Have any of you left a job for a simpler one and felt better?

[Schooliskillingme]

I can't keep on going in the job I'm in. Really well paid, mostly lovely employees and very worthwhile. However, I'm in an unsustainable system which is cracking under the strain of not enough quality teachers, understandably low resilience and retention, not enough social workers and inadequate social care support, massive poverty, unacceptably poor behaviour and assaults from pupils, daily aggression and complaints from parents with mental health issues and no external support.
I've been in schools since I was 22, and now 19 years later at age 41 I can't do it anymore.
I'm at the point of resigning, even without another job to go to. I'd be leaving in December.
Have any of you left a job you've worked up to, and taken a lesser one for a smaller salary yet been happier?
And did you ever go back? Or never look back!

I'm leaving teaching at the end of the academic year, currently signed off with anxiety and depression. I have no idea what I'm going to do come September.

I can't say my MH difficulties are all down to teaching - they're not - and my Head has been great about my absence and illness. But it is a contributory factor - I can't take the anxiety I would suffer from the system the way it is right now. It's never ending pressure and stress, with less funding to 'get more done'. Not surprising then that people are leaving the profession in droves.

So whilst it's scary - terrifying, actually - to not know what happens next (and is going to necessitate a major change in my circumstances), leaving is the right thing to do. It might be a career break, it might be permanent, I just don't know for certain at the moment.

I'm going to look for something part time and less 'demanding' initially. I know I'm not nearly well enough to go back to the level of stress I had.

Ironically, I moved into education to get just what the OP is looking for. I have a much smaller salary, and I do two PT jobs, and I am much happier than before. For the first time in my life I love my job. But I'm an LSA. So I get all the joys of teaching with a tiny fraction of the stress.

What is happening in Education is utterly disgusting.

I am particularly sad to read all these messages relating to social care/education/medical etc. Im not going to get political as I know thats not the point of mumsnet and relationships in particular, however its a very poor show when these vital aspects of life are the first in line for cuts and underfunding by certain people and people literally vote for it

Following with interest.

I'm an academic and I worry the way things are going in universities now. It is so hard to get out though, when you think about it. I fear I'll be assumed to be too over qualified for other work - but there are times I yearn for no politics, no moaning and complaining, less of the student as consumer attitude, so on and so forth. I wonder though, this may depend a lot on which university you work in.

Does anyone here work in a higher tier place? If so, what is it like in terms of teaching load and time for research? My institution is an ex-poly and is very teaching focussed, we end up spending more time correcting grammar than doing anything else.

I changed from a 52 week contract in IT services in a school, to term time only contract as senior science technician in the same school. Simpler in the "limited technology" aspect, and actually working with my hands, not sat at a desk fixing printers, phones, networks etc.

But then, I now have biology, physics and chemistry to do battle with, logistics, ordering, lesson prep, making chemicals, setting up dissections etc.

Love it. Lots of daylight, big Windows, good team, school hols with the kids. Less money, yes. But a better quality of life..

Yes - another teacher. Dreadful job in terms of pressure. I was experienced and well paid in the end, but even though it paid for fantastic holidays - I left when I was made redundant, did a bit of supply but made the decision. The stress lifted, I feel better and sleep better. Yes, I miss the holidays but now I think I'll actually see pension age.

Much more minor than most of you, but I left a job as a technician in a school in favour of working behind a till. I am better paid, because I can pick up more hours, the job is remarkably unstressed and I am loving it.

I don't think you realise quite how stressful a job is, until you stop doing it. I had loved my technician job, but once I left it felt as though a huge weight had gone. I also work closer to home now, so less commuting (and more time in bed!)

I was an academic - had taught in post-1992, then Russell Group, then small and specialised college in London. I'd been unhappy for years, lost all desire to do research, teaching was undervalued, but the constant pressure to produce research outputs and innovative research projects ground me down, plus the demand to be always going off to conferences, seminars, etc etc.

A year ago I left to become a vicar and I don't regret it for one second. There's still no separation between work and life, and my pension is buggered. But I feel released from the treadmill, and from the burden of having to be an expert in one small area. Now the range of things I do and people I meet are far larger and I can truly say that no two weeks are the same.

@Niminy - was your experience at RG the same as post-1992? I always imagined they would be more focussed on research, grants, getting money in etc (RG I mean). Unless RG are also starting to let anyone and their dog in? I find this is the case in the lower tier places, certainly in relation to my place and course...

@bakedbeansandtuna I think everywhere is letting in as many as possible now, tbh. My last job was in a research-focused, small non RG place which wasn't in the rankings so there was a long tail of v weak students. But that isn't what got me down, it was the research treadmill. I'd just lost any sense that what I was doing was meaningful and so it became intensely stressful - it took a toll on my mental health and family life.

I knew from the thread title that OP would be a teacher

It's an impossibly stressful job now for most. If the Tories get in again then things will get even worse. The only teachers I know who aren't close to or having a breakdown are so medicated they are zombies.

Thanks @niminy. I did here RG was starting to open the flood gates but good to hear it from someone who has been there. Our students are very demanding. We are expected to pass them all, there is not the same rigour there once was. When students don't do well they complain, its as if they feel as if they are 'paying' for a degree. Then you get the powers at be putting pressure on us to improve the 'student experience' whilst churning out articles, but the reality of doing research is not conducive to a high teaching load.

Sounds tough all round.

I'm desperate to change my job but can't find matching salary anywhere for the hours I need as a single mum with a mortgage, I'm not even on high pay, a 1% rise in 15 years but the pay is good in comparison to other jobs in my area .
I would love a less taxing role and I really believe life is too short to stay in something that makes you unhappy.
On the flip side you sound like a lovely caring and empathic head and are no doubt a bonus to your school . Being a nurturing type can make it so hard to be around people with high support needs especially when they're let down by the system, a sure fire recipe for burnout.
Look after yourself.

I'm working in a temporary recruitment role op, helping to run large scale hiring events. There is a significant level of administrative tasks so I'm hoping I can get into a admin/hr role once finished

I don't blame you OP, work shouldn't have to be a endurance test everyday. It's shameful the pressure teachers are under.

I work in Domestic Violence and child protection.
We have pressure above from management some of whom have no Social work/DV qualifications and don't understand the legal framework we have to work in. Example- one senior manager this week asked me not to risk assess an aggressive SU, as they will make a complaint, and tore a strip off me for making a CP referral despite clear evidence it needed to be made.
The recording system to record our is so cheap complex I still have to use a manual 5 years later. The paperwork is off the charts.
Pressure from funders, more for less and all that bollocks.
And the expectation from some of our SU that we can wave a magic wand and their problems will be solved.
I'm fed up of feeling like I'm going to have a heartattack everytime I look at my emails, anxiously peering through my fingers.
I've given my notice in, and I'm finishing mid sept. No job to go to as yet.

Hi OP,

I did it but obviously you can't easily compare situations.

I was a lecturer for 10 years before the sodding Tories starting cutting everything. No admin staff, no support for the needier kids, no money for courses and resources. All the decent people who had education in their blood started leaving, and started being replaced by these "managers" who had no idea what kind of help and support the kids needed.

Anyways I changed college, found it no better, so quit before having a job to go to. But I did chuck out 50-60 applications for stuff. Someone got back to me before my notice period was up and I got offered a job for 33% less pay. I strictly work 37 hours a week, but my job stays at work and I make sure I take my full lunch break. I also cancelled all my outgoings like music, tv and streaming subscriptions, and started watching the pennies.

Also I started seeing a counsellor as taking such a big pay drop and walking away from a comfortable (but stressful) job made me feel like a failure and especially cos I was raised by a strict religious father not to fail at life. Plus I was always meeting the wrong types of women - kleptomaniac addicted to anti depressants, a woman who just wanted to be spoilt and a married woman - I think as distractions to my unhappy life.

So in the last 2 years I've worked on me, with less money, simpler job, single but never been happier.

I've been in the NHS 10 years now. I'm a high intensity (which means I see the most complex and 'challenging' clients) therapist in a psychology service. I studied for years to qualify for this and I love therapy so much and don't know what else I could possibly do, but there's so much pressure I fear I'm
going to completely burn out. I am expected to be a social worker as well as a therapist to clients, many of whom are bringing issues that aren't related to mental health but to environmental and socioeconomic factors which I can do fuck all about. Plus it seems like EVERYONE is suicidal and I have to make sure I follow correct procedures with regards to this, which is a lot of extra work and Im scared I'll forget to make one phone call one day and be held accountable, it feels like a constant sword of Damocles over my head quite honestly.

I am not even well paid (band 6) and am a single parent to my two kids so no chance of taking a lower paid job, I'd be better off quitting altogether and going on benefits, which I really don't want to do.

I find myself looking longingly at staff in cafes and thinking how nice it would be to have a job where you got to make people coffees all day and then go home at night and not have to worry about them killing themselves 😣

So sorry no answers here but I'm watching with interest too. I hate what the Tories have done to public services in this country, we're all on our fucking arses clearly.

Love and solidarity to all my comrades in schools/social services/heathcare

it feels a constant sword of Damocles over my head
This 100%.
Unfortunately working in our areas does mean dealing with life or death situations sometimes. The stress of that can be immense. I've been through two deaths of SU's while in post. I still think of them and get teary years on.
When I started years ago my workload was busy but manageable. The cuts have made our workload explode, due to less staff, more paperwork, and the impact of the cuts on other services like the NHS, mental health etc.

Yes. I absolutely did, 2 1/2 years ago and it was the best decision ever. I'm lucky I could afford the pay cut (about 50%) but I'm happy and it works with my family life. Different industry to you but if you are stressed and anxious and feel like you can never get it right then it may be time to bail out. Good luck

I work pt in a school (admin management) term time only, school hours.

Love the job, people, location (v close to home), DC's attend there, great HT. Crap pay, obviously.

BUT - am looking around at ft, higher pay, jobs (which will be much further away from home) as feel I need more of a challenge.

Reading this thread I think I must be mad

I used to be a senior manger and thought I loved it. Left to be a SAHM and now work in HE. I love it, and the lack of stress is incredible. I thought that feeling sick with nerves was just me, what I was like. I now realise that it was my job making me feel like that. I wouldn't go back, even though I used to earn 4x what I do now.

Just contemplating this now. NHS is draining my energy , my health and I don't think I can go on any more without something giving. Money is a worry but I think that without irregular and long hours we would spend less on takeaways, quick fix treats, wine!

Yep - I left a well-paid managerial role (offered voluntary redundancy) and am now working 2 or 3 pay-grades below where I was. Much happier, mainly because I don't now suffer from daily migraines. I'm fine when I am responsible for my own work only, but when I'm responsible for the work of others that just gets stressful and makes me ill!