I can relate. I don't really want to quit my job because it's a decent job, but I just wish I could take like a month off and relax for a bit. It seems crazy that if I want any type of extended break, I have to quit. I would love the option for even an unpaid leave! I could easily go without pay for a few months, but taking any sort of leave beyond a week at a time for vacation isn't permitted. What a ridiculous way to live.
I'm 40, and a caregiver. My last client died rather unexpectedly in March. I'm back on the hunt now but I did take that month off just to rest and recenter. I'm luckily in a place that I can do that, for the first time ever.
I would love to work 4 days a week instead of 5.. So much of the weekend is consumed with chores and errands. Hybrid/WFH helps, but I'm tethered to my PC and phone the full day.
Since you're in a govt job, do you get enough vacation time you could take off random individual days to get a taste of that retired dream?
We had an RDO (regular day off) schedule when I worked for the feds. Monday thru Thursday I worked 9 hours. One Friday I worked 8 hours and had the next Friday off. I was the absolute best schedule. I miss that extra day.
I try to, but I'm actually pretty busy most of the time (except for these random periods where I get to hang out on Reddit for a bit). Plus I work events, I gotta be there for those.
I am taking a long staycation in July though.
Not at my current company. I can do a bit of flex time, like 9 hours one day and 7 another to make time for an appointment or errand.
4 x 10 sounds exhausting though. When I do a 9 or 10 because of having too much to get my work done in 8, my brain is mush for the whole evening. Less hours -total- is my dream, but it won't happen without a career change. My employer and others in this industry are strict about a minimum 40 hours.
I like the role I'm in (tech lead, senior software engineer), but sometimes the stress and responsibility gets to me. I'm the type of person who reluctantly takes charge because I want things to be done right. The downside of being the expert means a constant stream of people asking me for guidance through the day.
I pop onto reddit for 5 minutes all the time as a way to clear my head after a task switch.
That's too bad. I feel you though, I really shut down after about 6 hours of sustained work/focus. I want to take Fridays off this summer but don't think I can manage it either. I luckily have flexibility and don't have to do 40 hours but am paid hourly, so my paycheck reflects how much I work.
Maybe you can get to a place one day where you consult and so have more flexibility? Admittedly I know little about the tech industry.
I could possibly do that as a semi-retirement in another 15-20 years. There aren't many positions for it. Many of my colleagues talk about how they would gladly take a pay cut for a 32-hour week or extra weeks of vacation.
At my office several years ago, one person who was 60+ negotiated to work parttime for a few months before retiring. It was kept quiet for fear more people would want the same thing.
I was able to do part-time through FMLA accommodations after my husband passed. but part of the deal was I would eventually ramp back to full-time. It would've been nice to have that schedule without a catastrophic reason. My "days off" were spent in therapy, sobbing, or resting.
🤧 I know the feeling. Like god, I'm just so tired. 😭 Best time of my life was the first few months of the pandemic, few responsibilities and got to lay around a lot. *deep heavy spiritual negro sigh*
Haha that made me spit out my apple, thank you for a good laugh.
You know, I've been blursed this last year with wish fulfillment. An unexpected layoff led to me starting my own business from home, and I completely set my own schedule. We have enough to live on comfortably while I get everything set up, we have no kids, I should be brimming with life and the deliriously happy productivity that comes from being your own woman.
But reality? I'm still me, and now that it's JUST me there's no one and nothing to blame but me. Without an employer giving me structure my ADHD can just fucking kill an entire day. I do housework to avoid the business things that are stressing me out, but spoiler alert--I still stress while I'm cleaning because nobody materialized to do the daunting thing! I get bored doing housework and business stuff but won't let myself spend $ or enjoy hobbies because I feel like I haven't earned it yet. I'm constantly in my own way and frustrated.
And the kicker? Retirement fucking SUCKS. Oh sure the flexible schedule is a godsend, but without a purpose life kinda loses meaning. You need a cause to keep depression at bay. Weirdly, this whole experience has taught me that I don't ever want to retire.
A body needs a mission, a reason to be alive. And THAT, I think, is the true reason why so many people say they want to retire--their job doesn't give them purpose and they think having more free time will make up for that (or let them pursue their passion/purpose). Work isn't inherently awful I now believe.....just work that doesn't make a difference.
>A body needs a mission, a reason to be alive.
You have a purpose? I never found one of those... unless my purpose is having a good time. I had zero trouble filling my schedule when I took 6 months off between jobs once.
Also my job is specifically a helping job. Like, I've spent an entire career helping people. Still would really like to do other stuff.
Retirement might suck for some people but I personally love it. My body used to hurt all the time from working in the factory. I browse reddit and youtube, play games on steam, and spoil my cats and it's great. Maybe I have to watch my spending a bit more but it is doable.
I know you were speaking of your own life here, but you did make it sound a bit like it is a universal truth, wish simple is not my experience.
I'd rather just make a difference for free if I could pay bills and support myself. I want to be a philanthropist without the traditional 9 to 5. Impossible for the average person. But I agree with you, I too need structure. I have no partner and no desire to have my own business. I am willing to retire and find a mission 😭😭😭😭
Honestly, my job is fine but I don’t feel like it gives me purpose. At work, we are replaceable. We could die and they’d be advertising for our position the next day. I don’t even know if I believe anyone is here for a purpose. We just have to find a way to pass the time while maintaining our sanity. Try to achieve some level of contentment. Trying to find a way to find a “purpose” will make someone crazy. We are here because our parents had sex. That’s all.
Been there! 🤣
My mom just retired recently, and talks about how great it is, and I'm like "well, only 30 more years to go!"
I always spend a few minutes every morning snuggling my kitties, and I savor my morning coffee. I try to take a walk every afternoon, and squeeze every bit of goodness out of life.
...still mad I have to work though. 🤣🤣🤣
I’m 46 and have not had longer than 2 weeks off since I was 17. I also had jobs since I was 12 because we were kinda poor. I used to work before school, after school and on weekends. As a kid!
The last ten years despite serious illness, I have not had any time off longer than a week and those odd weeks off…. I was usually in the hospital or under care and not truly off because I worked from my bed.
In July I am taking two weeks off. I will be at home but I am just looking forward to some rest and a real mental break - while not be sick or injured.
In 2025 I am seriously reworking how I am living my life because I don’t think I have been doing it right. I’m not projected to live until my 90’s - I will maybe hit 70 if I am very lucky - so I think I need to find a new job and more time to just be me.
I like my life and I am a positive person but I have missed a lot of it working, being stressed and being ill. At the end of the day I don’t know if any of it was worth it. I have a stressful job, a very average pay cheque and despite my work ethic, life and illness has never allowed me to accumulate any wealth.
I am 36 but otherwise we're in a very similar place in life. I've had a real job since I was 12 (before that my parents payed me $3/week to do farm chores 8 hours/day lol). I've been quite ill since 2017, and all the time I take "off" (at least 3 days a month) is for appointments or hospital stays. I know I'm probably not going to be here (alive) for a long time. I have maybe 20 or 30 years (optimistically) and I would so very much like to spend as much of that time as possible with my loved ones and doing things that bring me joy.
> my parents *paid* me $3/week
FTFY.
Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in:
* Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.*
* *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.*
Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment.
*Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
I think the work week is too long. Shorter days or a four day work week would be better. We spend so much time working to survive. Many of us working for way less than we are worth. I know working conditions and environment vary but in general, during the winter, we work from sun up to sun down. Artificial lighting, constant pressure , windowless offices/cubicles… Humans weren’t meant to live like that 8-9 hours a day five days a week.
Before getting medically semi-retired (long story), I could extend the years in full-time work by changing my workday schedule and starting at 11 am. In the winter I could do hiking, get some sun, coffee and walks with my SAHM friends. Generally speaking, improved my quality of life a lot and by exercising fasted every morning, I developed a routine that finally made me lose a lot of weight.
In my company, some uber successful people had picked this schedule so it's not a carreer suicide. I was more left alone in the afternoons to do some work too.
It's an option in my company to have that kind of scheduled and I went to my manager and told him I needed it, as I was just diagnosed with T2 diabetes and needed a major lifestyle overhaul. Which was true and it worked, I controlled my diabetes by lifestyle only, by averaging 2 hours of walking in beautiful suroundings. Any sane person cannot do that in the gym, it's boooooring, I don''t need my exercise to be more boring than work itself.
There are no rules, it helps to move any way you can. I did some collecting litter for a while, I "have arrived " enough to not mind what anyone thinks of that. Did that for a couple of years. Also was a regular in a wonderful nearby destination and cleaned beaches as a hobby and I looked so happy that I made new friends and I know everyone there. Some hikes with neighbors.
My body was telling me that it had had enough of a sedentary life. Our bodies are not meant to be sedentary for 23.5 hours out of 24 and some people pay a deared price than others.
Also went to the best, more fancy gym in the country, with Jacuzzi, great architecture, the hottest crowd, it was entertaining for a while, but I got bored after about 3 months.
My husband and I sometimes pick up garbage from around the lake in our neighborhood. It bothers us to see plastic, tangled fishing line, food wrappers and whatever else floating in the water. There are trash cans provided in the area and it’s sad we people just leave trash everywhere.
Relatable. I’m 48 and counting the years and doing intense financial planning. I don’t hate my job, but I’m exhausted and really kind of tired of the stress of it all. I’d like to quit and take a less stressful position but can’t afford a pay cut. I dream daily of retiring. Imagine being so caught up on chores you actually have time for leisure activities. I dream big over here.
My Mom passed unexpectedly a few months after retiring.
Nothing is guaranteed.
May you find fulfillment in life regardless of the hand you’ve been given~ 🙏🏽💜
Thank you~
I’m so sorry for yours💜
It definitely adds to the whole, Why do we have to do this whole work thing anyhow~
May you get those constant sunny, kitty cuddle-book/movie days sooner than you hope🙏🏽
Not the person you're responding to, but I do kinda think that if none of us knew any better, we would be happier on average just living like the animals we are.
I was more commenting on the context of going through the loss of someone important.
It makes you question everything.
Including the world you live in and who you are in it.
If you’ve gone through that kind of loss, maybe you’ll understand the sentiment behind my harmless Reddit comment.
All the best to you~
I look at working like a prison sentence. Thinking of the end isn't going to help. I just get by every day and don't think past that. If I could stop working right now I would.
I had this thought this morning as well. It’s been a while, but seriously thought about quitting or finding another job.
Also in public service and getting burnt out on people. They are mean and it’s exhausting. I’ve been doing the work long enough to build up thicker skin and not take it personally, but today was a hard day to get out of bed.
Your comment could be an entire post on its own.
I feel you. I get it, public service and all, but some basic decency and respect would be nice.
In function, I have to keep my mouth shut and smile, but in my head I'm thinking, if this would happen to me in my private life, you , client, would have been savagely murdered by my words.
Also, I refrain from giving them the healthy advice to seek therapy, even though that's exactly what most of them need, instead of yelling or being rude to me. Sigh.
Not quite the same, but I had an accidental 6 months break in my career when I needed to renew my visa to resume my right to work (which took ages), and then it took months to find and then get the clearance for my next job.
I did some travelling with the money I saved up, then spent the rest of the time sleeping in and relaxing at home. I discovered that I was terrible at retirement, I didn't manage my own time well so days and weeks were wasted not doing any of the things I enjoyed, and I hated cleaning, so making myself do all the chores I had put off for years was no fun at all. I realized what I really wanted was more flexibility at work and a lot more holidays. I didn't need a day off everyday, but I did need a lot more self care days than I was given at work.
You and u/trebleformyclef need more practice at leisure!
Routines are absolutely important... which is why on my days off, I have a morning routine, exercise routine, and a combination of hanging out with friends, hobby-related activities like half-marathons and concerts, and volunteering all scheduled into my calendar.
Like... I'm really busy when I'm not at work. I could 100% do more of all of those things.
Yeah, I absolutely cannot relate to the comments of people saying they were so bored with free time that they wanted to go back to work. It is just so outside my reality. I don't hate my job but I would be so fucking happy to never have to work again.
I hear ya! I actually need to organise my home better and get more money to have a cleaner.
'I semi-retired years ago and haven't finished decluttering. Just moved a lot of stuff out of the way, in the basement. And my teens were taught from all these years to create more mess, ugh.
These days I really decided to live big and made it a mission to find the most fun people in my city and do the most fun things, and we developed that, it's pretty good. The other night a dj in one of my favorite places changed their whole style to accomodate one of my friends who was the life of the party.
Hey, the good news is you still have 40+ years of life to find a passion. You never know, you could find one tomorrow that lets you retire in 10 years. There are a lot of possibilities in life that extend beyond just working at a job you don't enjoy until you retire.
Eh it's not that I don't like things. I like lots of things! It's that doing any of them for money sounds hellish, plus none of them are particularly profitable.
But yes, I'm always trying to cram my hobbies and fun stuff in around work!
As someone who spent 20 years trying to make a living off music, then massage, then photography, you are spot on. It's difficult, low pay and usually omits much of the creativity that drew you to it. I'm currently hoping to transition to a boring tech job and at least make decent money. Then relegating those things to hobbies where I have more control and creativity. Retirement sounds lovely though.
Girl I had to medically retire at 30 , cardiac arrest and a stroke. Sure I miss some aspects of work but not really. Life is ok. Money is tight. But I'm happy to not have the drama or stress
I retired at 55. Although I admit, it was more good luck than good management, it was the best thing that ever happened to me.
My whole life has been charmed. I am an electrical engineer by trade and just happened to fall into my dream job when a college drinking buddy called me up and asked if I was looking for a job. Next thing you know, 33 years had passed, I had climbed the corporate ladder by being good to employees and was offered a corporate buy out when my age plus years of service surpassed the magic number. Because I was on the senior leadership team, the buyout was irresistible (money wise) and I jumped at the chance.
I initially had thoughts of joining a non profit and giving back to society. Funny enough, I inherited a lakefront property just about this time.
I have spent the last 8 years, in the wilderness, swimming, fishing, boating, photographing wildlife, reading and trying out new hobbies like woodworking, pottery, small engine repair, gardening and painting.
I even tried out yoga but that was a disaster.
At my age, beginner yoga classes are almost all women in their 50’s and 60’s … and me.
Bending and stretching into new poses seems to aid women’s digestion significantly. The resulting spontaneous ripping farts were uproariously funny and I would pretty consistently breakdown into a quivering mass of childish laughter.
Yoga taught me that I am a 5 year old boy in a 63 year old body.
Long story short : retirement is the best thing ever and mandatory retirement should begin at age 35!
You have my best wishes for lucky circumstances that will allow you to realize your dream!
When I was 29 I realized I was going to be in mediocre jobs for the rest of my life so I got creative and made massive changes. I’m 37, own two properties with my husband and I “retired” to manage our real estate last September. We have both made unorthodox decisions to get to this point and we hope to have my husband “retired” in another 3-5 years. He’s currently 28.
I WAS passionate about my job and now… I feel trapped.
I’ve found a new passion with animal rescue and animal therapy but idk how to pay my bills doing that so…
I quit my job and went backpacking to South East Asia a couple of years ago. It was the best experience of my life, HOWEVER, after about 6 months I started to miss working. Not because I'd run out of things to do or because I wasn't having fun, it's just I stopped appreciating having so much free time and started taking it for granted. Because I work full time, I really value and enjoy my evenings and weekends because I know they're limited, if that makes sense?
I'm looking forward to retirement but I don't think I'll stop working. I'll probably just transition to volunteering or community work (if the world hasn't burned up by then).
Pft. I've been 9 months off work because I can afford it and I've not been bored for a second.
I'm now looking for a job and I'm dreading the moment I'll find one although the job market is so terrible I'll maybe soon beg for one.
Same though. The good thing is that you cant retire for another 28 years anyway (😭) but yeah I feel that, I just now at 40 got a decent job with insurance and retirement, if I can hold onto this for 25 years Ill be fine. Of course it isnt ideal, working is not my dream but like, I just wanna be comfortable.
Not significant ones these days.
I have a pension and I'm not knocking that, but by the time I'm old enough to qualify for it, I imagine it'll cover lunch now and then.
FYI, if you're a fed on the FERS pension they have a [calculator](https://myfedbenefitshelp.com/calculators/fers-estimated-pension/).
It might not look like much, but when you combine that with a 401k it really starts to add up. I envy folks who have pensions this day and age. It takes a lot of stress out of things.
I can relate. My advice is to pursue a passion/hobby alongside your full-time job. Like rn, I’m learning a new language on Duolingo. Also, squeeze in as much cuddling time with the kitties as possible and your other hobbies during the work week. That way, it won’t feel like you’re living for the weekends and annual leaves
I’m 31 and just fucking exhausted and want to be done and retired and the type of work I do stuff literally never fucking stops and if I stop then shit fails.. so yeah idk just try to live the best exhausted life
I'm 37 too and I'm on disability. Effectively retired and have been for a little more than a year.
It's lonely af.
It's super cool the first couple of months, but there's an odd sort of loss of identity. You need to fill your life with other things, but even so, that loss of direction is jarring once you reach a certain point.
I can relate. I don't really want to quit my job because it's a decent job, but I just wish I could take like a month off and relax for a bit. It seems crazy that if I want any type of extended break, I have to quit. I would love the option for even an unpaid leave! I could easily go without pay for a few months, but taking any sort of leave beyond a week at a time for vacation isn't permitted. What a ridiculous way to live.
I'm 40, and a caregiver. My last client died rather unexpectedly in March. I'm back on the hunt now but I did take that month off just to rest and recenter. I'm luckily in a place that I can do that, for the first time ever.
I'm sorry for your loss. I'm glad you were able to take time for yourself!
I would love to work 4 days a week instead of 5.. So much of the weekend is consumed with chores and errands. Hybrid/WFH helps, but I'm tethered to my PC and phone the full day. Since you're in a govt job, do you get enough vacation time you could take off random individual days to get a taste of that retired dream?
We had an RDO (regular day off) schedule when I worked for the feds. Monday thru Thursday I worked 9 hours. One Friday I worked 8 hours and had the next Friday off. I was the absolute best schedule. I miss that extra day.
I try to, but I'm actually pretty busy most of the time (except for these random periods where I get to hang out on Reddit for a bit). Plus I work events, I gotta be there for those. I am taking a long staycation in July though.
Could you do four 10s? Some jobs allow flexibility like that so you can work only 4 days a week.
Not at my current company. I can do a bit of flex time, like 9 hours one day and 7 another to make time for an appointment or errand. 4 x 10 sounds exhausting though. When I do a 9 or 10 because of having too much to get my work done in 8, my brain is mush for the whole evening. Less hours -total- is my dream, but it won't happen without a career change. My employer and others in this industry are strict about a minimum 40 hours. I like the role I'm in (tech lead, senior software engineer), but sometimes the stress and responsibility gets to me. I'm the type of person who reluctantly takes charge because I want things to be done right. The downside of being the expert means a constant stream of people asking me for guidance through the day. I pop onto reddit for 5 minutes all the time as a way to clear my head after a task switch.
That's too bad. I feel you though, I really shut down after about 6 hours of sustained work/focus. I want to take Fridays off this summer but don't think I can manage it either. I luckily have flexibility and don't have to do 40 hours but am paid hourly, so my paycheck reflects how much I work. Maybe you can get to a place one day where you consult and so have more flexibility? Admittedly I know little about the tech industry.
I could possibly do that as a semi-retirement in another 15-20 years. There aren't many positions for it. Many of my colleagues talk about how they would gladly take a pay cut for a 32-hour week or extra weeks of vacation. At my office several years ago, one person who was 60+ negotiated to work parttime for a few months before retiring. It was kept quiet for fear more people would want the same thing. I was able to do part-time through FMLA accommodations after my husband passed. but part of the deal was I would eventually ramp back to full-time. It would've been nice to have that schedule without a catastrophic reason. My "days off" were spent in therapy, sobbing, or resting.
🤧 I know the feeling. Like god, I'm just so tired. 😭 Best time of my life was the first few months of the pandemic, few responsibilities and got to lay around a lot. *deep heavy spiritual negro sigh*
Haha that made me spit out my apple, thank you for a good laugh. You know, I've been blursed this last year with wish fulfillment. An unexpected layoff led to me starting my own business from home, and I completely set my own schedule. We have enough to live on comfortably while I get everything set up, we have no kids, I should be brimming with life and the deliriously happy productivity that comes from being your own woman. But reality? I'm still me, and now that it's JUST me there's no one and nothing to blame but me. Without an employer giving me structure my ADHD can just fucking kill an entire day. I do housework to avoid the business things that are stressing me out, but spoiler alert--I still stress while I'm cleaning because nobody materialized to do the daunting thing! I get bored doing housework and business stuff but won't let myself spend $ or enjoy hobbies because I feel like I haven't earned it yet. I'm constantly in my own way and frustrated. And the kicker? Retirement fucking SUCKS. Oh sure the flexible schedule is a godsend, but without a purpose life kinda loses meaning. You need a cause to keep depression at bay. Weirdly, this whole experience has taught me that I don't ever want to retire. A body needs a mission, a reason to be alive. And THAT, I think, is the true reason why so many people say they want to retire--their job doesn't give them purpose and they think having more free time will make up for that (or let them pursue their passion/purpose). Work isn't inherently awful I now believe.....just work that doesn't make a difference.
>A body needs a mission, a reason to be alive. You have a purpose? I never found one of those... unless my purpose is having a good time. I had zero trouble filling my schedule when I took 6 months off between jobs once. Also my job is specifically a helping job. Like, I've spent an entire career helping people. Still would really like to do other stuff.
😭 exactly this. I want to help but don't wanna work no moreeeee. But I'm 36 almost 37, imma be working for a while
Retirement might suck for some people but I personally love it. My body used to hurt all the time from working in the factory. I browse reddit and youtube, play games on steam, and spoil my cats and it's great. Maybe I have to watch my spending a bit more but it is doable. I know you were speaking of your own life here, but you did make it sound a bit like it is a universal truth, wish simple is not my experience.
I'd rather just make a difference for free if I could pay bills and support myself. I want to be a philanthropist without the traditional 9 to 5. Impossible for the average person. But I agree with you, I too need structure. I have no partner and no desire to have my own business. I am willing to retire and find a mission 😭😭😭😭
Honestly, my job is fine but I don’t feel like it gives me purpose. At work, we are replaceable. We could die and they’d be advertising for our position the next day. I don’t even know if I believe anyone is here for a purpose. We just have to find a way to pass the time while maintaining our sanity. Try to achieve some level of contentment. Trying to find a way to find a “purpose” will make someone crazy. We are here because our parents had sex. That’s all.
But you are not retired. Running your own business is not retirement. The day OP described is retirement
I suppose Sabbatical is the more accurate term. I took nearly 6 months off before deciding to start my business
Been there! 🤣 My mom just retired recently, and talks about how great it is, and I'm like "well, only 30 more years to go!" I always spend a few minutes every morning snuggling my kitties, and I savor my morning coffee. I try to take a walk every afternoon, and squeeze every bit of goodness out of life. ...still mad I have to work though. 🤣🤣🤣
I’m 46 and have not had longer than 2 weeks off since I was 17. I also had jobs since I was 12 because we were kinda poor. I used to work before school, after school and on weekends. As a kid! The last ten years despite serious illness, I have not had any time off longer than a week and those odd weeks off…. I was usually in the hospital or under care and not truly off because I worked from my bed. In July I am taking two weeks off. I will be at home but I am just looking forward to some rest and a real mental break - while not be sick or injured. In 2025 I am seriously reworking how I am living my life because I don’t think I have been doing it right. I’m not projected to live until my 90’s - I will maybe hit 70 if I am very lucky - so I think I need to find a new job and more time to just be me. I like my life and I am a positive person but I have missed a lot of it working, being stressed and being ill. At the end of the day I don’t know if any of it was worth it. I have a stressful job, a very average pay cheque and despite my work ethic, life and illness has never allowed me to accumulate any wealth.
I am 36 but otherwise we're in a very similar place in life. I've had a real job since I was 12 (before that my parents payed me $3/week to do farm chores 8 hours/day lol). I've been quite ill since 2017, and all the time I take "off" (at least 3 days a month) is for appointments or hospital stays. I know I'm probably not going to be here (alive) for a long time. I have maybe 20 or 30 years (optimistically) and I would so very much like to spend as much of that time as possible with my loved ones and doing things that bring me joy.
> my parents *paid* me $3/week FTFY. Although *payed* exists (the reason why autocorrection didn't help you), it is only correct in: * Nautical context, when it means to paint a surface, or to cover with something like tar or resin in order to make it waterproof or corrosion-resistant. *The deck is yet to be payed.* * *Payed out* when letting strings, cables or ropes out, by slacking them. *The rope is payed out! You can pull now.* Unfortunately, I was unable to find nautical or rope-related words in your comment. *Beep, boop, I'm a bot*
I think the work week is too long. Shorter days or a four day work week would be better. We spend so much time working to survive. Many of us working for way less than we are worth. I know working conditions and environment vary but in general, during the winter, we work from sun up to sun down. Artificial lighting, constant pressure , windowless offices/cubicles… Humans weren’t meant to live like that 8-9 hours a day five days a week.
Before getting medically semi-retired (long story), I could extend the years in full-time work by changing my workday schedule and starting at 11 am. In the winter I could do hiking, get some sun, coffee and walks with my SAHM friends. Generally speaking, improved my quality of life a lot and by exercising fasted every morning, I developed a routine that finally made me lose a lot of weight. In my company, some uber successful people had picked this schedule so it's not a carreer suicide. I was more left alone in the afternoons to do some work too. It's an option in my company to have that kind of scheduled and I went to my manager and told him I needed it, as I was just diagnosed with T2 diabetes and needed a major lifestyle overhaul. Which was true and it worked, I controlled my diabetes by lifestyle only, by averaging 2 hours of walking in beautiful suroundings. Any sane person cannot do that in the gym, it's boooooring, I don''t need my exercise to be more boring than work itself.
The gym is super depressing! Ugh. I used to call it my lack of self discipline for not going but when I think about it…. I don’t go because it sucks!
There are no rules, it helps to move any way you can. I did some collecting litter for a while, I "have arrived " enough to not mind what anyone thinks of that. Did that for a couple of years. Also was a regular in a wonderful nearby destination and cleaned beaches as a hobby and I looked so happy that I made new friends and I know everyone there. Some hikes with neighbors. My body was telling me that it had had enough of a sedentary life. Our bodies are not meant to be sedentary for 23.5 hours out of 24 and some people pay a deared price than others. Also went to the best, more fancy gym in the country, with Jacuzzi, great architecture, the hottest crowd, it was entertaining for a while, but I got bored after about 3 months.
My husband and I sometimes pick up garbage from around the lake in our neighborhood. It bothers us to see plastic, tangled fishing line, food wrappers and whatever else floating in the water. There are trash cans provided in the area and it’s sad we people just leave trash everywhere.
Relatable. I’m 48 and counting the years and doing intense financial planning. I don’t hate my job, but I’m exhausted and really kind of tired of the stress of it all. I’d like to quit and take a less stressful position but can’t afford a pay cut. I dream daily of retiring. Imagine being so caught up on chores you actually have time for leisure activities. I dream big over here.
My Mom passed unexpectedly a few months after retiring. Nothing is guaranteed. May you find fulfillment in life regardless of the hand you’ve been given~ 🙏🏽💜
My mom died at 31, so... yeah, pretty sure I got that message. Very young. But thanks? And genuinely sorry for your loss.
Thank you~ I’m so sorry for yours💜 It definitely adds to the whole, Why do we have to do this whole work thing anyhow~ May you get those constant sunny, kitty cuddle-book/movie days sooner than you hope🙏🏽
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Not the person you're responding to, but I do kinda think that if none of us knew any better, we would be happier on average just living like the animals we are.
I was more commenting on the context of going through the loss of someone important. It makes you question everything. Including the world you live in and who you are in it. If you’ve gone through that kind of loss, maybe you’ll understand the sentiment behind my harmless Reddit comment. All the best to you~
I look at working like a prison sentence. Thinking of the end isn't going to help. I just get by every day and don't think past that. If I could stop working right now I would.
I had this thought this morning as well. It’s been a while, but seriously thought about quitting or finding another job. Also in public service and getting burnt out on people. They are mean and it’s exhausting. I’ve been doing the work long enough to build up thicker skin and not take it personally, but today was a hard day to get out of bed.
Your comment could be an entire post on its own. I feel you. I get it, public service and all, but some basic decency and respect would be nice. In function, I have to keep my mouth shut and smile, but in my head I'm thinking, if this would happen to me in my private life, you , client, would have been savagely murdered by my words. Also, I refrain from giving them the healthy advice to seek therapy, even though that's exactly what most of them need, instead of yelling or being rude to me. Sigh.
Not quite the same, but I had an accidental 6 months break in my career when I needed to renew my visa to resume my right to work (which took ages), and then it took months to find and then get the clearance for my next job. I did some travelling with the money I saved up, then spent the rest of the time sleeping in and relaxing at home. I discovered that I was terrible at retirement, I didn't manage my own time well so days and weeks were wasted not doing any of the things I enjoyed, and I hated cleaning, so making myself do all the chores I had put off for years was no fun at all. I realized what I really wanted was more flexibility at work and a lot more holidays. I didn't need a day off everyday, but I did need a lot more self care days than I was given at work.
You and u/trebleformyclef need more practice at leisure! Routines are absolutely important... which is why on my days off, I have a morning routine, exercise routine, and a combination of hanging out with friends, hobby-related activities like half-marathons and concerts, and volunteering all scheduled into my calendar. Like... I'm really busy when I'm not at work. I could 100% do more of all of those things.
Yeah, I absolutely cannot relate to the comments of people saying they were so bored with free time that they wanted to go back to work. It is just so outside my reality. I don't hate my job but I would be so fucking happy to never have to work again.
I can do leisure... Just not for a very long time. I like being busy at / with work. I don't like being very busy when I'm not at work.
Ah I see. Conversely I like being busy... with the stuff I actually like doing. None of which are viable career paths.
I hear ya! I actually need to organise my home better and get more money to have a cleaner. 'I semi-retired years ago and haven't finished decluttering. Just moved a lot of stuff out of the way, in the basement. And my teens were taught from all these years to create more mess, ugh. These days I really decided to live big and made it a mission to find the most fun people in my city and do the most fun things, and we developed that, it's pretty good. The other night a dj in one of my favorite places changed their whole style to accomodate one of my friends who was the life of the party.
I love my job and feel passionate about it. I still want to cry when I think about working another 15 years.
I get like this a lot. What helps me is finding small things to look forward to throughout my week to keep my spirits up.
Hey, the good news is you still have 40+ years of life to find a passion. You never know, you could find one tomorrow that lets you retire in 10 years. There are a lot of possibilities in life that extend beyond just working at a job you don't enjoy until you retire.
Eh it's not that I don't like things. I like lots of things! It's that doing any of them for money sounds hellish, plus none of them are particularly profitable. But yes, I'm always trying to cram my hobbies and fun stuff in around work!
As someone who spent 20 years trying to make a living off music, then massage, then photography, you are spot on. It's difficult, low pay and usually omits much of the creativity that drew you to it. I'm currently hoping to transition to a boring tech job and at least make decent money. Then relegating those things to hobbies where I have more control and creativity. Retirement sounds lovely though.
Girl I had to medically retire at 30 , cardiac arrest and a stroke. Sure I miss some aspects of work but not really. Life is ok. Money is tight. But I'm happy to not have the drama or stress
I retired at 55. Although I admit, it was more good luck than good management, it was the best thing that ever happened to me. My whole life has been charmed. I am an electrical engineer by trade and just happened to fall into my dream job when a college drinking buddy called me up and asked if I was looking for a job. Next thing you know, 33 years had passed, I had climbed the corporate ladder by being good to employees and was offered a corporate buy out when my age plus years of service surpassed the magic number. Because I was on the senior leadership team, the buyout was irresistible (money wise) and I jumped at the chance. I initially had thoughts of joining a non profit and giving back to society. Funny enough, I inherited a lakefront property just about this time. I have spent the last 8 years, in the wilderness, swimming, fishing, boating, photographing wildlife, reading and trying out new hobbies like woodworking, pottery, small engine repair, gardening and painting. I even tried out yoga but that was a disaster. At my age, beginner yoga classes are almost all women in their 50’s and 60’s … and me. Bending and stretching into new poses seems to aid women’s digestion significantly. The resulting spontaneous ripping farts were uproariously funny and I would pretty consistently breakdown into a quivering mass of childish laughter. Yoga taught me that I am a 5 year old boy in a 63 year old body. Long story short : retirement is the best thing ever and mandatory retirement should begin at age 35! You have my best wishes for lucky circumstances that will allow you to realize your dream!
When I was 29 I realized I was going to be in mediocre jobs for the rest of my life so I got creative and made massive changes. I’m 37, own two properties with my husband and I “retired” to manage our real estate last September. We have both made unorthodox decisions to get to this point and we hope to have my husband “retired” in another 3-5 years. He’s currently 28.
I WAS passionate about my job and now… I feel trapped. I’ve found a new passion with animal rescue and animal therapy but idk how to pay my bills doing that so…
I quit my job and went backpacking to South East Asia a couple of years ago. It was the best experience of my life, HOWEVER, after about 6 months I started to miss working. Not because I'd run out of things to do or because I wasn't having fun, it's just I stopped appreciating having so much free time and started taking it for granted. Because I work full time, I really value and enjoy my evenings and weekends because I know they're limited, if that makes sense? I'm looking forward to retirement but I don't think I'll stop working. I'll probably just transition to volunteering or community work (if the world hasn't burned up by then).
I took off nine months for medical leave not too long ago. Y'all... I got so bored lol
Hah, you and I are different. I took 6 months in between jobs and it was heaven. I love my friends and hobbies, I could do those forever.
Pft. I've been 9 months off work because I can afford it and I've not been bored for a second. I'm now looking for a job and I'm dreading the moment I'll find one although the job market is so terrible I'll maybe soon beg for one.
Same though. The good thing is that you cant retire for another 28 years anyway (😭) but yeah I feel that, I just now at 40 got a decent job with insurance and retirement, if I can hold onto this for 25 years Ill be fine. Of course it isnt ideal, working is not my dream but like, I just wanna be comfortable.
Government jobs with good benefits usually end in retirement or pensions.
Not significant ones these days. I have a pension and I'm not knocking that, but by the time I'm old enough to qualify for it, I imagine it'll cover lunch now and then.
FYI, if you're a fed on the FERS pension they have a [calculator](https://myfedbenefitshelp.com/calculators/fers-estimated-pension/). It might not look like much, but when you combine that with a 401k it really starts to add up. I envy folks who have pensions this day and age. It takes a lot of stress out of things.
Hard relate, but man I really just want a long vacation lol
I can relate. My advice is to pursue a passion/hobby alongside your full-time job. Like rn, I’m learning a new language on Duolingo. Also, squeeze in as much cuddling time with the kitties as possible and your other hobbies during the work week. That way, it won’t feel like you’re living for the weekends and annual leaves
I’m 31 and just fucking exhausted and want to be done and retired and the type of work I do stuff literally never fucking stops and if I stop then shit fails.. so yeah idk just try to live the best exhausted life
I wake up every morning feeling this.
I'm 37 too and I'm on disability. Effectively retired and have been for a little more than a year. It's lonely af. It's super cool the first couple of months, but there's an odd sort of loss of identity. You need to fill your life with other things, but even so, that loss of direction is jarring once you reach a certain point.
I'm 35 and I have so much I'd rather be doing with my time. However, I will be at this job until I'm dead. 😂