Working seven straight 12 hour days in the oil and gas industry is not just a schedule. It is a lifestyle that reaches into every part of your life whether you realize it or not. Most people on the outside will never understand what this kind of work really demands or why we keep doing it. They see the paycheck, the days off between hitches, the tough attitude. What they do not see is the physical exhaustion, the mental strain, the family sacrifices, and the quiet battles we fight in our own heads just to keep going. This work takes a different breed of person. A person who shows up even when their body hurts, even when their mind is tired, even when missing home feels like a weight on their chest. We do it because we have pride in what we do and because we want to build a life for the people we love.

The truth is we knew what we were signing up for. Nobody goes into this industry blind. We knew we would miss birthdays, holidays, school events, and important moments with our families. We knew we would live in hotel rooms, man camps, or out of our trucks more than our own homes. We knew that the schedule would be unforgiving and that work would not stop just because life did. We accepted that trade because providing for our families matters more than comfort. But even when you understand the sacrifice ahead of time, it still hits hard when you are living it week after week and the days start blending together.

Physically, 7x12s take everything out of you. Your back hurts before you even get out of bed. Your knees pop with every step. Your hands feel like they are still holding a welding stinger or a grinder even when you try to sleep. You wake up tired and you go to bed tired. You live in a cycle of work, shower, sleep, repeat. You rely on caffeine and stubbornness more than energy. Some days you do not even remember driving home because your body operates on muscle memory while your mind shuts down just to survive. It is one thing to work hard. It is another thing to work this hard for this long without a break.

But the physical part is not the hardest part. The mental and emotional weight is heavier. Working 80 hours or more in a week changes your mood and your mindset. Your patience gets shorter. Things that used to roll off your back start to bother you. You feel irritated and you do not always know why. You start to withdraw from people because talking takes energy you do not have. You go numb just to get through the day. Some days you feel angry. Other days you feel nothing at all. You begin to feel disconnected not just from others but from yourself. And because this industry teaches us to tough everything out, most of us keep it inside and push forward like nothing is wrong.

Being away from home makes it even harder. You work long hours to give your family a better life, but at the same time you miss watching that life happen. You miss your kids growing up. You miss your partner going through things without you. You come home and you feel like a visitor in your own house. Your family has a routine without you, and you have to figure out how to fit back in. You love them more than anything, but after being gone so much it can feel awkward trying to reconnect. You feel guilty because they deserve more of you than just a paycheck. That guilt sits heavy even when nobody says a word. You are doing the right thing by providing and yet it still feels like you are losing time you can never get back.

So why do we keep doing it? Because quitting is not in us. Because we take pride in being the people who can handle what others cannot. Because we are providers and leaders and workers who do not fold when it gets hard. Because we want our families to have opportunities we did not have. Because we believe in earning our way. There is honor in this work. There is identity in it. There is brotherhood on the job site that outsiders do not understand. We build, we fix, we solve, we get things done. That is who we are. But being strong does not mean pretending the toll is not real. Strength also means knowing when something needs to change so we can keep going without losing ourselves along the way.

One of the hardest parts of this schedule is that nobody trains you on how to handle the mental side. You learn by burning out. You learn by snapping at someone you care about. You learn by realizing you have been angry or numb for weeks. You learn when you wake up and feel like a stranger in your own life. And if nobody talks about it, you start to think you are the only one feeling it. The truth is a lot of us are carrying the same weight. The industry as a whole has some of the highest rates of burnout, depression, addiction, divorce, and even suicide. Not because we are weak, but because we are pushed past our limits without the tools to process it. It does not have to be that way.

There are healthier ways to prepare for 7x12s. Getting real sleep before the run helps more than people realize. Fueling your body with real food instead of surviving on energy drinks and junk can make a big difference in how you feel by day five or six. Talking with your family before you leave and being honest about the schedule helps everyone mentally prepare. Setting simple routines during the hitch gives you a sense of control. Listening to music, podcasts, prayer, journaling, or even having a five minute conversation with a coworker can clear your head more than you think. Protecting your mindset is just as important as protecting your body.

Taking care of yourself does not make you soft. It keeps you in the game longer. It helps you stay patient instead of snapping. It helps you stay connected to the people you love. It helps you come home as the person your family needs, not just the provider who signs the check. And when the run is over, recovery matters just as much as preparation. Rest before you jump into house projects or social plans. Ease back into family life instead of forcing it. Allow yourself to find a rhythm again, because switching from work mode to home mode takes time. You cannot live at 100 miles per hour and then instantly slow down. Give yourself grace. You have earned it.

We do this work because we are built for it. But being built for it does not mean doing it alone. Looking out for each other matters. Talking to someone when it gets heavy matters. Admitting you are tired or struggling does not make you weak. It makes you human. And being human is not a flaw. It is what allows us to care about the reason we are working so hard in the first place.

To every person out there working 7x12s, sacrificing sleep, comfort, and time at home to provide a better life for your family, we see you and we respect you. This life is not easy. It takes strength most people will never understand. But you are not alone in it. We are in this industry too. We have felt the same exhaustion, the same pressure, the same pride, and the same pain. We build tools for this life because we live this life. We believe the people doing the hardest work deserve the most respect. Keep taking care of your family, but also take care of yourself. You cannot pour from an empty cup. You matter. Your mental health matters. Your family needs you healthy as much as they need you hardworking. You have already proven you are strong. Now prove you are smart enough to last.

Respect.

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