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?

This is me. After burnout (during early covid days), I’ve lost all motivation, work ethic and ambition.

I’ve been left with dysthmia that I can’t seem to shake and I don’t even get particularly interested or excited by fun, non-work things.

I’d love to be me 5 years ago again. My workload was hectic and it’s definitely not healthy but I was in it and thriving.

I am in a very well paid, fully flexible WFH job and I don’t enjoy it. It’s meaningless, it’s bullshit and could be done in 20 hours per week or less. But it requires numerous meetings and frequent confrontation so that we can all pretend we’re doing something important. Soul destroying.

This is exactly how I feel too.

The grass isn't always greener.
I was retired on ill health grounds in my 30's, life not working/on benefits isn't great either.
I loved my job, I made a difference but unfortunately couldn't carry on. I wasn't well paid, it was hard work physically and mentally but it was a positive job, gave me a purpose away from dc and a home.
When you are at a different lifestage to your peers they don't understand, it becomes lonely, people don't understand. Working is hard, but not working is not easy either.

Working helping people was the difference for me. Being a support worker out and about is amazing.
I couldn't work in an office.
I love my job, never get the dread.

And this is the thing - most low stress jobs are also low pay, and wouldn't be enough to pay the mortgage or raise a family.
My best friend retrained as a gardener and loves it, only works a few days a week - but her partner owns his own house and pays all the bills. So she is financially supported to work in that way.

I get it OP, I'm never going to be someone who loves work, and don't seem to have enough talent to start my own business. I will probably retrain in a few years when I have saved enough, but for now I just have to deal with corporate nonsense.

Like a previous poster has said: even though the job is ok, the people are nice, the money is good - it's the expectation that I have to be there everyday, and work to someone else schedule, and account for what I'm doing. It's exhausting, and I just want to tell everyone to fuck off and leave me alone.

@Plentiful You have cool friends! 😀

Yes! There are so many things I find more fulfilling… I went freelance a few years ago which suits me much better (and I make more than I did working in an office so can work much less) but it is still incredibly hard to stay motivated. I would love to just spend all day every day being creative, learning new crafts, going for walks, doing yoga, and cooking… I don’t think I’m really cut out for modern life!

Yes. 100%.
I'm so disengaged. I do nothing. Just stare at my screen all day. Mumsnet. Life admin.
They will have to sack me soon.
I convinced myself it was because of the menopause.
It's not.
I just hate work. So much. I could cry I hate it so much.
The thought of doing this for the next 25 years makes me want to die.
And actually I have a relatively stress free, well paid job with nice colleagues and no overtime.
I should be grateful. But I hate work so so much.

Yes thanks to ADHD. I am all or nothing with work.. I am obsessed at first, completely invested, taking on alsorts of training and extra hours then I completely dwindle. Same with hobbies too.

Yep!

I've always been good at my jobs and I work hard because that's just the way I'm wired.

But I hate it - all jobs - could be anything.

Just as you say, the artificial lights, the desk, the discomfort, the time restrictions, the 'lunch break', I feel like a caged animal.

The commute, the politics, the emails. The anxiety about being late.

I'm a stay at home mum now, still have two very young children so it's much harder than any of my jobs have been at this stage, but it's such a relief to just be on my own time and in my own space.

I absolutely agree whish is why I work for myself now from home. On my own terms, with my own rules and my own hours.
I work extremely hard but it is worth it. I hated every other single job I was in.

I like the people in my job, but I'm definitely not passionate. I don't like getting up in the morning as I'm not a morning person and if I won the Euromillions you wouldn't see me for dust.

I'm also almost always expected to be in the office because it's the "culture" and while I like the people I'd work with id much rather have a hybrid split of 2 days office, 3 WFH. I find I get way more done at home and am more productive. I don't want to listen to people drone on about their diets and weight loss!

If I WFH I lose the half hour spent commuting each way, which is usually encountering at least one set of roadworks and sitting in traffic. At home I can roll out of bed, put my nice comfy joggers on etc.

It's way better than my old job, but I won't be found working over the weekend etc

Me too. I went self employed in the end which solved everything. Is that an option for you.

The problem I really had with work is this

When i go for a job it's because I want to do that job. However, I always find that i'm only doing that job for a third of the time. Another third of my time is spent getting stuipid figures and stats for my boss and another third of my time is chasing other people who i need stuff from and haven't done their job.

I just want to do my job. thats it. And now I do.

This post resonates with me so much. I'm mid thirties and hate work. Any work. I'm also not self motivated enough to do anything else.

I loved studying. At one point I worked FT and was doing a FT under grad. I loved it! I really loved my job too. I don't know where it went wrong.

I do quite like the office though. I am a morning person when I'm happy. I like chatting to everyone, I like dressing in office wear. I especially like the heating and aircon!

The workplace has changed dramatically this last 15 years.

I feel exactly the same. I get so annoyed when people say ‘you just haven’t found the right job’. I’m mid 30s and I’ve tried about 10 of them😂

Different roles, levels of responsibility, industries etc. I might enjoy some elements of the job, find things interesting and really get stuck in, but ultimately my body and mind just wants to quit with no notice. I can fill my free time with gardening, DIY, all sorts. It’s not laziness, I very rarely have a day off where I’m sat on my arse doing nothing.

My current job is 4 on 4 off. I loathe actual job, it can be soul destroying, the money is okay but the shifts are worth it. I get so much time off, I work half the year but get a full time wage. I only need to use 4 days AL to get nearly 2 weeks off. My leave entitlement means I can have 12 days off every 7 weeks or so, if I was to spread it out evenly.

I honestly don’t think I could ever go back to working standard 5 days a week(unless someone is willing to pay a lot of money for cat companion maybe). If I ever leave this job, I’ll be looking at max 3 days a week.

So who would you expect to pay your bills whilst you sit around at home doing your thing?

This strikes me as bizarre, honestly. And I too come from a working class background where many family members do very tough jobs that they haven't necessarily had much agency in choosing.

But none of those things mean people who have more options but still have to work for their living would somehow find fulfilment in the system we happen to have designed. There's no innate connection between the two. For some people it's always going to be the fact of having to do something that makes it difficult.

Haven't read the whole thread as I am supposed to be working (it's my tea break!) but yes, I feel exactly like you describe in your OP and have done for the last 20 years of working full time. If I was wealthy I would never work again.

I feel you OP. I’m well educated and I’ve just had a second interview for a great job (also very well paid) but know I’ll hate, hate, hate it in the end. I hate everything about work, so much so I would be here all day giving the reasons why.

I felt the same at secondary school, boxed in, controlled, caged. I don’t care if that sounds dramatic or makes me a snowflake. I gathered if I have to do this fucking shit for the next 30 years I’m gonna make sure I’m paid well for it.

Oh and I’ve retrained into different sectors. Still hated them all.

I've never enjoyed working. Just hate the politics of it, poor efficiency and not being able to decide how to spend my time.

I made enough money dabbling with stocks when I was younger to quit work. I don't tell anyone about this. Then started a hobby business to make use of my tax allowance and for an answer to the question "What do you do?". But I spend very little time on it, and most of my week is spent doing what I want, when I want.

Exactly this.

I realise I'm intensely privileged - I have a decently-paid job (not a high earner by any means!) mostly WFH with mostly nice people, doing something that actually makes a difference to the world. But I'd pack it all in tomorrow if I could.

I've literally just texted DH to say 'I hate working for a living'. I'd love to be a gardener. But I'd earn sweet FA and I also like paying my mortgage and going on holiday once a year so...

My favourite job was working in a bookshop. I absolutely loved that.

Loathed every job I’ve ever had from the age of 17 and I’ve worked at some well-known places; high profile (not me, the organisation). I found the worst thing was having to navigate all the different (arsehole) personalities. Never wanted to be at work. Glad I’m not now