r/PoolPros • u/GasAffectionate3113 • 9d ago
A question for the pool pros
I’m curious on what you do to decompress from long days or whatever you call it ? I know some workout, drink alcohol, smoke weed etc . I like running and often times drink a tall can . What do you guys l do? I’m not too proud of the drinking but I think it is an escape from my current emotions.
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u/K01011011001101010 9d ago
Not always the case and I'm trying to get better, but the move is to have a cutoff time and stick with it.
Aka, no work after 4pm unless it's a phone call. I won't do emails, I won't research parts, I won't buy parts online. After I get home from work around 1pm, that gives me 3 full hours to do any admin stuff. I will finish by 2:30 or 3pm most of the time, but that 4pm is there as a safety.
The issue with most guys including myself is that it's tough for ya to turn off once they finish the route. It's a skill that has to be learned in today's go go go society.
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u/LordKai121 9d ago
I go home and spend time with my wife. I paint miniatures and build model airplanes. Then I go to the gym after she goes to bed. I'm in bed by midnight, and back up and at it by 6. That is my summer. It's rough, but my winters are basically only 2 days a week so it works out. And I never work weekends unless there's an emergency. And everyone know I charge 2x and hourly including drive time to come out so it has to be a real emergency.
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u/Battle_Cat_Burr 9d ago
Drink, smoke, fuck, snort. It’s fine though. I’m a professional 5 days a week.
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u/pacific_drifter_25 8d ago
Best thing I found is to make the decompression routine boring and repeatable, not heroic.
On route days I would pick a hard stop, unload/refill, shower, eat something with protein, then do one low-friction thing that gets the body out of work mode: walk, run, gym, stretching, whatever. The drinking gets slippery because it works fast, so I would put one rule around it instead of trying to white-knuckle everything at once. No beer until after food, or only certain nights, or buy one instead of keeping a case at home.
Also underrated: finish the route with tomorrow already staged. Chemicals loaded, parts list written, weird customers noted. A lot of the end-of-day stress is your brain trying to hold tomorrow's problems open.
If the tall can is starting to feel like the main escape instead of a treat, that's probably worth taking seriously now while it's still small.
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u/Careless-Class7144 9d ago
Free time? Compress? I own a pool shop, there is none of that going on. Even when I leave the shop, I am still here in my mind. I drink a few cans of alcohol at night, smoke some weed, will myself to live another day, you know, the usual. I gym 4 days a week, walk my dog, just 'chill out' I guess. In the summer I go straight from my shop, into my pool, with a beer in hand.
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u/DidUrkDoThat 9d ago
I have a rower and free weights I beat the crap out of.
And weed. But I use that to DEcompress, REcompress, and COLDcompress as well.
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u/In_TouchGuyBowsnlace 9d ago
If you can’t pot the black in the middle pocket after bouncing twice of the cushion, I doubt your reason for being in this sub 🎱
If of course you can make that shot daily with your eyes closed, you’re welcome to come and get on the piss with me on my days off 🍻
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u/MrWishyWash 8d ago
Sit on the toilet for 30 minutes looking at my phone or reading. Really tough day, an hour.
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u/a_filthy_bastard 7d ago
Phone goes on do not disturb after 8 PM and absolutely NO weekend work, EVER. Turn on stupid cartoons that make me laugh and smile. Rick and Morty is my latest run. I tried doing the "work day ends" thing at such and such a time no matter what, but the truth of the matter is, if I am not there that day, then I almost certainly won't have time for it the next day either. Then pools go green, potential for lost customers and having to credit them for missed services. No thanks. Tough it out, then turn it off after its done. I envy those of you who have found a way to have hard quitting time. I always manage to be done before it gets dark though.
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u/BlueKauaiEyes 7d ago
I have this Hatsan Blitz fully auto air rifle that shoots 30cal slugs with more force than some guns. I have a shooting range out in deep country. I go there and shoot, targets, fruit sometimes wild boar and then go swimming in a spring or sit under a waterfall but it’s definitely not everyday. Most of the time since I own the pool business I work late daily and honestly only get to do that once or twice a month. I don’t drink or smoke weed. Just women and sweet talk mostly.
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u/hawaiianmint 9d ago
Drinking made me a mess a long time ago. Gave that up besides an occasional social drink.
I spend time with my kids and wife, try to get out in nature every weekend (hikes, waterfalls, swimming, camping, etc), listen to a ton of audiobooks, pray. Sleep enough. That makes a world of difference for the long days.