To suddenly not want to work anymore?

[MasterGland]

I want to sit at home with my cats and read books. Perhaps bake occasionally, play board games with my son. Weed the garden.
I have realised that I can easily fill my days with these things. They make me happy. I am really struggling with motivation at work. I used to be quite career oriented, but now I keep calculating the minimum I need to retire, and how I might do it as soon as possible.
It is a sudden change for me, and not sure if it is related to the current lockdowns... but have not directly been affected by them really as worked straight through both. Anyone else had a sudden change of heart about the pursuit of endless work?

God yes. I have had a job since I was 14 (obvs part time at weekends) and except for 1 year of mat leave which was hardly a holiday and came with twins I have worked for over 30 years. I still have 20 to go.

I long to stop. Just for a bit. But dh doesn't work (complicated reasons and he has been the sahp) and even though I have paid off the mortgage I need to work to support my family.

I will continue full time for another 10 years to build up my pension pot, save to help dcs through uni if they go etc then may look to go part time or switch roles to something less demanding.

But even though I earn quite well and have paid into a pension since I was 22, it's still rubbish.

As the sole earner I am scared of losing my job and I'd be scared about finding another job at my pay grade. But there is definitely a part of me that longs for it.

I've always loved work and been really motivated. A couple of months ago however we reached the lowest rung of our retirement savings target range and have paid off our mortgage. And just like that I don't care about work any more. It's making me sad because I'm still working and I just don't give a shit. It's so unfulfilling. I wouldn't want to retire et though, I need to find something else to do with my time.

I really don't want to retire.
I am in my late 50s and have no plans to retire- ever- if I am still able to work.

But I love what I do. I live in a biggish house surrounded by woodland, very peaceful, I can watch deer from my window.
I am self employed, my work is creative, related to a craft hobby and I sell my items online.
My products sell easily and makes me more money than I need to live. I wake up excited about tackling the "work" I have planned for that day.
Work can be a pleasure.

I have never wanted to work. Feel like it's a huge imposition. I've been wfh with not much to do over lockdown and much prefer it. However I can't afford not to work and am only 35 so got a long old way still to go.

I have never wanted to work. Feel like it's a huge imposition.

How else would you contribute though?
Unless you are born wealthy or win a large amount how will you feed yourself or put a roof over your head? Why should it be an imposition to have to do that for yourself? Do you expect others to do that for you?

I would love to stop working. I'm 53 now and TBH am starting to get tired. Unfortunately I am the breadwinner in our house and can't see me ever retiring at all.

Maybe aim towards going part time OP as you are still relatively young, I was part time and then I finally retired this year at 62.

Thankfully late 60s and retired but I never really liked work, or school come to that - found it stressful being cooped up for 8 hours with people all day - quite enjoyed the work but being with others for that long every day didn't suit me, I probably had underlying anxiety and stress.
I wonder now about all the 'lazy' people, who can't hold down a job, or won't get a job - are they like me and have an underlying anxiety or similar and if the had the option of part time or working alone might have had full working lives.

I feel a bit the same, I'm 40 with three young children. After my maternity leaves with the first two (aged 5 and 3 now) I couldn't wait to go back to work, but this time (baby is nearly 1) I went back and all of a sudden I just can't be bothered with it. I would happily give it up and be a SAHM which I never would have thought in a million years!

I'm not going to though, I've reduced my hours as much as I can and am now working from home because of COVID, although if I have to work I'd rather not do that because I feel even less motivated.

I do understand how you feel and in my case I think it's due to feeling a bit overstretched generally and wanting to take the pressure off. In your case maybe you need a proper break to refocus?

No desire to retire here, plus that won't be for 20 years. Probably helped because I've only worked part time since having dc. And the fact I adore my job. Doing accounts makes me happy.
All the things you want to do in retirement, I do now. Apart from the artistic/creative side, which I have no craving for. Why are you waiting? Why not incorporate at least some of it in your every day life now?

@Jellykat

I'm 57 and just come out of Welsh lockdown. I could happily continue listening to the radio, go to bed when i want, get up when i want, sitting and sewing, wearing comfy clothes and no make up, gardening on nice days etc etc.. but alas, back to work on Wednesday all be it part time, but i cram 2/3 jobs in a day non stop, and it takes me a day to recover! I'm so fed up of the treadmill and paying a price physically now..

I'm SO with you @Jellykat - Same age as you and am physically and emotionally exhausted with my job. And it doesn't pay much either Hey ho, onward and upward xx

I’ve been working solidly for over 40 years, still have 11 to go. Every day I dream of not having to go to work.
If only......

I feel exactly the same but I’m now 54 and have 36 years full time work I feel done.

My children have grown, mortgage paid off, i do all the wife work and DH earns a good salary. My pension is OK and DH said I can pack it all in and leave. I’m just holding out for a likely voluntary redundancy package in the next six months to boost my pension pot but my heart is no longer in it.

I love pottering, waking up early and reading whilst the rain beats on the windows with two cats on the bed. Thinking about what pastry I should put on the pie, only getting stressed at how many leaves have fallen on the drive since I last swept them up, doing ancestry uk online and going to Pilates classes whilst still being on call for the elderlies who need me more and more.

I'm only 30 and feel like I cant go on like this much longer working Monday to Friday plus doing overtime in the evenings. I'm going to stick it out for one more year, then drop to 4 days or try get a job with no overtime. Its sucking the life out of me and leaving me with less time and energy to enjoy with the kids.

Oh I have found my people! I am truly sorry for anyone who suffered in any way during lockdown but they then got to return to their normal (or will do in the near future). My lockdown was wonderful - a six month break from drudgery combined with some working from home.

I understand that we have to work and that we absolutely should contribute to society if we are physically able to - career claimants grind my gears. I've worked one way or another since I was 15 and continuously from the age of 18...with sidelines! But I hate how trapped it makes me feel. I could honestly weep when my alarm goes off (on the rare occasion I don't wake up beforehand). Lockdown on the other hand was absolute heaven. The gift was TIME and what I CHOSE to do with it. My body fell into a natural wake/sleep pattern that doesn't match my work one, I had the physical AND mental energy to do things I can't normally be bothered with as I always feel work hovering around the edges. My mental healthometer was higher than it's ever been. If I won the lottery I wouldn't be like Joan who did nothing more than buy a new Skoda, I'd never work again...and I wouldn't feel guilty about it.

I am extremely resentful of all those who were furloughed during covid and did nothing other than paint and bake.

Op I don't think it is okay just to give the children you teach a worksheet and watch the birds!!

You are really letting them down!
If you want to change career, cut your hours down then do, but don't let down those that are relying on an education, and don't forget they still have around 50 years of work ahead of them minimum!

You are being very selfish and self absorbed.
Change things if you want to, but be positive about it. It is not enough to whinge about your circumstances, and then do nothing to change them.

You can easily retrain, so do it. At least the last chapter of your working life will be rewarding.

A few months off is very different to a life time with no direction.
You might think reading, relaxing and playing with your cats will make you happy, yes it probably will for six weeks but then what? You will soon tire of the boredom, the loneliness will kick in, your self esteem will take a hit as you are no longer productive or doing anything with your life. Some people slip into depression others age quickly without the stimulation.

My father retired at 56 and became a shadow of his former self. I believe you need to take a break, and as a teacher is just so happens that next month you will have a very long holiday to look forward to! Most people do not have almost half the year at home, and yet you still don't think it is enough. Honestly self indulged entitlement doesn't even cover it

I feel this way too, always been quite career driven, now I can't be bothered as seeing work is just a factory of processes and policies, I'm losing the will lol

I'm about to come into an inheritance, and even though it's probably quite small in the grand scheme of things, i'm fantasising that it's enough to pay off my mortgage (hardly lol 😆) and give me enough to live on ... the sad thing is I've only just paid off my student loans earlier this year

I’m early 50’s and left a full time, very stressful job a couple of years ago to take a lower paid (but no stress) part time wfh role. It was a significant pay drop but I still earn enough to live on, save some etc as I am quite frugal. I don’t run a car (live in london so no real need), don’t have expensive hobbies, gym membership or any of that stuff. I like to travel but that comes out of savings. I don’t feel I will need a “big pot” in retirement as I don’t spend loads now so why would I then? I also have a secure tenancy in SH so I don’t need lots of savings for household repairs, as the landlord will do them (even though that’s a bit of a battle in itself!). Because of where I live, and SH rents being low in comparison to market rent here, I can rent out 1 room and get 90% of my rent money that way so no worries on that score.

I love my life now. I also have cats and yes I spend loads of time reading with a cat on my lap! My work can be done as and when so in a typical day I might do say 2 x 2hr blocks, mixed in with other things, like reading, craft stuff, gardening etc. I do sometimes miss earning what I did before but I am so much happier. It feels like the perfect pace at this point. If I’d tried to carry on as I was I’d have burnt out, probably ended up off sick with stress etc.

I have not worked before and been completely bored and felt very low/unmotivated HOWEVER, I also miss those days sometimes and I think the perfect solution would be part time work.

I hope when I am 55-60 I can do this. I earn more than my partner so I never be a SAHM.

Thanks for all your thoughts on this. It is interesting to hear the different perspectives, though a lot of you seem to feel like me. I don't think it is just my current career, as much prefer it to my first, and can't imagine training to do anything else. Like another poster said, work just gets in the way. I love my weekends and summer holidays, but really resent it that work spills over into my evenings and half terms. Part time work seems to be the way to go at the moment, but I think I need to pay off my mortgage first. 7 years to go.

I certainly had a period of feeling like this in my 30's. It took me many years to find the right job for me but when I did, in my 40's, it was a shot in the arm! Is career changing an option?

Move to a tiny place or another accommodation that is cheaper!

That's why they pay you.

A lot of people wouldn't bother going in, if they were working for nothing.