Career change for happiness - AIBU?

[Nostrings457]

I have a job in healthcare - now in management. I have great pay, flexi hours arounds DC, supportive manager, work with nice people etc but its not enough. Its very politically correct, stressful, target driven and doesn't reflect my 'fun' personality whatsover. The older I get the more I question what makes me happy. My DH thinks I'm being unrealistic and that no job is fun. Im in my current job as a result of making a decision to go to uni for this career nearly 20 years ago.

I have NO CLUE what else i could do.

Anyone else feel like this?

AIBU to think i could leave above job and find something that makes me happy even though I dont know what it is

Flexi hours with children, great pay and a good manager- yes you would be mad!
Huge economic uncertainty ahead of the UK, now is not the time to play with a good position.
How old are your children?

My job is in healthcare and its hilarious! The staff are all open minded and we laugh loads! It must be hard to feel repressed

I feel exactly the same as you Nostrings, I could have written your exact post. In healthcare also, for about 20 yrs plus. My 'authentic' self as a result - and ironically they think they are so right on just now with the bingo word of 'authenticity' -has totally disappeared, but the work is very flexible, and now well paid for the role I'm in. But I feel as though while everyone is nice and supportive etc, you just can't be yourself. I feel guilty about this as 'I'm lucky I've got a job just now'

At work It's all serious faces and talk about very boring stuff (no life or death or covid in the dept I work in), there's always a sense of elevated importance created by my boss/ team of the work we do, the impact we 'have' and about how many people care about it, but in actual fact no one out there is really bothered.

And any suggestions I make around innovation (why I was hired) are met with horror.
So I have decided to do a sort of mental health coaching course in my own time. They don't know about it- and maybe I can volunteer with it on the side til I decide what to do.
Could you do something like that OP, or make a sideways move- eg into health education, or into occ health or something?

To quote the Divine Comedy, you've got to love what you do.

Well, you don't HAVE to, but it sure makes the working day pass quickly.

@OnlyFoolsnMothers

Flexi hours with children, great pay and a good manager- yes you would be mad! Huge economic uncertainty ahead of the UK, now is not the time to play with a good position. How old are your children?

Between 7 and 3. I know it is mad - its taken me basically my whole adult life to get those perks and yet Im still considering leaving it all

@deaddreams

I feel exactly the same as you Nostrings, I could have written your exact post. In healthcare also, for about 20 yrs plus. My 'authentic' self as a result - and ironically they think they are so right on just now with the bingo word of 'authenticity' -has totally disappeared, but the work is very flexible, and now well paid for the role I'm in. But I feel as though while everyone is nice and supportive etc, you just can't be yourself. I feel guilty about this as 'I'm lucky I've got a job just now'

At work It's all serious faces and talk about very boring stuff (no life or death or covid in the dept I work in), there's always a sense of elevated importance created by my boss/ team of the work we do, the impact we 'have' and about how many people care about it, but in actual fact no one out there is really bothered.

And any suggestions I make around innovation (why I was hired) are met with horror.
So I have decided to do a sort of mental health coaching course in my own time. They don't know about it- and maybe I can volunteer with it on the side til I decide what to do.
Could you do something like that OP, or make a sideways move- eg into health education, or into occ health or something?

Do we work in the same dept?

Thanks - I am looking into other options. I have been for probably 18 months and that landed me with a promotion which has confirmed all my thoughts.

Yep no strings I found myself with a promotion last year, highest pay I've ever been on in all these years, yet I want out. I can't think of any job I could do that would bring in similar (and it's not that high a salary but considerably good given I work part time).

But I still want out. It's like I've got a self sabotage button😬

I want to do something meaningful.

I wonder if because your kids are still young- mine are just slightly older- you want to be able to focus on something, I don't know, something 'more than' or that takes you to that part of yourself that isn't 'mum' (or a corporate robot!)

@deaddreams very similar! Youre probably right, theres part of me that wants to relive the part time jobs of my youth - no stress, no pressure, having 'a laugh' with friends, (bar work, retail). I dont think i could relive my checkout days again though!

I'm reading a book - James Smith, Not a Life Coach, its fantastic but making me contemplate my whole life - too much for a sunday really

I feel like this. I run a business employing staff and it's horrible. So much responsibility and bullshit. Literally hate it but have no idea what else I'd do a bit like you

@hellymissy its a horrible rut to be in isn't it. You're not alone (not that that helps)

Sorry op but I would say stay put until your children are either in secondary or further along in primary school