It's normal to be sick of work by age 40!?

[Curlewwoohoo]

Judging by most of my friends / colleagues, everyone my age seems to be sick of work! Some women say they got their mojo back in their 50s. Some say they didn't! It's a long slog through to retirement... Or am I just mixing with a bunch of miseries and need to pull my socks up?!

I think good on them for reaching age 40 before getting sick of it. I reckon some of us just hate work in whatever form it takes and have to find the least worst job and least worst coping mechanisms to get through it.

Er yes it's normal to be sick of work as soon as you get your first job, isn't it?

I think it’s not necessarily that you’re mixing with miseries, maybe with people who’ve not found work they enjoy and find meaningful? I think most people I know are very invested in their work, and enjoy it most of the time, but these are all objectively interesting jobs (to me) and/or usually took a lot of training/ perseverance— medicine, counselling, novel writing, architecture, cheesemaking, academia, sculpture, arts admin, forestry, curating, journalism, medical research, publishing.

I think it’s ‘normal’ in the sense that it’s a pretty common sentiment, but I wouldn’t say it always has to be like that. For a lot of people, surely it means they’re in the wrong type of job and they need to proactively seek out something different. Working life shouldn’t be nothing but a slog — if it is, it’s such a waste of human potential and energy.

I appreciate that’s easier said than done though, and millions of people globally have zero options.

I know quite a few people who career changed in their 40s, so I think it's common. Working life is very long these days, doing the same thing for 40+ years is going to get boring. In your 40s you've been working for 20 years but the end isn't really in sight yet.

It's also peak life period for juggling young children, ageing parents and peri which doesn't help.

I am so lucky in that I love my job and really enjoy the work, the people I meet and the skills I get to use. Yes, it can be hard and tiring, but so can marriage, friendship, families etc and I still love those things too.

This made me laugh. My DD has a career that she loves but she is counting down her years to retirement and keeps a very close eye on her growing pension 😂
It’s so difficult today as we’re constantly exposed through SM, TV etc people living these crazy affluent, travelling all the time lives.
Before all this we only really knew what was going on in our little towns and cities. Obviously news etc has always been around but today there’s no escaping it!
It’s no wonder so many (young) people are feeling disenchanted with life.

I retrained at 41 so now work in a totally different sector.

most of the times I love my job but at present I’m quite unmotivated.

Depends really. If you have a crap job and hate it yet… then yeah. I wouldn’t want that for a day let alone for decades!!

But if your job is rewarding in however you define rewarding, then no.

Personally I like my work and always have to a degree.
Some days it’s tough, but that’s life.
You get out what you put in imo.

I changed careers in my 40s so that helped refresh my attitude to work. Most people I know like their jobs though, even if they're exhausting. Maybe it depends on the industry?

I'm 51 and counting the months till retirement, I think partly because it feels closer and within reach. Also I feel done with being told what to do all the time, I'm desperate for the freedom to decide what to do each day. I wasn't like this at 40 though.

Maybe you are mixing with a negative crowd that are reinforcing the narrative that work is awful.
Is there anything you have an interest in that could become a career.
I'm v lucky in that I made my hobby my career so when I get fed up I know it's time to work in a new location.
It's a real shame to spend so much time wishing you were elsewhere.

I think in my team we are reinforcing each other. I've been in the same team doing the same work 16yrs. It's a good job, it is interesting, worthwhile, but we're all quite fed up! I've got an interview tomorrow for a sideways move and I'm really hoping it's enough of a change to perk me back up. I used to be so dedicated!

On my part, I've been working for almost 25 years at the point of turning 40, mostly in very similar roles and all aspects of life have been more challenging in the past few years. I defy anyone not to be a bit sick of it.

At one point recently I even had a little fantasy of being a housewife.

I think the naivety passes and you realise how much bs surrounds everything. The leaders are also in their 40s and I’ve “grown up” with them. Some I think are great but others I’m far more “wtf” how did they get that job?!

I’ve also been through 4 consultations and had to interview for my own role after doing it for 8 years. I’ve learned hard work and dedication mean fuck all. I worked all hours through the pandemic, putting my family second only to have to reapply for my own job in 2023. I now put my family first and work 9-5. I work hard but only in my set hours.

I think that's insightful when you say your team is reinforcing a negative culture. I wouldn't want to work somewhere with toxic positivity, but it's possible to project a positive vibe - don't moan, be gently cheerful in meetings, give positive feedback even for minor things where it has made a difference, don't talk about other people behind their backs.

Alongside that... I retrained starting at 39 and it was a great decision! Good luck for your interview.

Months? You've still officially got 16 years! Are you retiring early?

Yeah hoping to....I put every pen I can in my pension, hoping to go in 4 years.

I’m 51, had my first Saturday job when I was 13. I enjoy my job (not the same one I had when I was 13!) but over the last month I’ve been losing motivation. I think it’s because DP is off work long term sick so I see him being at home all day and I want to be home too, instead of being at work.

I can't wait to retire, I'm in my fifties and hope to retire early, around 60 to 62. I felt ok about work until my mid forties, and even though I have a job I like, I am sick of getting up for work Monday to Friday. I want the freedom to do whatever I want with my husband.

I don't think so. I'm in my 40s and absolutely love my job. I'm constantly looking for new development areas and want to continue climbing the corporate ladder. I've always loved working.

I’m in my fifties and I love doing what I’be been trained to do and could keep doing until I lose my faculties. I’m a health professional in the NHS and feel I’m at the peak of my clinical experience having worked in my area of expertise for 30+ years.

However, 60% of my workload is not clinical and not what I was trained to do and has been just foisted on me so now I’m fed up and looking to retire. I spend a lot of my time doing basic admin, management, dealing with bureaucracy, IT issues, supply problems, safeguarding, persuading patients to attend appointments, finding a suitable space to work at due to hot desking so much do that I’m frankly worn out.

I still enjoy the clinical parts of my job but patients are also getting more and more medically complex and we just don’t have enough time and resources to treat them satisfactorily as we’ve been lumbered with all the other jobs as well.

Yes.
Wait until you're 57!

If work was fun they wouldn't pay you for it.

What's changed over the past 15 years is that now they don't pay you very much for it. Sucks tbh.

Completely demotivated due to several colleagues who are off sick more than they are at work and I'm picking up their slack. If you're ill fair enough but my employer doesn't seem keen on implementing capability processes. One person manages half a day in work on average a week , then off sick for the rest of it, I just don't understand it. I had cancer and dragged myself in to work 3 weeks after surgery. It has made me wonder why I bother working so hard carrying their arses.