What's the lowest stress / easiest minimum wage job?

[MegBusset]

If you were going to step down from a stressful professional career and could afford it, what would be an easy / low stress min wage role to fill a few years until retirement?

I've worked low pay jobs before and they've been tedious and / or hard work. Obviously there are many shockingly underpaid jobs that are really hard and stressful (carer, TA etc). But are there ones out there that are straightforward and don't take up much mental effort?

If you like children, there are always families looking for before & after school childcare. It is pretty hands on if the children are young but, if they're older, you're essentially a taxi service and chef. Yesterday, in 3.5 hours paid work, our nanny spent at least 1.5 hours sat down reading her book, an hour driving kids to various activities and then an hour chatting to them, making packed lunches, checking all was organised for the next day etc.
Of course, if you're doing this for your own family, you might not want to do it for someone else's family too.

Lowest stress/easiest.

This would also depend on co workers, management environment etc. + ones own attitude/manner/reactivity.

Co op. 25% staff discount too.

My first job was shop assistant in a National Trust shop. I often think of it as the best job I've ever had :)

I work as a kitchen porter in the local hotel - 16 hours a week. Basically pitch up, wash up and clean the kitchen and go home as soon as my shift ends. Zero hours contract so if I can't do a shift I don't have to. Suits me, fits in with my life and the chefs (in the main) are nice.

Mindless work but no stress.

If you are thinking about picking orders for a supermarket, make sure it's one where your not picking alongside customers trying to shop at same time. It can get very fraught, from both sides. Constant interruptions play havoc with your pick rate, and most stores are red hot on you hitting that pick rate, l am fit as a fiddle, and l struggle to get it. We aren't allowed to wear headphones sadly, but that would improve our job no end as it does get really boring and monotonous. The best bit is 12 o'clock finish, clock out and rest of the day your own, and l don't give it a second thought until l go back. I still prefer it to working in an office 9-5.

I worked as an assistant to a blind lady while my kids were young, just doing things like batch cooking meals, taking her out places, chatting and reading to her. Loved it.

I've enjoyed working in gift shops, I liked helping people choose things and wrapping them up

I worked at M&S for a while and really enjoyed it, the staff, the environment and the work was pretty enjoyable. I was sad when they closed my store down.

It was easy work, pay wasn't great but I look back now and have fond memories of it.

I work overnight in a university library, it's team time only and we're literally just there to keep the doors open so the uni can say they offer a 24/7 service.

Waitresses can be very stressed especially as hospitality is so umderstaffed

Dog walker or cat sitter always struck me as a nice, laid back job. Don't think it's that badly paid either - our cat sitter came in twice a day while we were on holiday and charged £30 per day. She'd visit about 5-8 homes a day so pay probably not actually that low.

Ditto dog walker - in cities you can make a lot walking multiple dogs.

Of course they can, anyone can be stressed in any job, but having had experience of the job it is much lower stress than any of the other jobs I’ve had.

Postie - loads of exercise / not much chat.

Hard to get postie jobs in my area apart from at Christmas

I think most jobs are fairly low stress when you don't actually need the money - because if anybody's an arse to you, you can walk out. It definitely made a difference with the more 'assertive' managers as well, because they knew they didn't have the same level of power/fear over the employee either, so they were definitely nicer to them as well.

Round here dog walking and holiday care. You’d be fully booked in school holidays

I enjoy bar work but waitressing can be stressful depending on where you work - a busy, understaffed restaurant with stock issues and no support from upper management is not a great place to work. There are also rude and nasty customers everywhere which can get you down when your facing your 100th rude customer of the week, and you have to be polite even though your feet are killing you and your tired. However - I think its more chain restaurants that care less about their staff and so it might be different in smaller restaurants.

Retail work can be low stress, just busy and your on the move constantly but that can be a good thing, again the only stress comes from rude customers and thefts (but if you are a floor worker you don't need to worry about thefts).

I've been enjoying reading the replies. Fascinating how many people suggest jobs with high responsibility (carer for a person with a learning disability) or high stress (hospitality, customer facing, hungry and drunk people get so arsey). Most grief and stress comes from other people so I would do something alone at home or out in nature. The saying L'enfer c'est les autres is definitely how I feel about stress and jobs.

Even if you could walk away from a job, it becomes difficult to get work if your employment history is abrupt unless you're happy to be forever temping or go self employed.

I've done dinner lady work before and loved it (apart from on Friday - fish finger day when you get covered in baked bean juice). But the middle of the day timing is awkward, it blocks out most of the day for only 1.5hrs pay

Library assistant in NHS or a University. Still uses your brain, interaction with library users and colleagues, routine enough to not be stressful, but not so routine as to be boring. No commercial targets/money making pressures. Do your hours, go home.

I've had a jobs working in a local museum and working in the office for a small local charity both were lovely jobs.

Following as in the next couple of years I hope to return to work following treatment for my CPTSD. Fortunately financially we can manage on one income (as we are now) so I can look for a low stress, low pay job as anything I bring in is a bonus to go towards savings. I will definitely need low stress and not too many hours.

I used to work in Boots. Loved it. Now I’d like to work in a stationery shop because I love stationery!

I think I would love this job. Love walking and short occasional chats with people but nothing too in depth.