To not really want to work anymore?

[caranconnor]

I am 50 and although I have enjoyed working in the past, I would prefer never to work again. I feel I have done enough. It is not an option, I have to work for another 17 years. But anyone else feel like this?

Oh and my pension is not all that! 3 lots of mat leave and part time for 12 years has seen to that! My husband has a plan to retire by 55 as well. Nothing's set in stone but hoping it will all work out!

I’m somewhat older, and still have 3 years to go, before being state pension age. The last couple of years have got harder and I feel so tired ! This is partly due to constantly being very short staffed ( nhs) and juggling elderly parents ( recently died) and a disabled young adult child, and my own health issues. The financial side is a big worry, especially after years of part time work when children were small ( so I won’t get much of an occupational pension)
I actually have 2 part time posts - ( in 2 different hospitals) and I’m tempted to retire from one of them - the one where staff shortages and hassle is almost unbearable! I am so tempted! ( especially after today)
I wonder if dropping down to part time ( say 2 or 3 days a week) might be an answer for some of us older workers who need to earn a living but have paid off mortgages and no longer have fully dependent children ( to support)

Ah yes, the yearly professional development review. I can never be arsed doing these but they are mandatory. And I think what is the point, they are never gonna put me on a higher grade. It's a paper exercise.

Yes. Am 57 in 2 weeks and although I don't mind my job and even enjoy or sometimes, I feel very tired most of the time as I don't sleep as well as I used to. My joints ache and its all a lot of effort for little reward and quite a lot of stress and responsibility. My stamina and memory aren't as good as they used to be and it isn't suiting me to be so sedentary all day. Ten years to go yet.

I’m also quite obsessed with FIRE.

Mid 40’s & actually enjoy my job. However I don’t want to be doing it at 60+. I want the choice of whether and how much to work when I hit 55.

We’re saving as much as we can to get the mortgage paid off. I have a good pension, so will probably keep working full time until 50 and then drop down to part time for as long as I keep enjoying it.

When I was in my early 40s I thought I was more than happy to work until 70. But I had no idea how tired you get with menopause.

I'm 37, I enjoy my job, but if money were no object I would run and never look back.

There are so many interesting things I could do with my time.

Work is a necessity, unfortunately!

I was a SAHM for 17 years and loved it but am loving being at work (admittedly part time- health issues and logistics) and am in my 40s. I enjoy my days off more I think now and less stress re the future (I left school with no qualifications (no help back then for girls with SpLD) and spent years catching up and now in professional role).

I think most people of every age wish they didn't have to work.

I did see my mum and her friend find it harder towards the end of their careers, though.

I'm 44 and feel like this.
Or I just want to work part time anyway. Not working atm but retraining and could do w working a couple of days a week at least.
Best not to contemplate the long slog ahead!

I don’t mind working but sometimes I have a jolt when I realise that a lot of people my age (mid 40s) might be thinking about retirement not being that far in the future. In my head I’m still in my 20s and nowhere near that close to thinking about not working

Im48 and wishing my life away until I can retire. I do the National lottery at least 5 times a week.
I just feel so tired and so sick of all the politics at work. I’m not high up enough to change anything but sick of people coming in and reinventing the wheel

We don’t have an enormous mortgage although big enough and am thinking I might try and see when our deal is up next year dropping the term to 10 years and just getting our heads down and clearing it. At least we’d be mortgage free in our 50s

I really wasn’t coping with working long hours in 2 jobs through the menopause (other health issues too) and was thinking of quitting one of my jobs. I have to say HRT has given me new energy and enthusiasm now and I think I’d miss work (and probably get depressed) if I gave it up.

I'm early 40s and feel like this. It's because I don't feel a good enough mum as I work 3 long days a week so DCs have to get up early for breakfast clubs and picked up by grandparents, but at work I have to play catch-up all the time as expected to do more than PT hours to keep up with work I have not been involved with (no time for breaks or lunch). I feel very stretched and tired, dreading the menopause!

OP if it’s menopause and you’ve not felt this way before, then maybe that’s the thing to check first. I can’t imagine ever choosing work!

Interesting that a pp plays the lottery, I probably stay home enough that I can justify that expense 🤔

I totally agree OP. This is equality apparently; thanks whoever crusaded for that...

Mid 50s here - I recently gave up a job I previously loved and had been in for a long time, due to bullying which I'd endured for a few years.

I'm bloody lucky my DH earns enough for me to do it and I thank my lucky stars every day. Couldn't have done it without him.

I don't do loads, I'm conscious that I'm not earning, so I am careful how I spend, but not being at work is the best thing and just having freedom is bliss.

I left 6 mths ago and haven't missed it at all, not the job, not the (toxic) people, not the routine.

If you can change something, anything that enables you to be at work for less time, then do it, I say.

Life is too short to be working until 75 - or even 67 tbh.

What does a toxic work environment have to do with equality?

Do you feel men are better designed for a toxic work environment?

I'm 40 and work full-time, worry like fuck about my financial future. I pay into a pension but don't have a mortgage, feel like time is passing me by a bit. I worry about what I'd do if I lost my job, worry about retirement, worry when I'll actually get to take my retirement, worry about health. Funnily enough at 35-37 I didn't have these things really playing on my mind. I also query if I was a 40yr old male I'd potentially still 'feel in my prime'? vs 'getting on a bit over the top of that hill now?'. I definately do feel there's maybe a divide between a peak potentially employable man vs a woman. Although I've posted akin to that statement before and got handed my arse. So who knows?

I’ve got 32 years until state retirement age 🤦‍♀️ Plan though is to go part time at 50 (4 days) and then reduce a day a year/18 months and then retire sometime between 55-58. No way am I working until i’m 68.

I'm 40 started work at 16. I've worked hard in low paid jobs ( nursery nursing originally) I'm NHS Now and I work my socks off for a little more but hardly a lot. Begrudge people saying work hard to retire early. Caring professions don't pay well enough for this and I work hard every bloody shift. 13 hour days 14k steps easily and only maybe having two twenty min breaks if lucky as we are so busy! so no one can say we don't work hard. Someone has to do these jobs!

I have an nhs pension it's not massive ( they've changed it it's not as good don't believe the hype) but it's something. I'm aiming for the mortgage to be done in 15 years from purchase so about 53 ish. Earlier if poss. Want that roof safe over our heads

Then save and save more for retirement. I'm thinking of going part time 30 hours as despite being fit and healthy now my body really suffers from the work day. Or maybe even a more sedate job but then of course who will employ a 55 year old?
I also have one eye on now as I believe you should live life and enjoy as of course I may not make retirement my mum died at 61. Or I may have ill health so I travel a little and enjoy time with family and friends, days out, meals etc nothing crazy.

OP, I'm exactly where you are. I used to enjoyed going to work. Yes, it was tiring working FT with young children, but when I got to work, I could emerge myself in my duties, and get some pleasure in what I was doing, glad for a distraction. I enjoyed the social interaction, the mental challenge, the satisfaction of getting praise.

Then the menopause hit and suddenly, I found it harder and harder to do the things I took for granted before. My concentration went down the pan, started to get anxiety attacks at meetings, couldn't bear the noise in the office, and just became overwhelmed with it all. I've changed jobs and things are much better now. I can't fault anything about the job, I do enjoy the role, but it is just too much. The menopause has shattered my sleep, and this in turn means that my mental energy is significantly reduced and minimal concentration leaves me shattered. I struggle to get on with my job, yet any stimulation around me overwhelms me.

Work has become something I just cope with on a day to day basis. It frustrates me so much because I should enjoy it and get satisfaction from it, but except for the first two weeks after a holiday, it is just a case of counting the days until the week-end.

It doesn't help that most of my friends work PT and some not working at all, and they seem to have so much more energy than I do. There is so much I enjoy doing outside of work, that make me feel better, and lead me to better night sleep too, it is very frustrating.

It's life though, so I'll keep going and be grateful of the advantages that come with my work. Hopefully I'll be able to drop a day in a year's time or two and I hope to retire by the time I'm 60 which is so much better than others can hope for.

The menopause is nasty business. I expected it to come with unpleasanteness but not to impact on me to that extend that I can't get some satisfaction at work like I have done all my life until now. When it depresses me, I remind myself that they are indeed many women who feel like us.

I was in my mid 50s when I started a small business, working from home. I am excited about the future, my day is constantly buzzing with new ideas, ways to develop.
I keep fit and healthy as I want to be working in 20 years if I still can.

Yes it's a huge worry. I'm 53 a single parent with a 10 year old, I work full time and am a renter.
Lots of health issues the worst of which currently is Menopause ( was well controlled until the HRT shortage hit and now nothing helps )
I live month to month, have a small private pension but haven't been able to afford to pay into it since becoming single 7 years ago.
Rent goes up every year and DD's school costs will go up once she starts secondary but my wages won't increase to match.
I've no idea how I will live once retired but I'm already exhausted

We are doing everything we can to be able to retire at 58&56. DH works in an industry where a lot of people seem to die younger.

It means paying of 5 mortgages. Hopefully it'll be possible but it will in part dépend on where our kids go in further education. We are in France so uni is free. 2 of the mortgages are for flats in student areas which we've renovated so when they'll be paid off so we won't have such large accommodation costs. 2 are on our home (one each) - so that'll be a relief. The last one is the most expensive and the equivalent of a salary and is the longest.