If you're in your mid or late fifties and still working full time, how do you feel?

[IamRoyFuckingKent]

Because I'm knackered! Is everyone else? And do you feel old at work? Or are you surrounded by a lot of people your age?

I have been working FT OTH for a long time it feels and I'm starting to feel old at work. If you don't, why not?

I'm 60 and work full time plus have sole care of a 15yo so still doing school run, homework etc.

I'm ok, so far. I intend to work another two years until ds is at uni, then go part time. I'm looking forward to it.

Employees where I work go from 31 - 65. I'm at the older end but no-one takes much notice of that. My 31yo direct report had to take some time out yesterday after hurting his back at the gym. I took on his work for the afternoon.

I'm 53 and a single Mum to DS9 - I work 30 hours a week and I'm tired! I've been working since 1987 and only went down to part time hours when my son was born.

I'd like to reduce my hours at 60 and then see how I get on. Perimenopause doesn't help and I also have an elderly parent to keep an eye on. He's a joy though so I am not complaining!

I enjoy my job and my team are great but I am so over the corporate crap and internal politics.

I woke up aged 56 and realised I couldn't do it any more. It was mental rather than physical, could no longer tolerate the politics. Best decision I've ever made.

Actually my more dynamic friends all do exercise. Walking/jogging/gym.

I’m 57, everyone in my office is my age or older. The oldest person is 72. Honestly it never even occurs to me that I should be thinking about retirement.

I’m 57 and a nurse in the NHS (crit care). On my feet 12.5 hours a day, physically and mentally hard, rotating onto nights and days. I got long Covid so took flexi retirement last year and cut my hours fairly drastically. I sadly have to work as my pension isn’t that good on its own. God knows what I’ll do when I hit my 60s.

Most of us were gobsmacked the other day when it was announced the pension age might increase to 71. No way can ward based nurses work to that age on the frontline. Office jobs maybe and I guess senior nurses who aren’t doing the very physical elements of the job too.
Not going to deny that I envy office based people and actually wish I’d stayed in my former civil service job 30 plus years back knowing the physical issues I’ve developed because of the toll of a nursing career.

I'm 60 and mainly WFH, although sometimes have to travel internationally to meetings. Love my job and not planning to slow down any time soon, but I have total autonomy over it (self-employed) so that has a lot to do with the job satisfaction. Some creaky joints and a rather bad back (due to have some steroid injections in some facet joints soon) but not slowing down work in any way, no. (Also have a teenage son, which is much more tiring!)

Definitely this !

As long as I run twice a week and do some yoga, I'm fine. I only struggle and feel tired if I've been less active for a while.

I’m 60, the line manager is 60, the office irritant is 60. The other 3 in the room are: best colleague ever 40 something, witty dog owner 50 and her comedic foil mid 50s. The only time I feel old is when the irritant reminds me I’m the oldest (only by a few weeks). The office next door is full of 20 and 30 somethings. I’m not sure I’d want to be on their team but that ultimately has more to do with the boringness of their basic tasks. The balance seems right, even the irritant has his strong points - good at spreadsheets and GDPR compliance reminders

There’s a sitcom in there somewhere.

Im 55 this year, worked 30 hrs from 40-53 (single parent to 3), last 6 months I've worked ft and since Christmas dropped to 3 days a week with my 2 days off doing my own SE work at home.

I was feeling tired and trapped working ft but now happy with the balance. I get to do what I love on my 2 days off work and still have a steady albeit small income for my 3 days working at my job.

I expect I'll work until 67 but possibly not at my current job. Intend to keep doing the SE stuff for much longer than retirement age to supplement my state pension.

Yep this is me. I exercise and I'm fit and well. But my bullshit tolerance is zero and I find myself wanting to tell everyone to fuck off every single day.

Mid-50s, WFH sometimes full-time, sometimes part-time, and feel absolutely fine. I do however work out every day, eat very healthily and I relocated to Mallorca a while back and I find the pretty much constant sun really helps! England was really getting me down.

Actually not too bad.
im mid 50’s and still perimeno so have those symptoms to deal with.

What helped was side stepping my physically, mentally exhausting job to a much less demanding and stressful role.
So much better now. WFH for the most part, good amount of travel but all very fun if I’m honest.

I got voluntary redundancy from a fairly stressful banking job at 56. I had horrible menopausal anxiety and just felt that I couldn't do the job any more.
I've been doing NHS admin on bank ever since. Usually three days a week but currently full time as we're short.
I got my bank pension at 60 and the NHS supplements it. Two days a week would be perfect, I think. Not quite ready to give up work altogether. I'm 62 now.

58, working full-time and feel past it. Not really tiredness, just so fed up of working. I just can't be bothered with it all. I will be working until 67 though, do not have the choice. I have tried to get a job that might inspire me more but anything that fits the bill gets masses of applicants and I do not even get shortlisted.

I’m 56 and do a 40 hour week in my day job which is wfh then I do 6 hours volunteering at my fun job. I’m also studying for a professional qualification and attempting to learn a new language. DS is away at Uni though so I only have to look after myself. Not sure if I could do it all if I had children still at home.

56, knackered. I work a 45 hour week most weeks and am doing a PhD on top of work. Single parent to a teen. I’ve got to the stage where I absolutely need a day at home doing nothing, well half a day thinking/writing but I love that.

I say no to anything I don’t want to do these days, have to be really up for it. In the winter I literally go to work and home apart from one yoga class during the week. Might do another one or go for a walk on Saturday. I play 9 holes of golf a couple of times a week from April/October on top of Yoga, that’s all.

Sunday is spent at home, doing not a lot other than cooking, PhD ing, laundry, reading the paper, resting.

Oh god I am with some of you. I really want to tell people to fuck off nearly every day. The annoying male colleague who talks bullshit, achieves little, but the management seem to love. The stupid pointless meetings and team days. Just so much crap. I have no patience for it all, but have to sit and smile when really I just want to stand up and say fuck all of this and walk out.

Got my age wrong 😂. To answer the bit I missed, I’m board level at work, the youngest other board member is 49, so that’s not an issue.

I'm 59 have worked since 1982 and will have to go on until I'm 67 . I've noticed a huge drop in my energy in the last couple of years . I'm fit I run have two dogs and walk everywhere but I'm flagging.

I'm 58 going on 59. The team are a mix of ages from 20s to 50s.

I've condensed my hours doing 5 days over 4 so I get 1 day off a week.

Quite a few of my friends are retired, even younger than me but I don't feel ready. The final push will probably be when my DM needs me more.

The trick for me is being in a basic admin role with no stress. I was burnt out in my early 40s in my 'career' job.

DH is nearly 4 years younger than me and may well retire sooner - stressful career job again!

This is so interesting. I’m 55, FT and love my job. I’m one of the oldest in a very young company. I don’t think a lot of people realise my age. I exercise every day which wakes me up . I work 10-12 hr days but it’s not a physical job, so I think it’s fine. I do worry about losing my job due to my age though.

Well I’m 63 today and working v full time as a secondary teacher in an independent school and mostly love it. Bring around young people v does x keep you feeling younger and brain active. I have c more enthusiasm and energy than when I was 20 years younger and working in business. My job really keeps c me sane -have serious stress with dying parent and toxic ex making divorce settlement process as stressful
and expensive as he can do it actually a relief to go work on a job where every day is different and you have to be agile and adaptive. Will happily carry on till state retirement -67/68?? (haven’t bothered to check) and maybe beyond