feel a bit lost in life

[bookswithlove]

hi all, I just need some words of encouragement and advice as I am not very close to my own family and struggle to talk

i’m in my early 20’s and I just feel so lost right now. i live alone which is nice, but im in a skilled office job that i don’t particularly like and am just so depleted right now. i went through a significant break up of a 5 year relationship last year and subsequently just naturally lost a lot of friends from that. i do have friends, but they’ve all started to move away from our hometown now and it’s just slowly becoming me. i feel so lost and gutted to be honest. i don’t have a degree, but I’m meant to be starting uni online this year which will take 4 years . i would love to teach abroad but need my degree for that so just kind of in limbo till then.

everyday is just a repeat of the last and i feel so dissociated and empty and like nobody really is bothered about me. I haven’t spoken to anyone today which probably hasn’t helped. i need to quit my job. I would love to go freelance but im scared to take the leap with rent and stuff, I do have savings just need to think about it. I want to make a big life change and leave and move but i just feel agh.

bit of a ramble, but any words of advice would really help

What kind of life do you actually want? When you think about a satisfying life, what does it look like?

being able to travel and not be tied down. working with kids and just being happy

I'm so sorry it feels tough.

I agree with @LinnetsWing think about the kind of life you do want.

Focus on what will make your life better and pursue that.

Good luck.

So...perhaps get a child focused qualification and travel and try and get work at english schools/au pair/nannying?
I think most childcare places would require a level 3 qualification which depending on the college, could be done in 1 year?
You could then sign up with an agency?

But you’re not tied down now, and it doesn’t seem to be making you happy? You’re not travelling yet, but you’re starting a degree which will allow you todo the kind of work you want, eventually? What kind of teaching abroad — TEFL? In English-language schools? Do you have particular countries in mind, or do you want short-term gigs and to keep moving on? I think the more you focus on exactly what you want, the more capable you will be of feeling as if you’re making progress towards it.

What about nanny work? You could travel and spend time with children, and then in later life look at a degree.

I think it's about identifying one small step you can take now and doing that, rather than trying to change everything at once. e.g. apply for a new job, or something like that. small steps added together make big change.

I know im not but i just feel like i am trapped 😞 it sounds silly but i just have been very overwhelmed with everything. I went solo travelling about a year ago for 3 months when I still lived with family and would love to go into TEFL. I would like to teach in Vietnam, and then South America potentially at some point.

There is the option of au-pair, but then is that not a step backwards from living on my own/going to get degree?i think I’d have to end up pushing my degree till next year as I’d be leaving the UK and student finance wouldn’t want to fund if I did that. everything feels like it’s trapping me in that im just stuck for the next 4 years 😔 I know im being daft, I just feel like this is all my life will ever be now

If you need to fund the degree you're in the best place NOW. Nothing is permanent in life and eventually when you have the degree it may give you opportunities to teach and travel or will it? Perhaps a reality check is needed. No pain, no gain as the saying goes.