Anyone just done with work at middleage?

[Peterbear]

I've got 25 years left before I can retire. (At 75)the problem is I I honestly don't have 75 weeks left in me. Every job I've had has been a disaster (last 30 years ) with the odd great experience/team. Now I'm 50 I just can't take people and their stupid shit and since covid I have no tolerance for anything. Hate wfh but also feel really anxious and self conscious in an office. Anyone else? Please be kind having a terrible few weeks at work. My boss is now old enough to be my daughter which isn't helping.

Yes I got very sick of full time work at age 33 so went remote in my job now make a good income at home since 2015. I hate having to go out for work. It steals your entire life and now I have a family I do not want to be there, at all.

I'm 49 next month and sick to the back teeth of work. I do what is required of me and no more. We may be looking at some redundancies (probably only voluntary) but I haven't been there long enough to make it worthwhile. Meno has shot my sleep to pieces and I feel constantly knackered and unmotivated.

DH is set on the camper van idea but I am naturally more risk-averse, financially speaking, so I don't know if we'll ever actually do it. But, we live by the coast, in a nice house with a small mortgage that would be easily covered by renting it out for a few months of the year. Ds is at university and will probably remain in his uni town once he finishes, so it's very very tempting to just take off...

But maybe I should just suck.it.up instead. Depressing.

I'm 41 and can very much relate to these comments. I'm a professional but it's such an intense and complex job, I always feel I'm on the bottom rung of the ladder and being the only working mother in the company I frequently feel like the younger staff see me as a charity case. I'm a designer though and am determined to reframe the shit out of this situation until I am owning it and loving it!!! I'm a firm believer that really digging deep to root out the exact problems and identify opportunities for change is the key to finding some joy and control in life again. So my mission is to live my life like I've already retired (even if I still have to earn) by re-designing it completely! Who's with me??! 🤗

love this "i'm determined to reframe the shit out of this situation until I am owning it and loving it!" Thanks @ioyo i might pin that quote to my computer. :)

Why can’t you retire until 75?

woohoo!!

I’m finding it’s really hard working full-time on top of menopausal insomnia.

I'm 50, post menopausal, with 2-year old twins. I can't take HRT, due to a previous DVT.
I work more than full-time in a senior, high-stress, precarious job.
I don't have a second for me. I hope to stay in my role for another 10 years, and then maybe drop to 4 days a week (if it's even possible in my industry). I've 18 years left on my mortgage, but overpaying, to hopefully pay it off by 60.
My peers are all working towards retiring before 60, but I'm nowhere near that position.

@Apollonia1 I don’t think that’s strictly true. HRT tablets have an increased risk of clot but not transdermal.
You can ask to be referred to a menopause specialist for assessment.
Link here.
And another here
https://www.balance-menopause.com/menopause-library/can-i-take-hrt-if-i-have-a-risk-of-a-blood-clot/

I only really got back in to work place at 47 :-(
Single parent, relocated from one country to another. I have got to work til im 67. I might try and work til 68 or 69 if i can go 3 days a week. Im civil service so should be ok, they'll encourage it if i wont oblige by leaving.

I love my job but I’m so over some of my colleagues.

I’ve got a meeting today with the bosses and looking at reducing my workload (currently doing 5/6 days a week, I’m supposed to be 4 days) as I’m exhausted, there’s too much for one person. What I want to say to them is ‘get the other people to do what they’re supposed to fucking do so it doesn’t take me three times as long to do my fucking job would be a start!’ But I know I won’t. I’ve tried in the past but I keep getting told how busy and stressed they are. They’re stressed, THEY’RE STRESSED. WHAT ABOUT ME!!!

Fucking idiots, nothing they’ve been asked to do is taxing. It’s their damn job, they need to give me information but they don’t so I have to keep asking questions, which is a waste of their time and mine. Why can’t they just do what they need to do?

And breathe……

I’ve been temping for 5 years now and agree with the pp who is also temping.

It’s so nice to not be bothered with appraisals, goals, forced ‘fun’ etc, just turn up, do the work and then go home again. I just don’t have the energy to care any further than just fulfilling my duties so it’s ideal.

Appreciate it’s not for everyone but it can be a good way to get into a new company, if you make yourself indispensable they’ll be begging you to stay!

I can so relate to this! I would genuinely cry if I thought I'd have to carry on until 75 as I'm holding out for retirement at 60😯I'm definitely hoping there's a plan B.

How is everyone doing?
Back to work next week, after 6 weeks off. God I'm dreading it!
Covid struck a week ago and I'm knackered!

Been assessing finances etc and I can't afford to retire any time soon either.

Very depressing.

Ditto. Although I went back 2 weeks ago after 7 weeks off. Once I was there it wasn't too bad, really. The Covid has hit me literally one week back! It's my 3rd time, I'm knackered and feeling guilty as I have so much to do at work 😩.

We'll get there. I only have 16 years until I retire (at bloody 67).

I worked in a hard but rewarding career, and gave it my all.
Then I got older… I didn't realise at the time how much I was affected by the menopause, mainly exhaustion and lack of motivation. I thought - and more importantly, younger managers thought - that I was just not a good bet any more. Partly every day ageism and partly me running out of steam.

i was lucky and able to retire a bit early.
Now I hear that there is a big drive to support menopausal women in my old workplace, which should make working life better for my younger ex colleagues, if it isn't just tokenism.