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?

I'm 51 and absolutely love my job. It's the getting up at 6 everyday that's killing me. I'm always tired.

I'm early 40's and finding work exhausting now let alone in 20 odd years time! I work with children which I have always loved but I think I will have to get something less taxing before we get to that stage! I will have paid my mortgage off by my late 50's - i long for this day!

I agree it feels like the menopause makes it worse. I don’t have the same energy I did once; or maybe it’s just getting older. Feel like all the young ones are snapping at my heels 😅. Not their fault obviously.

I'm almost 38, started working at 14 and have been full time teaching since 21. I'm exhausted and the thought of pension age being raised to at least 70 which would give me another 32 years is utterly depressing.

I'm 40 and exhausted. I would give up work if I could. I only work 2 days per week too! I have only worked full time for 3 years of my working life but will probably have to work part time for as long as possible. I would prefer this to working full time for decades though.

YANBU I am 47 and think I could cope with the idea of retiring at 60 but 67 seems so much longer.
I am tired and only work PT. like you I don't earn enough to set anything aside for early retirement.

I'm 50 and will work for another 20 years. I used to love what I do, but it's changed beyond all recognition over recent years and not for the better, and I no longer enjoy it or believe in it. But I love the people I work with and those I meet because of my job. I can't imagine not working! However, I do work part time. And I do have a lot of outside interests that sustain me. I find the most difficult part of work to be the travelling, but I've struggled to find something closer to home.

I’m 45, I have realised this week I don’t have as much energy /enthusiasm as 2-3 years ago.
I’ve worked since 18 originally in lorry driving, bus driving and for the past 14 years in frontline service.i only had 6 months off with my 2 children.
When I had each child I envied the women around me going part time or giving up, I used sob.
My only hope now is that I’m keeping going another 10 years and come hell or high water my pension will let me retire early and just go and do a simple job for 2-3 days, but best laid plans and all that !
Op you didn’t mention whats going on in your outside life, do you have carers responsibilities? I think we find we become the sand which generation of caring for old and young alongside our jobs, stretching ourselves to the limit on all angles .The saving grace is we are living far longer and hopefully have another 20-30 years of retirement ?

I'm 61 and am bone tired. I still get the occasional days of high energy and flashes of (somewhat) brilliance at work, but it really takes it out of me.

I had hoped to be done by 60, but financial advisor says need one more year, or best two. Now have a plan for 2 years come December 31. In truth, I'm not sure I can keep up for that long. I feel old, look old, am so tired, and find my patience is very limited. Am hoping to go to 4 days next year, but struggle to fit it all in 5, working 9.5 hours minimum.

67 would kill me. The very thought makes me want to cry.

43 and feel like that!!

I'm same as you OP. I am 50 and want to retire now! I hate my job, been there 20 years, in an accounts dept, so same thing over and over..... Systems change, people change, but basically it's being in the same little hamster wheel.
There's one particular woman in the dept who blanks me, I'm not sure why, which just means it feels slightly frosty there, everyone else is friendly though.
My commute is 90 minutes drive each way but i do half the week working from home which helps.

I am constantly tired, also in peri menopause.
I am a single mum, no maintenance from ExP so all on my shoulders, mortgage, bills, kids costs. I will be early 60's before all children through uni (had kids late).

Made me laugh when a PP mentioned annual appraisals and future goals etc , I just want to go in and get my stuff done, I don't want to progress up - I'm middle level and would hate to be out Financial controller who has to travel abroad to global meetings etc.

I'm 40, so another 27 years and that's if pension age stays the same. Have a work based pension, so I'll likely be working until I drop. Permanent nights at the moment, physically demanding, already noticing I'm not as fast and strong as I used to be. Looking to up my hours next year as DD will need me less once GCSEs are over, won't be financially better off because I'm on a low income at 40 hours(4 nights) intend to increase that to 50 (5 nights) may time next year, so my income will stay the same as I'll be above TC threshold then. I'll be paying more into work pension though and I have full NI stamp so far, if the state pension still exists then. Need to stay on nights for the guaranteed hours because my industry is generally 0 hours and you lose hours in quiet times. It's getting harder though, nights come with an extra set of problems on top of the usual ones regarding health and feeling like crap, and it's getting worse as I get older.

@MsRomanoff - I don't think I inferred that a toxic work environment had anything to do with equality, did I?

My equality statement was in response to the fact that women now have to work past 60.

I am so glad I'm out of my shambolic work place.
I don't know if menopause makes me feel this way but I do notice that my BS radar has been pinging away for quite some time; I never had a huge tolerance for BS but the last few years I really couldn't stand it.

And as for yearly appraisals! What's the point when most people are earning minimum wage (or only slightly above) and there is no progression available?
Most people in those jobs just want to go to work, do their allotted hours and go home.
Appraisals serve no purpose for the majority.

I’m giving up in September, initially to be a SAHM (kids will both be in full time school) for 8 years then review it.

I’ve been wrestling with the decision bit more from a point of what I SHOULD do.... what will people think of me, I’m throwing away my career, letting down feminism etc. I know what i want to do, which is run a clean, orderly, calm home with plenty of time and patience for the kids and pursue various leisure activities. Live a lot slower.

@FastAway, all your doubts/concerns will disappear the minute you give up!

Can I say I will advising my teen dds to really think about their timing to have children (if they want to have children, and they may choose not to) and also to really consider how many. If they meet and fall in love having children younger has got to be better. I don't like to admit that I think I had my children a little too late, early to mid thirties, so not as late as some, but late enough to get to this point and feel like giving up and staying in bed curled up in a tight ball. It is really quite relentless.

This morning I put together a plan on how to feel better, I thought I would share it, and see if anyone has anything else to add, and we can see how it works:

1/2 hour of fresh air every day at least
Recharge smoothie instead of my caffeine hit on repeat
10 glasses of water
Earlier nights (already am asleep by 10pm so hard to see how that helps)
Vitamin B12 and D supplements
Fresh salads

Failing all of that I think a shot of winter sun might be the answer, not a solution for all of us but a holiday may help keep us all going.

Life should not be this hard!!

I think your points about having children are valid Consider.

I will be advising my DC to pay like hell into a decent pension, buy a house as soon as possible and get it paid off early.

Your feel good points are spot on too.

Since I came out about my plans, you wouldn’t believe the amount of women who have said to me they wish they could do the same.

53 and counting down. I hope to retire or go part time at 60.

Retired Do you think you grow too old too quickly being retired early? My parents retired at 56 and it all went downhill for them very quickly, my df in particular he lost his purpose in life, he missed all of his work friends and feeling useful and valid in life. He felt very bad being retired and eventually ended up with severe depression. He tried all the usual stuff golf, holidays etc but still felt his life lacked meaning after work. He keeps himself busy rather than actually being busy, and they worry about every little trivial thing as they have nothing else to do. My mother on the other hand has had health problems since she stopped working, and gets bored easily (all the time)

I wondered what your experience is of early retirement? I am sure most of us crave a break, but I wonder what it is like in reality when you are post work.

I think we are heading for some drastic changes TBH. The most essential one is some serious redistributive tax to enable universal basic income. One of the things that would do is help get rid of all those pointless, miserable jobs in 'admin' and 'middle management' that serve no purpose whatsoever. Many more necessary tasks can be automated. We need to lose the worship of 'work' defined as 'being employed and paid a salary' - the majority of people would like to occupy their time doing things which are necessary or rewarding or satisfying, but very few of us are likely to feel that our day's activities are 'worthwhile' when they have consisted of meetings about meetings and circular conversations made up of corporate bullshit.

re lets hope!!

If I was alone without my family I would probably downsize/ move to a less expensive area, or stay and have a lodger / foreign students (seems to pay quite well)...there are ways and means of bringing in income rather than working in a horrible job you don't like.

I also think more and more people are having 'portfolio careers' so doing bits of different things. We've tried to keeps things simple / small, had children in my 20s and now we are just about to pay off the mortgage and I am 43 (DH early 50s)

Also things like insurance can be helpful, like life insurance so if one person dies the other is provided for.

@Considermesometimes I don't know!

I think the people who don't take well to retirement early wouldn't have taken to it whatever age they retired.

I truly don't miss working - I thought I would, I've always liked work and always said I'd continue even if I won the lottery - and I really meant that, so it was a surprise just how much I actually enjoy not going to work.
Tbf, I didn't find work itself a slog, the toxicity was awful though, extremely draining.

I go out every day and I always have a plan/project on the go, so I am never bored.

I guess you need to be quite self motivated if retired, maybe things like golf / holidays are Ok but being free to do work you want when you want might be the aim. But without needing to