Desperately need a change - how do I do it?

[whereshouldistart]

I fell into HR and enjoyed it for the most part until recently. I'm now an HR Business Partner and I feel so stressed / under pressure and really not enjoying what I'm doing. I'm also not doing it very well.

I've struggled with anxiety and depression over the years and serious lack of confidence. As a first step I have made an appointment for some talking therapy starting tomorrow. Currently, I'm sat paralysed with fear / anxiety and not able to progress what I need to do today - I'm on a deadline.

I need to get out but I don't know which direction to turn. I work part time (I have young children, the youngest is due to go to school next year) and my husband has a senior job that pays the bills and more. He puts more into our savings than I make each month. He's incredibly supportive and is encouraging me to quit if I feel that's the right thing to do but I think I need an exit plan for the coming months / year to get me through. I will need to work in some capacity for my own sanity and to contribute to the family.

The problem is, I don't know what job I would do. I've thought about career coaching to help explore this further, presumably this would be a good first step alongside or following therapy but any advice on what steps I could / should take or any personal experiences would be gratefully received!

Following with interest as at a similar crossroads. Not so much anxiety (despite my name!) about my job but more just bored and want to do something different and increase salary, so looking into a career change. Great you’ve got supportive network and counselling/therapy may well lead to you finding some answers about what you want to do for yourself. Would suggest not leaving job until you have another though just because of gaps in CV etc and always easier to get a job when you already have one. Best of luck!

Thanks @Anotheranxiousone, agree with you about not quitting. I’ve been in this job so long, I think a change is definitely needed but the job market is daunting! The first step for me is definitely dealing with the anxiety.

Do you have ideas about different career paths?

Is it rhe field or just this particular job? What did you enjoy before that you don’t have now? Do you have a supportive boss?
You may change jobs but still take the stress with you everywhere, so get to the bottom of what it is exactly that stresses you out.

Yes I think I went to go into legal practice. I’m in law atm but as a researcher, always planned to practice but for one reason or another didn’t end up doing it. Have been happy with job for last decade but I’m getting a bit fed up now and can’t see myself doing it for another 30 years. Progression possible but either management which I don’t want or it’s a case of doing same job but being recognised as more senior, with k modest pay rises.

Plan is to do the bar course part time from next year and then hopefully pupillage (the on the job vocational part of becoming a barrister) and then make the move. I’ve been looking into options at work and they do offer sabbaticals/unpaid leave of a year so o could do course alongside work and then take year sabbatical to do pupillage, minimising the risk as if I didn’t get tenancy (membership of chambers) after pupillage I could go back to my current job until I secured tenancy.

What would you like to do in an ideal world?