S&T social life/sleep schedule
How do you guys maintain a good social life while working in S&T? I have to be at my desk by 6am, and I find that if I stay out late on the weekends, it's incredibly difficult to reset my sleep schedule to wake up at 5am on Mondays. It's also hard for me to stay out late on Friday nights since I'm exhausted from waking up so early that day, and my body will normally wake me up by 7 or 8am even if I was out until 3-4am due to being so used to getting up at 5am during the week. How have you guys dealt with this? I guess the most responsible answer would be to not stay out late and just go to bed at 10pm every night including weekends, but I think nightlife is one the best parts about being a 20-something in NYC and I don't want to destroy my social life for this job. Am I just going to have to accept getting less sleep?
Comments ( 13 )
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Idk if I'm just weak or naturally need more sleep than other people in S&T/finance or something, but I honestly can't imagine doing that and not either passing out around noon or feeling awful Monday/the rest of the week
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First things first, you're going to have to accept that you're not going to get as much sleep as you might like if you want to maintain a social life while working in S&T. It's just the nature of the beast. However, that doesn't mean you have to sacrifice your entire social life. Here are a few tips that might help:
Adjust your sleep schedule: If you know you're going to be out late on the weekends, try gradually adjusting your sleep schedule in the days leading up to it. For example, if you normally wake up at 5am, try waking up at 6am, then 7am, and so on. This can help make it easier to reset your sleep schedule on Mondays.
Take advantage of your weekends: Try to use your weekends to catch up on sleep. If you're tired on Saturday morning, sleep in a little bit. This can help you stay up later on Saturday night without sacrificing too much sleep.
Use your time wisely: When you're not at work, try to make the most of your time. Plan ahead so you can fit in as much socializing as possible. For example, you might try meeting up with friends for a quick lunch during the workday, or scheduling dinner or drinks for right after work.
Consider a different schedule: If you find that your current schedule is really getting in the way of your social life, you might want to consider a different schedule. Talk to your manager to see if there are any other options available, such as working later in the day and coming in later in the morning.
Remember, it's all about finding a balance. You don't have to sacrifice your entire social life for your job, but you may need to make some adjustments to find a balance that works for you. Good luck!
Chat GPT "never" fails!
What time do you get out of work? Just sleep in on the weekends
Normally ~6pm. And sleeping in would be an easy answer, but the problem is that my body will wake me up by 7-8am even if I was out until 4am, just bc it's so used to waking up at 5am on the weekdays (and it also makes it really hard to get enough sleep on Sunday nights when my sleep schedule is so messed up from the weekend)
In my experience you tend to find the lower bound of your sleep tolerance early on in your career.
Once you determine the minimum amount of sleep you need to remain healthy and performant you need to plan your schedule accordingly.
You absolutely should not jeopardize your health for the sake of socializing if your goal is to excel in the trading seat. Once you lose your health, it is very difficult to regain until you get a three or four day weekend where you can completely disconnect and relax.
If you are feeling lethargic make sure you can check the below off of your list:
- Eat enough food during the day (do not skip lunch, make sure you are maintaining or slightly losing/gaining weight based on your goals).
- Eat fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, and yogurt. This can make an unbelievable difference in your energy levels if you have nutrient/vitamin deficiencies. The yogurt enhances mouth and gut health (due to the probiotics) so should protect against bacterial infections which could make you drained for around a month.
- Drink copious amounts of water. Again, significantly impacts energy levels if you are tired.
I used to go out often on Thursday nights and roll in on Fridays on ~three hours sleep. The adrenaline rush of the trading session would keep me awake and I would promptly crash at 5pm after market close . I'd then catch up on sleep Friday night and Saturday. If I went out Friday night (rare earlier in my career) I'd wakeup as my body dictated and take an additional nap as needed on Saturdays.
The real question you need to answer is whether you aspire to be a 1% performer in the seat or be excellent while maintaining social balance. I was always focused on refining my skills early in my career, and once I had juniors underneath me it really expanded my social capacity. NYC social life takes a different flavor as you get older (and richer); I don't necessarily think you are missing out on experiences at 22 that you cannot have at 25+ (though maybe this is what I tell myself to feel better!).
lmao I went from 25 - 35 since 2020
why do you need to wake up at 5am? the markets open at 9:30am ET.
There is a whole world outside of equities my friend
Welcome to S&T my friend, just wait until you start going out 1-2 night a week for work and traveling to 3-4 days a month to see clients and then tell me how you feel. Here is what I found worked for me when I was young and single.
1. I almost never went out on Friday night, usually would just be too tired from being out Thursday night for work that I was just going through the motions being out Friday night so I just decided to skip it. Would hit the gym, eat and go to bed by 9 most Friday nights (I know lame but I was never really a huge partier). I also could never sleep in either so would be up around 8 most Saturdays and would get a workout and a nap in by the time most of my friends were just waking up from their hangovers and would be ready to go on Saturdays. The one thing I would do is dates on Friday, could usually get a workout in and then a quick nap before doing a later dinner or drinks. Usually did not end up drinking as much on dates as I would on a regular night out with friends so would not feel as bad. Also rarely would only go out on Sunday until after I worked out, so I was usually not at the bar until the 4pm NFL games or whatever.
2. If you have a work night out make that your night to see friends during the week. Most work events end around 10pm as the senior guys and the clients have to get back to their families in the burbs. If friends were out I would always try to meet up after, but if they were out a different night I would usually skip out on it.
3. If you have a free night make sure to hit the gym, easy to skip when you have been out late the night before but you will feel so much better if you go. Find a buddy to hold you accountable or do classes for the extra motivation. I would also recommend a gym with a steam and sauna, will help you sweat out the toxins. Spending money on your health is the most valuable investment you can make so don't feel bad about doing what you need to do in order to make yourself eat healthy and workout.
I know I'm making this sounds like a total grind, but its not. Your body will adapt and once you have junior people you will get to sleep in an extra 30 min when you need it after a big night out, late flight back from a client meeting, or my current situation where my kids keep me up all night.
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