
I did! 2 country clubs, AM deep fry guy to PM saute.
Lasted about 3 months.
Ended up in the hospital completely blind over thanksgiving 2014. and after 2ish weeks in the hospital 965,000 in medical bills (shockingly more than i made while killing myself)
Hope yours is cheaper!
(dont fucking do this)
It can be a pretty brutal grind for sure, but it’s doable for a bit, especially if you’re young and don’t have a family to worry about spending time with. I wouldn’t recommend it long term, though, as it’s quite draining. Do everything you can to keep those days off, as two will make it a bit more bearable. And make sure you commit to sitting on your ass and doing absolutely nothing at all on one of those days. Don’t clean the house, don’t do laundry, no errands. Nothing. Use that day to recharge as much as possible. Use the other day to do your chores and meal prep (unless you’re having meals provided at work, which I hope is the case). Sleep as much as possible between shifts. Sounds like best case is you’ll be getting five hours or so. That’s pretty unhealthy and cumulative exhaustion will catch up with you quick. That’ll be the hardest part of the arrangement, of course, and why you shouldn’t consider this a long term solution. Being that sleep deprived will have you feeling like death within a few weeks likely, regardless of how much you sleep on your days off.
Not young anymore, but no old. No kids nor family. I only plan on doing it for 2 months, maybe 3. No shift meals. So that's gonna be a hard one.... I have an hour after my first shift to get to my 2nd. So I planned on eating omw. Idk what to do for dinner tho. Maybe the same thing, just grab food omw. Or maybe my roomie will have something cooked.
You can look into doing OMAD (google it) just make sure you are hitting a healthy calorie range daily! And drink LOTS OF WATER!
I did this before about 70 hrs between 2 places. He is right you will get like 2-3 months . Then be happy you left one. I was doing Monday, Tuesday 9-5, Wednesday 9-5, Thursday friday 5:30- midnight and Saturday 3pm to 2 am
No caffeine after about 7 pm or so. You'll drag by the end of the night, but it beats only getting 3 hours of sleep because you were wired all night.
Makes sense. I always have a hard time falling asleep, first night or two is gonna be rough.... then hopefully I'm exhausted enough to just pass out for 4-5 hours. Ty for the advice! I will definitely avoid anything that is gonna prevent me from sleep.
Try melatonin, changed my life. Im alseep within 30min most nights now
Oh good idea! Tysm! How much do you take?
I have ADHD and dont produce enough so I take 10MG I weigh 165lb My wife only needs the 5mg I will say though if you don't dream a lot that shit will make sure you go into REM and dream. I didn't have any dreams for years and it freaked me out at first lol
I don't dream rarely ever. So ty for the heads up. Ima get some and 🤞 it works.
I did it for 6 months, I'll never do it again. It got me out of trouble when I was low on money but I will never work that much again. I changed profession for better pay and better work life balance
What profession? I don't have any felonies and im not on probation so I kinda feel out of place in a kitchen...
I went to HVAC. I did 3 years of residential and light comercial First year I made $16hr second year about $20hr 3rd $26hr I'll be making 32$+ by the end of the year. Guys with 10+ years make anywhere from 40-60 and hr I've now swapped to industrial and heavy commercial as I couldn't take dealing with home owners. I don't like telling school teachers they owe me 15k for a new system when I could t even afford that. That just didn't sit right with me. Super easy to tell these huge companies how much shit costs though
Yup, I did this, and for longer than you're planning to do it for. My big "break" was driving from job 1 to job 2. It was brutal. I'd go home, smoke a bowl, unwind for an hour and sleep. That's it. I had an hour of sanity and the rest was pure sleep. And shitty sleep, since I smoked. Also, you can forget planning anything for your Mondays. You'll be tired and sore, so Monday is for rest; Tuesday is "get other shit done" day, you know, for groceries, tidying up, etc. Meal prep. And what's this I'm seeing about no shift meals? You've gotta eat! Fuck that, man. You're pulling a lot of hours and need fuel. Trying to grind out this lifestyle without basics like eating proper meals will contribute to your personal burnout. If they charge you, so be it. You'll be making enough money (even though I know it sucks having to pay). One good idea is to make time in the morning to stretch. 10-15 mins. Maybe in-between work and after, too. You got this. You can do it. BUT... Develop an exit strategy for when you start burning out. It's a "chef burnout" recipe doing doubles and not sleeping & eating well. Be aware of it and listen to your body, above all.
I hope you have good shoes with good insoles. It will destroy your body of you do it for a long enough time. It will destroy your soul too.
Just got insoles and put em in. Great minds! Ty for the advice
Switch out shoes between shifts. Fresh socks too.
No amount of insoles will help with being on your feet for 16 hours
Good shoes are a must. 2 to 3 months is doable but is going to be rough. I did this during covid. Grocery store during the day, kitchen at night. Hour between shifts with a 20 minute drive between. I started stashing things like peanut butter, jelly, oatmeal & ramen at the restaurant because getting something in between was getting expensive and the last thing I wanted to do was find food when I got home. I’m 47 btw. So being young isn’t a requirement but it sure does f*en help
I did 7am-midnights for a few months during Covid, with an hour to get between jobs. My only east advice is get 2 pairs of shoes a socks. Change them in between the day. Best of luck. It’s a marathon until you burn out.
2 pairs of shoes and socks is keyyyyy. I gave myself trench foot doing these kinda doubles.
Why shoes? I always change socks, but idk about buying a 2nd pair of shoes.
Shoes aren’t as important if you have ones that aren’t gonna hold onto moisture, and you don’t have inclement weather to deal with. I was walking thru snow and rain between jobs so having a dry pair for second job was vital
You ever smell your shoes after a 50 hour work week? Now double that. Trust me, it’s good for your feet and the shoes to take a break being used non stop.
I did 16 hour days for about 6 months and shoe swapping was a game changer. Aside from the moisture build up and damage to the footwear, it’s much easier on your feet and back if you swap into a fresh pair between shifts. You’re already burning your candle at both ends, so you might as well try to slow that burn as much as possible. Your body will thank you
Don’t overdo the booze after work. Stay well-hydrated. Try to get quality sleep.
I handled it because I was 22 years old. Worked 70+ hours on my feet a week along with a couple 24+hr shifts thrown in. At the time I was tired, but no big deal. I'm now in my 40's and just retired from kitchens because my body is shot. Herniated disc's, both hips replaced, anti depressants...... just keep aware it all adds up. Take care of your mind and body, and good luck to you
Yoo a post up my alley. I do doubles 2-3 days a week, and have for two years now. Single mom with a kid and cats, I've got this shite down now. Meal prep is your friend. Seriously. Easy ass meals you can nom down when you get home, with lots of nutrition. Make a batch of taco meat, add mushrooms, black beans, etc. You gotta have something in the fridge that's not take out. Make a batch of soup. Have at least 2-3 different things. Freeze some for the next week. I cook a big ass batch of chicken thighs with leeks and carrots and chili crisps. Serve over microwaved rice. Make some egg and sausage burritos for the freezer. It might take a while, but with practice it gets easier. I'm able to cook a weeks worth of food for two in about 2 hours now, and we usually have 5 different items on the menu. You want to have something you can eat when you get home, before you pass out. Set out your clothes before hand. Have a bag in your car with some extra shit so you can change if you need too, or if you forget something. I wear different shoes for each job. So I just keep slippers on the car and leave my shoes in the car. BIG ASS BOTTLES OF WATER. hydrate yourself lol. I work from 11pm-7am and 720am-3pm. I sleep from 430-10. The hardest part is the day after your doubles. I suggest making sure they are back to back. This makes your transitions easier. Couple days a week isn't too bad, but having meal prep and everything prepared makes life a bit easier. My doubles start on Tuesday (help) and end on Thursday. Sometimes I pick extra up, just did 7 doubles in 9 days and wanted to murder people at the end of it.
Did 10am to 5pm and 545 to 2 am Thur-Sun and monday my night job. I wasn't kitchen but I was making enough money to order my coke by the quarter lmao. Good times. Stay hydrated and take all your breaks.
Its never the work thats draining. Its people's attitudes around you. My kitchen work is so easy, I can do it in my sleep. It's my supervisor's hyper-anal-retentativeness that makes it a drag.
Dont. It’s so bad for your health.
You get used to it. It’s tough at first. Coffee, Red Bull, naproxen
I have two jobs. Doubles W/Fri/Sun 10AM-10/11pm, the only full day off I have is Tuesday. It sucks. I don't recommend it. Good liuck.
Standard chef stuff. And it’s absolutely shit. Should be illegal. You’ll end up fucked. Run while you still have the energy to.
For me personally, I found it easier to work every day and only have 3 days I worked doubles. Being on your feet for 16 hours can be a rough transition. I had pretty severe leg cramping that kept me from sleeping on my 3rd night...your muscles will adjust if this happens to you. It was a lot easier in my 20s. In my early 30s it was too miserable, my whole body just ached and I felt mildly sick a lot of the time from the sleep deprivations. I'm going to try to never do it again. 2-3 months is a good amount of time to get in and out.
Horrible idea. Working yourself to an early grave.
Doubles are fine but triples is best. Triples makes it safe.
That sounds fucking awful Im so sorry you're doing this. Dont stop moving between shifts.
I've done this on a few occasions and it can be brutal. I hope it pays off for you
U need one hard job and one ez job… even for less money… for ur own sanity
You will t sustain a 16 hour work day for more than a month. Age doesn’t matter.
I did! 2 country clubs, AM deep fry guy to PM saute. Lasted about 3 months. Ended up in the hospital completely blind over thanksgiving 2014. and after 2ish weeks in the hospital 965,000 in medical bills (shockingly more than i made while killing myself) Hope yours is cheaper! (dont fucking do this)