To give up this "easy" money?

[DietC0keandLime]

I currently work for a fairly small manufacturing business, when I joined the office was an absolute mess and the business on the brink of collapsing, so I was given a profit share in the business as an incentive to help turn it around, but I don't own shares or anything like that.

The business has really grown over the past ten years since I started, and I have ended up being paid really well these past couple of years for what I do (around £50k, the role would normally be about £20-25k if not for the profit share) and I think that would continue to be the case for the next few years as well.

The owner of the business is really lovely, but I don't actually like the job for the most part, I find it really stressful, my mental health has been quite bad for the past year and I think it is a big contributing factor. There's nowhere for me to grow within the company, and I feel like I'm just fed up.

I really want to completely retrain in something different, I have a career in mind but I would need to go back to Uni and do a full degree to even get started in it, which would take 3/4 years and the maximum salary I could ever realistically earn would be £40k. Probably this industry would be more demanding and have it's own stresses, but I think it would be more rewarding as well.

I'm 35, no kids, but DH isn't supportive. He can't believe I'm even considering it. He thinks I've dropped really lucky with my current job and I'd be crazy to give up the "easy" money. DH earns around £70k, we've made good financial decisions in the past and we only have a small mortgage and have an additional joint income of £1k per month on two rental properties we inherited. I don't expect him to support me through Uni, I would get a loan to cover my half of the bills and have a small amount of savings too.

I'm grateful for my current job, I really am, I feel guilty for thinking about giving it up but I hate the thought of still being here in five years time. It's like Groundhog Day.

I need some perspective please. What do you think, WIBU to change careers?

A capable woman who has achieved a lot in current job and has financial security

Giving up the financial security and taking out £50,000k+ of student debt should be properly thought through, though.

What classroom experience do you have, @DietC0keandLime?

@DietC0keandLime if you have/had existing MH problems teaching will break you.

A recent survey demonstrated that 2/3rds of all teachers have considered leaving the profession as a result of student behaviour.

10% of teachers leave the profession every year and that figure rises every year.

Every teacher I know wants to leave, has left, or is resigning this year. As a former teacher myself I know a lot of teachers. I went because the profession I left bore little to no resemblance to the one I started many years ago.

You only have to look at the boards here during lockdown to read all the hatred there is for teachers.

Absolutely leave that job you hate and do something else, but for your own sake, don't make teaching your next career.

I can usually write coherently too .