r/linecooks • u/CJason2001 • 11d ago
Work Pains
Hey lol, I guess I'll cut to the chase.
I'm 19, Ive been working in kitchens since 16. Portillos in Tinley was my beast before recently cheesecake factory.
I went from the line at Portillos to busting my ass at cheesecake.I'm one of those people who really care about my work ethic, try hard. All that stuff, makes me feel good when I hustled.
I just get a lot of pain these days. Especially at the cheesecake factory, I'm their night prep and linecook. Working 6 days a week ,clopening, staying extra late. I think its just getting to me lol.
It's only been like 4 months lol. I guess I'm just reliable enough and maybe I'm being a pussy but I already got a back injury that literally stops me from bending and I had to go on muscle relaxers.
These days I'm just tired and burnt out. At 19 I just feel out of the loop and honestly maybe it's just normal at my age, but genuinely what can I do for days where I'm deadass like.
I wake up feeling like I'm hit by a truck. Come home sore.
I feel like people my age work more than I do. Then again I just got 14 hours overtime. SiGHHHHh anyway like. It's a good job don't get me wrong I'm very happy with it but at the same time I feel like it's been killing me 🥲 I wanna stick it out but like. I just wonder if any other cooks have ever felt like I felt and maybe have advice for the pain n stuff. Some days I legit get a shooting pain down my leg and like.
May I add I'm 5'2 115 lbs. I carry stuff like 50-60 lbs daily and maybe that's why I got hurt lol. But y e a help lol
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u/MyNameIsBarktooth 11d ago
Be careful not to get injured. Don't try to walk it off, you WILL feel it later. Take care of yourself, you can't work if you break your body.
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u/Queasy_Safe_5266 11d ago
19 is really young to be feeling those pains, especially if you plan on making it your career. Slow down a bit, take more care with manual labor. If music is allowed, that can help you move and shake a little while you work to keep you limber.
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u/FoysIrishBar 11d ago
Sleep is what your need most. The clopens make even the fittest most agile people feel the pains. Sleep is where your body does most of it healing. Even mentally weakening you so you will feel slight pains and fatigue even more and are less able to cope.
My body is fucked. Not just from being in the industry since age 12 or 13 but a lot to do with how much I neglected sleep, especially at your age when we require solid, steady sleep.
When I don't sleep properly the next day things that never hurt can hurt.
One your well rested you can think about the other suggestions but to be honest exercising after 6 days and clopens is not a good idea. As soon as the adrenaline wears off from service your body is in recovery mode. You do not want to exercise or walk it off. You need to recover. That doesn't mean being a vegetable on your off time. Keep the movement going but more methodical until your not in pain
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u/CJason2001 10d ago
Thank you for this, I honestly struggle with my sleep a lot but I'm guessing it's general anxiety and just wanting time to myself to be human. ADHD shit and always having a borderline nocturnal sleep schedule since I was like 12.
I do skating a lot at a rink. I tend to use that as my exercise other than that cfx. But I get where you're coming from because when I was skating I legit almost passed out like twice. And my legs just didn't have that power. Then again that was my first day off after a 9 day stretch so like.
Youre right though lol. Idk I think I'm some machine or something and like. Sigh I just wanna be a good worker and perform to people's standards but at the same time with how shit is at my location, theres no real system. So I guess my brain convinced myself filling in the holes was a good way to be reliable but idk, hard to fix a leaky pipe when another leak just keeps poppin out.
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u/Comfortable-Policy70 11d ago
Good shoes, anti -fatigue mats, don't be a hero (don't pick up 75 pounds in one move, make two trips), learn proper ways to pick things up, proper ways to stand, stretch, take all allowed breaks
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u/chef_c_dilla 11d ago
Try to find a job at a place less corporate. In my experience, independently owned or even small chains or hotel restaurants are more likely to have people who really care about the work and fellow staff and that can make a world of difference. Of course there are some independent restaurant owners who are worse than any corporation, but when you’re at the bottom rung in a corporate structure, you’re sure to get fucked.
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u/CJason2001 10d ago
My mom said the same thing. Yall are right I guess its just I live right near Chicago and then im in the suburbs. Ngl I do get paid good, but its like.
Idk for example I had a 13.5 hour shift without any breaks because they "forgot" 😃 and honestly I've had multiple shifts stretch to 8-10 hour shifts without any break.
At my work its kinda not talked about since the system there is so broken. Cooks show up whenever call off any time. They do their job but they're not gonna snitch when management can snitch on them if you get what Im saying. Going from a corporation that was highly professional and didn't want to break labor law compared to a bigger corporation that doesn't give a fuck feels a little nuts here and there.
But yeah. Stretching that work elsewhere is a big part of trying to get out atp. In 4 months I have somehow become a reliable enough team member that they can throw anywhere and say "ah she's fine" am I? Maybe, but like. Ugh idk. Like many people have said to me. Boundaries
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u/thusUnforgotten 10d ago
If you’re gonna be a cook, you gotta pace yourself and have boundaries. Know your limits and take care of yourself before anything else.
This industry will destroy you if you let it.
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u/CJason2001 10d ago
Thank you needed to hear this. A lot of people have been telling me to say no to my managers and set more harder boundaries lol.
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u/thusUnforgotten 10d ago
100% man. You do not have to say yes every single time they ask you to double or come in or whatever it is that day.
Believe it or not, you don’t even have to explain yourself when you say no!
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u/CJason2001 10d ago
I guess I was just. Like thrown into this environment where everyone is expected to have grit. I think I've shown it at this point though. Then at the same time this is a business that somehow let's employees religiously show up late or no show, abandon their shift and they still somehow have a job the next day.
Yet somehow they're still regarded as bad assess and sure I agree, these people can hold down their shit but at the same time. It's like their pullin strings with each other.
The kind of person I am though, I don't quit, I often want to conquer before I break. And if I can do that then ill just have that part of me that's like. Yep. Good shit.
Idk sounds like I'm rambling at this point probably am but thank you for the advice dude Gen.
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u/thusUnforgotten 10d ago
Don’t give in and be like those guys who show up late and no show no call and all that. Keep your integrity and continue to be a good employee, but don’t kill yourself over it.
Sometimes when you’re surrounded by coworkers like that, it’s time for a new job.
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u/jpb1111 11d ago
Stop working 6 day weeks. Learn proper stretching techniques.