Anyone else just hate working, no matter what the job is?

[DrSheppard]

I'm in a pretty good job right now - the people are nice enough, the pay is very good, the subject matter is relatively interesting and it's flexible (can mostly work from home). But each and every day I struggle. I've felt like this in every job I have, and I've had a fair few! I dislike the routine of work. I dislike meetings and emails and workshops. I hate going into the office especially - I hate the glaring lights, sitting at a desk all day and the feeling of being boxed in. Even in the best of jobs I've had, this feeling never goes away.

I just don't care about work, frankly. I do what I need to do and always get great performance reviews, but I have zero investment in the outcome of what I do. Every day when I log off I breathe a sigh of relief, but the thought of doing this for the next 30+ years is awful. Sometimes I think about retraining but I really don't know if that'd 'fix' it, since I'm already in a well-paid and comfortable role and I've already dabbled in a fair few types of roles. Does anyone else feel this way?

I get where you're coming from and don't relish logging in on Monday morning either, it's very much easier if you're working in an industry/organisation that is genuinely interesting! The work itself if pretty routine but the people and places I support are interesting so it doesn't really get dull. Easier said than done of course, finding such a sphere, but it can be done. In the past I've been in similar roles but in dull environments populated by middle management bullies and office drones and that was soul-destroying.

But I actually find that if I don't have work to punctuate my day I get very lazy very quickly and do almost nothing...

I think we all have an obligation to work in some form
Why, though?

Because society wouldn't function if people didn't work.

Capitalist society – which we don’t have to have! Not every society functions that way. And even within capitalism, while we need some jobs, sure, many could be dispensed with, really. Furlough vs key workers showed us what a lot of unnecessary busywork many jobs are. They’re there simply to occupy people, to make money for the owners of the means of production, and pay the workers so they can buy the houses that are artificially overpriced and buy the products that no one needs but keep the whole pointless wheel turning.

No society NEEDS copywriters or PRs or senior backend java developers for a “pasta by post” subscription company or social media manager for eco baby Walkmans.

Exactly.
Humans are tribal animals which means we share the load.
Food needs to be brought to the table, we rely on a huge infrastructure in order to live safe healthy lives. We need people to grow our carrots, care for children,make our toothpaste, look after elderly, manufacture antibiotics,

Unless we inherit money or have our financial needs met by someone else then we have a moral obligation to contribute in some way to society.
Mumsnet is very critical of cocklodgers- rightly so.

I used to be happy at work but no more! I've three years more to endure with a controlling rather stupid manager. I've had major surgery this year but no allowances are made for this. Just counting down the days!

I've got 4 years to go before retirement. I can't believe the purpose of my life was to work in quite frankly abusive environments with people I dont like being screwed for every ounce of energy I have under clueless managers.
If I had my time again I'd probably have chosen a completely different life and lived on a boat or something making baskets.

Yes!
Don't give up hope OP.
At 57 I discovered the two most beautiful words in the English language are "voluntary redundancy"!

I have had I a few jobs in my life that I loved- all in scientific research. The pay wasn't great but the work was exciting and rewarding, I would nip into the lab at weekends and evenings for no extra pay to see results or tweak work that was running. I have had some jobs that looked glamourous and paid extremely well, but the pace and travel left me in a constant state of anxiety.
Work colleagues make a huge difference of course.

I'm now 63 and work again full time and \I love it. I am self employed, work from home and make money from a type of activity/hobby that I love doing. My work is fun, calming, I can work whenever I choose. I have great physical health, time for exercise ( daily) and self care.
I have no need to touch my pension pot, it is still growing. I have no plans to give up work, in fact I am excited to watch my business develop, I have lots of projects in the pipeline in the next few years.

I’m well paid, work with people I like and it’s not particularly stressful. I’ve had jobs I found more interesting, but I’ve never in all my 40 years or so of work really genuinely looked forward to work.

in an alternative life I’d have either been a travel writer, something that involved research, or a Victorian adventuress. Ideally I’d have never needed to work and could have had a hobby job where I worked the hours I wanted to. I may yet give it up to do something to do with gardening.

I love what I do (Pilates instructor ),but I do not wish to instruct others anymore. It’s exhausting.

I would rather focus solely on training myself.