Hugs..sorry about your furbaby. Is there any way you can cut back on work, even a little?

Better you than me. I'm retired have no one in my lufe and couldnt be happier.

I dated a chef, it didn't last long as he was working so much. But there are chefs at my work that are married. If you don't love your job I think I'd be looking at a career change, can you save up for your own place and hire a chef and just manage the place? That would potentially give you a better life work balance and use your current skills.

I would suggest a vacation first - for two reasons, one to show yourself that others can do your job - maybe it takes 3 or 4 others, and maybe not as well, but they can do it while you are gone. That should give you peace of mind that you don't have to do everything all the time. You can rely on others (even for just specific things is better than nothing). And two, give yourself a little time to think about how you want to forward your life. Is this particular job the rut? Is the town, or type of food? You can get a new job (same field) or start your own (if you are going to work that much, you might as well own it....) or just shift your mind, work on relying on subordinates to cut down to 50 hours to start and find a hobby - start with napkin folding.. ha ha - or canoeing or walking around with Pokemon Go or salsa dance lessons or book club. Just give yourself the kindness of getting out of the rut a little and see what hobbies or sports or creativity you want to explore, and carve out 1/2 day a week, or an hour a morning, or some specific times to do something else - and don't let work or recovering from work (sleep) overrun those times you set up for you. Good luck. Asking if there is more is the first step to finding more. If you are really stuck in a rut, you can also start even smaller - take a different way home or use a different mode of transport. Invite friends over to try new recipes (or coworkers if friends are not many at the moment) - you are forwarding your career (research, promotion of skills, trying out new types of foods, etc.) while being social and being in a familiar cocoon at the same time. Or work with a computer programmer friend and develop a list app for your job that you've always wanted to cut down on your list time...- use your skills in a different way as a hobby that might make you rich! Baby steps or grand steps, good luck!

Dude, that's going to kill you. In the U.S.A. we have a tendency to overwork. I sometimes work 50 hours in a week, and that's too much. With the lists it sounds like you're working 70+ hours. That literally will kill you. Stop.

That sux, sometimes you have to force yourself to relax. Its really hard when u run a business.

I have two amazingly loving dogs that I could share with you for a few hours. I am re-habbing a house on north Ellwood. Let me know if you'd like a doggie-date.

Cooking is a really hard way to make a living, and plays hell with most normal relationships.

I enjoy cooking and friends always said I should open a restaurant and said no way. It would turn my joy of cooking into work. I've been doing the same line of work for 30 years and I have never enjoyed it, but once in it's very hard to get out. My life is like groundhog day. Get up, go to work, eat, clean up, go to bed and repeat. I am lucky I work from home and only work 40 hours, but I feel your pain. Hopefully you can take that vacation! Just thought I would share. Hang in there. ?

If it's your company/restaurant, you need to hire an assistant. Otherwise you should go to your boss with this. Certainly they'll understand and hire someone to help you..

I am a Bus Driver and I also regularly work between 55 and 60 hours a week. Its nice seeing the paycheck the end of the week but you find yourself sat there on days off thinking "there is nothing else to do, best go to bed". As others have said, find a way to turn off your brain from work. a club, go to the cinema, go out for the evening. Pretty soon you start noticing other people who are also on their own and you strike up conversations. There are also websites which aren't dating sites but to find people who share the same interests as yourself.

You're a pretty impressive person.

You work 60 hours a week (what would break most people), while organising and planning in order to keep things afloat. Without all this, things would fall apart, and you do it day after day. You sound like a superhero to me.

With your solid work ethic, it sounds like you'd succeed doing just about anything. Think about the worst case scenario if you stop or cut back or make a change... the worst case. Will you be okay?

I'm thinking the answer is, yes. There will be some things to work out and some other effort to make, but you'll be fine.

I'm thinking of a friend of mine who years ago started a business and ran himself ragged. After a similar scenario to yours, he got completely rundown. He developed chronic fatigue and had to be hospitalised. His heart was not in great shape due to lack of self care and overeating. For him, stopping wasn't a choice. His body gave out.

I suppose the good news is that you're still in a position where you have that choice. You may think you don't... Money.. what to do next etc.. but you do. If something outside of your personal choice stopped you, you'd find a way. Maybe this is an opportunity to look at your options beyond an illness striking or a deep state of depression?

You're right that your current state is no way to live, if this is how you're feeling. You're feeling stuck, which is a sign that you feel trapped in this rut.

There's always a way. Always. Start thinking of strategies to get yourself out.

Good luck!

You sound like you are getting burnt out. you should take a step back and tend to your needs like a good vacation.

Your comment is powerful. It struck a nerve.

Life should not be this way. There should be more than just work, work, work. There should be joy, passions, hobbies, interests, goals, travel, friendships, music, art, nature, laughter, , love, intimacy......

It sounds like you're trapped. Are you working all the time for necessity? Is it for financial reasons?

I don't know what the solution is. Can you change your career?

Either way, I sincerely hope you find a solution, and eventually find contentment and love. I'm haunted by your comment. It made me sad and I've no doubt there are many others in your situation who feel as if life is passing them by.

It sounds like you've coped with stress and depression by becoming a workaholic, that's not uncommon for men in the USA.

To paraphrase one self-help gury, depression can be good if it helps one to recognize their patterns need to change.

Good luck in your journey IMO life is about relationships and sometimes helping people, work is just what we do to pay the bills and sometimes our work helps others and leads to awesome relationships.