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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Not happy with my life but don’t know how to change it

28 replies

bombastical · 19/02/2021 03:42

Just that really.
I’m early 50s, difficult non communicative marriage, very few friends. I feel stuck. We’ve ended up living in commuter belt land, private school expensive route, big house and I’m incredibly unhappy. I find it really hard to make friends here. I want a different life. I don’t know what I’m asking but I just wondered if anybody else had ever had this and changed their lives for the better?

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Pluas · 19/02/2021 03:49

When you think of your ideal life, the kind that genuinely enthuses you, how does it look?

bombastical · 19/02/2021 03:50

I don’t know. I just know I want it to be different.

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Mumblechum0 · 19/02/2021 03:51

I was in a vaguely similar place a few years ago; empty nester at 50, parents recently dead and felt a bit unnecessary all of a sudden.

What helped me was seeing a really good therapist weekly for a few months. It helped me think about what I needed to change about myself and my life, and what just needed fine tuning.

Maybe that would help you? It’s very cathartic, if you’re always supporting others, to have the luxury of just talking about your own feelings and understanding why you act and feel a certain way, then addressing what to do about that.

bombastical · 19/02/2021 03:51

I see people on Instagram with these amazing lives and I hate my life every single day. I’m so lonely. I’m in this lifestyle that doesn’t suit me.

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TorchesTorches · 19/02/2021 03:52

How long have you lived there? How old are your kids.

I would separate the marriage situation from the friends situation. Do youth think you can make your marriage work?

Friendships happen in many different ways, work colleagues, other fellow parents, neighbours, shared activities etc These things take time and some luck, but I would tackle the marriage situation first.

I have been stuck and had to envisage what I wanted my life to look like, then work out steps to get there. I had as a mantra ' it's never too late to be the thing you might have been.'

Mumblechum0 · 19/02/2021 03:54

You should come off Instagram for a start! Some of the most miserable people I know have very glossy, perfect SM profiles and it’s BS.

bombastical · 19/02/2021 03:54

I have got a counsellor and it is helping. It’s made me realise how unhappy I am. I know I want to live somewhere else other than here where I’m not happy. I want to live in a cheaper community where I can meet like minded people. Everyone here already has so many friends. They all grew up together. It’s too hard. I keep trying but I spend every school holiday on my own. My kids struggle to make friends. I just want to live somewhere where people want to know us and have more time

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bombastical · 19/02/2021 03:56

Lived here for 7 years. I’ve tried and tried. It’s a big housing estate in commuter belt land on the edge of a town. It’s horrible and it was never my dream to live here! I want to live somewhere beautiful in a friendly community

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bombastical · 19/02/2021 03:56

@Mumblechum0 you may be right

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Mumblechum0 · 19/02/2021 04:02

Village life may suit you then! I had conversations with 5 different people on the way to and from the post box this afternoon (people are desperate to chat atm!😊). Small village in Chilterns, v friendly

TorchesTorches · 19/02/2021 04:06

Depending on your kids ages, moving might not be practical in the short term. If you didn't want to live there, presumably your husband or circumstances dictated this. Can this be changed?

bombastical · 19/02/2021 04:09

Yes we moved here for my husbands job which no longer exists. He doesn’t want to move though so we’re now stuck wanting different things. Kids are primary school age

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bombastical · 19/02/2021 04:10

Lockdown really highlighted to me how unhappy I am and how lonely and isolated I am

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Mumblechum0 · 19/02/2021 04:11

Yes, are your kids about to go off to Uni soon? If so, that seems to be the time when lots of women start to live more for themselves...

Mumblechum0 · 19/02/2021 04:11

Sorry x posted

bombastical · 19/02/2021 04:12

No we’ve got a long way to go

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TorchesTorches · 19/02/2021 04:16

I di think when lockdown is over there will be a window when people are more open to connecting with new people. So your luck may turn then.

With the husband and the different views that is the harder nut to crack. Is your marriage workable? Is that the root cause of your unhappiness?

bombastical · 19/02/2021 04:24

I don’t know about the marriage. The issue is if I end the marriage then I’m stuck in this area but then only seeing my kids half the time. It’s all such a big mess

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Classicbrunette · 19/02/2021 04:25

I’ve been in your position and every day I said “I hate my life” to myself. But I did something about it. My problem wasn’t the non communication, it was the fact that nothing ever happened.. stuck in a boring marriage with nothing to look forward to. And we had completely different interests. So I drew a line and got out. I now live in a beautiful house in a beautiful place. I have less friends but really good ones.

It takes courage, but if you don’t change things and make the effort, nothing will ever change.

Maybe you could join classes, or go out on your own more, but you have to make the effort.

Eviebeans · 19/02/2021 05:01

My first piece of advice would be to stop looking at contrived lives on social media. That will just mess with your head. If you met some of these ppl in real life you'd never link them to their social media persona. The second would be to make a plan. Small even tiny steps to start with - something you can do today that will make your life feel different/better. Be patient with yourself and remember that change takes time but make a start ane persevere with it.

bombastical · 19/02/2021 05:02

@Classicbrunette did you stay in the same area after your marriage ended or did you move away?

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DarkAtNight · 19/02/2021 05:13

Have you actually spoken to your husband about this seriously? What does he say? What are his reasons for wanting to stay where you are? If his job no longer exists, does he have a new one? Would that dictate things?

Tbh, the location you describe sounds like my idea of hell so I can understand you wanting to leave.

Is it imperative to you both that the children stay in private school?

Do you actually want to stay in your marriage?

If I were you, I'd write down all the things that you're unhappy with and then what you would want those things to look like instead. It's going to be difficult to change it if you don't have a clear idea of alway you want to change it to.

When you've done that, you can work out what you want to change and how to do it.

As an aside, I understand the fear of breaking up a marriage that is no longer working especially when there are children involved but I did it and life has been better.

Even the children spending alternate weekends with their dad meant that I was able to cultivate interes, hobbies and friendships - a life - that was more suited to me.

It's easy to say, "But I can't do that because..." when, actually, you can. I also think its easy to think about the material things that you think will make your life happy - big, beautiful home, private school etc and then realise that those aren't the things that nourish your soul after all.

Eviebeans · 19/02/2021 05:13

It sounds as if there are a lot of strands to your unhappiness. Do you work? You mentioned your husbands job no longer existing - how did he cope with that? Could he be depressed? I think you must be brave - counselling takes guts. Be bold now, think hard about how you would like your life to be and make a change.

Eviebeans · 19/02/2021 05:15

Exactly what DarkAtNight said.

DarkAtNight · 19/02/2021 05:17

I also agree with finding small changes you can make today.

Your husband isn't the boss of the marriage. Mine thought he was and genuinely thought that's what marriages looked like. He genuinely believed that he should have the final.say because he was the man and that I was being terribly difficult in having an opinion!

Souch so that he had therapy after the marriage came to me.amd apologised because he realised how wrong he'd been!

But that's an aside...

You need to be proactive basically. It isn't going to change if. You don't do anything.