The only reason I’m gutting it out is for company-sponsored retiree health care. If you are 55+ and have 10+ years of service, you can stay on the company plan for the rest of your life (you have to pay the premiums yourself). For some of the more fortunate long-term employees, the company subsidizes the premiums based on years of service. PLUS, I can add my wife to the policy later on.
. . .
My only issue right now is dragging my ass through yet another day at the office. Ugh.
Sounds like you have a rock solid plan
@MoMan. Oh hell yes I would gut it out longer for a health insurance deal like that.
Strategies that helped me get through the last 9 months:
-- Mentally breaking the time up into smaller units, i.e. telling myself "only two weeks until my next day off", or "only two weeks until [insert cool thing we were planning to do]"
-- Using all my PTO
-- Finding ways to stay busy at work (so the time passes quickly). Careful here -- As you point out, you don't want to take on any more
long term or stressful work. So the trick is to get short term interesting things to do. I found that offering to help other people with their work was a good strategy. They have the overall responsibility which I wanted to avoid, but I stayed busy playing some interesting secondary role to fill my time. And it made them happy. Win-win-win.
-- Taking mental breaks at work to do things completely non-work related. My go-to activity was travel planning. I enjoy that, and you can fill lots of time with it. I also spent time learning about new and interesting things. YMMV on this one if others can see your computer screen in an open-style office.
-- Volunteering for/finagling your way into as many out-of-the-office activities as you can. Conferences for the win.
-- Talking to people (more than I normally would). I'm fairly introverted too, but I enjoyed this.
-- Tried to: Stay busy with interesting and fun things in my non-work hours; stay fully connected with family; exercise regularly and get good sleep.
-- Rinsed and repeated.
You'll get there! You've got it.