Anyone else done with work but to young to retire?!

[tinyangel]

Simply, by brain and body do not want to go to work anymore. They want to flit about the house, do the school runs and not concentrate on the things they should do.

I work a mix of remote and in the office, part-time, but have worked solidly for the last 32 years (older mum 😉) and feel that my brain has just stopped wanting to do work stuff. Zero interest. I've looked at alternative roles in my industry and also looked at a complete change of career but my corporate oomph has gone.

Could be the menopause, could be post covid but I am never normally affected mentally by issues.... anyone else?

Me.
I've got totally stuck in a non-job that does not fulfil me but am relatively well paid so would be madness to leave. But gosh I am bored.
I'm holding out for redundancy and then I'll skip off into the sunset.
I'd have to do something else so currently doing a few lifestyle courses such as yoga.

Me - I could have written your post. I’m completely and utterly done with work and die a little bit inside with every new piece of work that lands on my desk. I lead a dept so really have to force myself to pretend I care. I work full time, some days in the office and others at home, but dream of the other things I could be doing with my time. The thing is my job is actually really interesting and varied, it’s all me.

Yep. I'm 33.

Another 30+ years to go.

Its a part of the menopause to feel like you've had enough. I'm 60 and totally burnt out but I have another 7 years to go.
I've started doing loads of exercise, I find it helps.

Me. My job is interesting too. I just can’t be arsed anymore. There’s nowhere I fancy progressing to and I don’t want the effort of a new challenge. I’d like to just live a simple life looking after my house, my kids and myself, doing a few hobbies, maybe a bit of volunteering for something worthy. Can’t afford to though.
It could be perimenopause or I might just be knackered.

Yes, me. I have zero interest and in fact have become v cynical about it all. I have a very flexible job, mainly WFH that is relatively well paid, so I also have zero desire to look for something else. I think I'd be equally fed up with it all anywhere. I really just don't care about it at all. Like @SirChenjins I manage a dept and it is becoming increasingly hard to fake enthusiasm.

Me. That's why I'm packing up and moving to France.

I'm 47 and currently hate my job. I'm not well paid and it's difficult and draining and I deal with not nice stuff. I'm genuinely asking myself if I could work in a cafe and not die of boredom. I'm a musician in my spare time and that's all I want to do. It's harder and harder to tolerate shit without walking out.

There’s been a lot of these posts lately. I feel the same. No interest in my job, but struggle to get excited about any of the possible career change options either. Generally not much oomph for anything.

I wonder if there’s a bit of collective post covid burnout. We all went into crisis coping mode for covid and now we’re back to “normal” we’re looking around and thinking jeez, is this it? Plus we’re just knackered from the covid years and ready for a rest.

I could be projecting of course!!

same here! I have a good job, great hours, no-one's on my case and pretty autonomous... but I'm STILL not happy!!

Wow! 😃 that's brilliant! well done for making that change! You are a strong lady!

Me, I am early 50s menopausal and have had enough of working. Up until lockdown I had a really busy job, in the office full time, 10 hour days and I really enjoyed the buzz. From lockdown I have worked from home. Now most of the team are back in the office and my role has changed with my team being completely remote, with a team leader who is remote both in location and personality/availability.
Where once I was a really good team player giving 100% all the time I am now completely unmotivated, distracted and bored. I also have no desire to look for another job as I am not sure I have the energy or appetite to start again. I am trying to reduce my working days, just so I don’t have to appear to be working.
On the plus side the pay is good and the lack of management means I get away with doing not much as long as I am here when needed.
I am planning my retirement before 60.

thanks - I really don't do much other than walking to and from school and cycling with the kids so I should do something more for me I guess!

Yup. I am about to cease working my high powered job, to instead do a 9-5 near to home. I’m not interested in the latest ‘initiative’, developing ‘forward thinking Workshops’ or other such guff. I frankly do not care if my clients don’t implement new processes - they don’t follow the current ones so why would anything change in practice. I don’t want to own a large, professional service company so there’s nowhere to advance to. And I’m just ‘over it’.

I want to spend as much time as possible in my garden, volunteering, baking, reading, mending things and raising my children. I’m plan to learn an instrument and take carpentry courses.

Yep me - am 52, most definitely menopausal, mid senior professional well paid role that I just cannot be arsed with any more. Zero enthusiasm for anything, and counting down the days to retirement which is at least 8 years away.

Totally with you. I just have no desire to go to work and I find it impossible to concentrate. I feel like it's a distraction from being at home and doing the things you describe. And I'm only 44

I think I'm peri menopausal possibly. And working from home sometime makes me feel like I'm trapped!

<raises hand>

I'm an ungrateful arse, I have a secure job that I could do in my sleep, well paid, WFH etc but I'm just fed up.

I keep thinking I should quit and start my own business, but then I remember I'm completely talentless and hate asking people for money

I think with so many years in the workplace and bringing up kids it’s no surprise you feel the way you do, op! I’ve been working full-time for just 17 years, no children and feel utterly sick of the grind. I’m obsessed with retiring by 60 but it’s far too early to know if that’s realistic or not.

oh I am almost in tears (so clearly peri-menopausal) to hear your stories - sad that you're all feeling the same but happy tears too that I'm not alone! (selfishly 😏)

I keep thinking I should quit and start my own business, but then I remember I'm completely talentless and hate asking people for money

This is me, with a generous side serving of my key work motivator being disciplined for not doing any work. Remove that...

How old are you that would be relevant. Is your pension fully paid up

Yep, am 44 and basically done. Am also in a job that requires long hours and am utterly unmotivated. The strange thing is that my colleagues all love it and they will carry on doing it till retirement if not beyond. I work in a university and should probably be spending all my time trying to become a full professor but honestly just cant be bothered. It's not that i have great hobbies or passions, I just cant be bothered to keep on doing the same thing that I've been doing for years and years

I'm 49 so got a way to go yet, and yes, all paid and up to date 😊

How many years have you done? I worked full-time in various jobs for exactly 18 years from age 18 and was so done. I was actually in a job I enjoyed for the first time and was very happy there but realised I just could not cope any longer. I feel full-time work steals your life. It's always hanging over your head, I never felt free, I always felt like even on my two days off it was always Monday is coming, and Sunday was just a depression dealing with that. I was too tired to do much on weekends and all I wanted to do was sit in the house and rest.

I felt I wasn't really living. I also got a lot of satisfaction from my career as it was public and third sector and I was never a corporate bod so felt really valued and like what I was doing was worthwhile, but still I could not abide it.

So I went remote. Now I knew when I began work that I never ever wanted to be locked into it and I had faith something would happen, maybe I'd win the lottery or find a job I liked and then I could resign myself to working to retirement, but until then I refused to get a mortgage or finalise anything because that locks you into working and ties your home security into working.

I did find the job of my dreams but still I hated going there. So I quit, but not before I organised to do the work I enjoyed freelance. I worked out I could survive on that money and afford to go down in income. Even if I didn't pay my rent for a while I would always be able to scrape it back together.

And given my varied work background I had stacked skills which I now use for business consulting and many and varied freelance projects. Some months I make a nice big wad, others I make very little, but even in those months I don't have much I'm still grateful every single day for the fact I don't have to answer to anyone and my day's are my own.

Want to go park today? Great let's go. I will get up at 5am to finish my work and meet my deadlines.

I just despise the idea that every day for 60-odd years is dictated by anyone else. I'm glad I have that experience of living that life but it feels very unnatural and it doesn't feel like 'living' to me.

I'm over 40 and even now, because my background is so varied, the world is my oyster and I could actually do any job I wanted. I can afford and have time to retrain if I want to, and I've dabbled in so many things since going freelance. I am living the dream. I hate employment. hate it hate it hate and so do I reckon 99% of people.

Me! I have well paid professional job in a senior role. And I’m so over it.

I am too holding out for redundancy. If I get it, I’ll drop down to 2 days a week consultancy work.