To ask you to help me figure out something to do

[YipYipAppa]

I've done admin since I did a business admin NVQ when I was 17 (I'm now 37). I was never that enthusiastic about the idea of admin but needed to do something and that was suggested and, as I didn't know what else to do, I went with it.

In the last couple of years, I began to get fed up of doing admin and now I am at the stage where I hate it. I am miserable for 8 hours a day 5 days a week. I'm stressed and tired, and by Sunday night, I'm already dreading the week ahead. I don't want to feel like this every week for the next 30/40/50 years.

The problem is, I have no idea what else I could actually do. I've only ever done admin. Please help me think of some other things I can do!

Some background info:

• I'm tiny (4'8") so physical jobs are a no go (e.g my DP is a gardener and I would be unable to do that as I am not physically strong enough and wouldn't be able to lift things onto trailers - even with things that I could lift, I would still struggle with being able to reach things etc)

• I do some crafts but am not very good at any of them so would be unable to make things to sell (as much as I would love to)

• I don't think my interests really translate into jobs I could actually do, eg I love animals, especially dogs, but would be unable to work with bigger dogs due to my height/lack of strength. I used to visit an older lady who lived nearby and I'd walk her (Labrador cross) dog with her but I had to be very careful when I had the lead as he could easily have ended up dragging me along (thankfully he was happy to walk alongside me).

O wise ones, can anyone give me any ideas of things I could at least look into? My sanity depends on doing something else and I've been wracking my brains but coming up empty. It's really getting me down and I would love to feel a bit more hopeful as we're rapidly approaching a new year!

If you can work out what you like, you will have a better chance of identifying new opportunities.

At this stage don't try to identify the job you want to do, just think about what you like doing, where you are most comfortable, who you like spending time with, whether you a more comfortable being in a team or alone, whether you like speaking to people in person, in telephone, video or in writing; whether you get satisfaction from helping people, making money or something else, what is it about your hobbies that you enjoy?

Once you've identified this long list of what you "like", it should be easier to see opportunities and consider a change of direction.

Good luck

Yes, definitely a concrete no working with the general public.

So, retail is ‘the general public’ as are some roles like e.g. benefits advisor or job centre coach.

But would ‘service users’ still be ‘general public’ e.g. if you trained as a speech therapist would you see working with those clients the same way?

Otherwise you want a job that has no contact with people and is not office-based at all, which is a very big ask.

Could you retrain into programming?

So nothing physical, nothing admin, nothing public facing, nothing emotional...

So something a person does alone, that's relaxed and not physically taxing, involving limited admin, without any emotion.

Illustrator? (As long as books not too emotional)
Graphic designer?
Museum curator?
Seamstress?
Baker / Cakemaker?
Deputy Stage Manager? (Technically speaking to actors but over the sound system)

You might enjoy my job - web editing for one company. Do it alone, from home, without talking to general public. Requires good attention to detail, which you probably have. Trained on the job but do have two degrees, which helped get the job. There are some free courses out there to help you get into it - look at Code First Girls front end courses for example

I know you said you didn’t want to do anything techie because you dislike maths, but a lot of tech jobs don’t directly involve maths! For the back end it’s more about logic and problem solving and for the front end about good presentation and attention to detail (at least in my experience)

Hahaha "I'm at work, so I can't possibly give any thought to the question of my skills, strengths, what I enjoy....oh but I do have time to reply eleventy billion times to posters explaining that I hate everything".

OP I think you need a bit of support with your low mood, the answer is in your perception of yourself not a magic new role that will sort you out.

Could you take a break, like a sabbatical, go on a retreat or travel? You need somehow to get in touch with your inner self.