Author Topic: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out  (Read 7290 times)

life_travel

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A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« on: September 05, 2021, 06:19:06 AM »
I replied to deek's post but want to start my own thread.

My situation. Late 40s, husband mid 50s in low paid industry. Lost a lot of money due to bad investment decisions years ago, were aggressively catching up in the last 3 years .

Suppose to be at coast FI stage last year but my pay got affected due to covid , so hopefully will reach next year.
Hoping to retire in 6-10 years ,closer to traditional RE age for DH,  so until then we still need to work at least part time to cover expenses, but we are both mentally tired.

Me:
High demand sales/corporate office job for 15 years ,loved it at first then got toxic manager, stayed for years for the money , got worse and worse, took 3 months off in 2015 , wowed to find something else, went back, as nothing in my industry paid nearly as good.
I was at a burn out stage for years then by last March I started having panic attacks, fatigue, insomnia, stomach cramps and nausea produced by anxiety, etc . Then suddenly I was on leave without pay due to covid ( but ended up getting some government benefit pay). I took a few months just to recover a bit, studied short course , then serious things happened in my personal life that put my mental health back to that dark place .. Then I got a physical job( on my feet and active for 8 hrs ) that is great for part time option but I now suffer from plantar fasciitis and can't stand on my feet longer than 3-4 hrs :(

Got back to my old, corporate job VERY reluctantly , only 2 days a week, and now 8 weeks later , I can't stomach it.
I give myself pep talk every day , I already called in sick twice as I just dread of going there. I took next week off as annual leave.

On paper it's great, good pay, only 2 days , new team, supportive-ish colleagues but in reality it's still very demanding , very busy, and now I need to read/ know / be across of what happened in the other 3 days a week.
It's not a job you walk in, do your job well , walk out on time.

Unfortunately I am realising that I am still feeling the effects from my burn out , my memory is much worse, I used to pride myself on being a fast learner and now I am super slow. I don't retain the information . I used to multitask with ease, now it fills me with dread. And I used to be a confident person and now I am feeling more and more inadequate , because I struggle with my job so much.

I just want a simple job , for now , and a bit stuck on options . Hospitality and retail is an obvious choice but I can't be on my feet .  I am a nervous driver for any delivery jobs.
Talking all day makes me anxious now ( so call centre jobs are out).

Anyone else been in my situation and have any ideas/advice on " simple jobs". And yes, I am seeing a therapist.


tomorrowsomewherenew

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #1 on: September 05, 2021, 06:50:48 AM »
How about receptionist/admin work?

Morning Glory

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #2 on: September 05, 2021, 07:52:50 AM »
I was going to say manufacturing before I saw the plantar fasciitis, because you don't have to deal with the public at all. I think being a receptionist would be more stressful because you hear all of the flack from everyone but have less control over the situation. Here's a couple of ideas that might work:

Home health assistant: There's a potential for it to be emotionally draining depending on your client, but you only have one in front of you at a time so there isn't the competing demand aspect like working in a hospital or care home, and you wouldn't be on your feet as much either. 

Medical assistant: you check people in and take vital signs at the doctor's office. Involves sitting and some walking but not prolonged standing, and the training is fairly short.

School paraprofessional/teaching assistant: help special needs kids with toileting, feeding, etc. at school. My district even have people (usually older women) who ride on the bus to help kids get in their seats and monitor for issues so that the driver can focus on driving.

Daycare worker: you can ask to work with the infants so you aren't chasing preschoolers around all day.

Maybe some kind of cashier job where you can sit down most of the time?

Real estate agent??? It's still sales but pretty low pressure.

Mobile notary: involves driving but pays pretty well, and again you are only dealing with one client at a time


Anon-E-Mouze

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #3 on: September 05, 2021, 09:34:08 AM »
If your Microsoft suite (especially Word, Excel and PowerPoint) are good or could be tuned up, you could look for a document processing specialist job (ideally a remote or hybrid one) at law firm, accounting firm or bank.

At my large law firm, we have executive assistants (who handle a wide range of tasks, including managing calendars, booking meetings, coordinating with other staff etc) for the lawyers - I think that would be a stressful job. But we also have document specialists, who do focused work on documents, and I think that job is less stressful because you're juggling fewer projects, have less interaction with people, etc. It's paid fairly well, too.

If your skills aren't strong in that area, you could do some online courses / certifications to improve them. There also might be related jobs (in healthcare, for example) where you are processing various kinds of documents using specialized systems.

sjlp

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #4 on: September 05, 2021, 12:01:07 PM »
Hey life_travel, Sorry things have been so rough for you! I've been in the same boat, so you are not alone. I know you said you have had some financial setbacks, but is taking some proper time off an option for you? Sometimes it is hard to problem solve when you are not in a good state of mind. If not, I was wondering if you have a skill or interest that you would enjoy teaching others? It would involve interacting with other people, but perhaps not in such a stressful way like a call center.

Also, on this topic, I had a good time reading "There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job" by Kikuko Tsumura. Not saying you should take the character's advice directly, but if you want something to lighten the mood, I recommend it.

Lots of luck to you.

life_travel

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #5 on: September 05, 2021, 04:13:10 PM »
How about receptionist/admin work?

I started applying for admin jobs, that was my first port of call, thanks. Was just wondering if smart people of MMM can come up with any other ideas :)

life_travel

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #6 on: September 05, 2021, 04:35:15 PM »
I was going to say manufacturing before I saw the plantar fasciitis, because you don't have to deal with the public at all. I think being a receptionist would be more stressful because you hear all of the flack from everyone but have less control over the situation. Here's a couple of ideas that might work:

Home health assistant: There's a potential for it to be emotionally draining depending on your client, but you only have one in front of you at a time so there isn't the competing demand aspect like working in a hospital or care home, and you wouldn't be on your feet as much either. 

Medical assistant: you check people in and take vital signs at the doctor's office. Involves sitting and some walking but not prolonged standing, and the training is fairly short.

School paraprofessional/teaching assistant: help special needs kids with toileting, feeding, etc. at school. My district even have people (usually older women) who ride on the bus to help kids get in their seats and monitor for issues so that the driver can focus on driving.

Daycare worker: you can ask to work with the infants so you aren't chasing preschoolers around all day.

Maybe some kind of cashier job where you can sit down most of the time?

Real estate agent??? It's still sales but pretty low pressure.

Mobile notary: involves driving but pays pretty well, and again you are only dealing with one client at a time

Done daycare work for 5 years ( and did certificate of teaching at that time) , left without any job lined up as it got so bad. Anything to do with kids is not for me.

Medical assistant - I am in Australia , there seems to be no jobs with such description, it's either medical reception or nurse? I thought of studying to be a nurse, but ultimately it's not a direction I want to take. I am applying for reception jobs...

Mobile notary - seems not an option in Australia??

Cashier job - possibly , just need to find somewhere I can sit down intermittently , most of them expect you to stand for 8 hours.

Home health assistant - YES , possibility. Currently I work in aged care as my 2nd job that I intend to keep as it's very flexible , but can only do 4-6hr shifts twice a week, my feet betrayed me :(

Just need to find something to replace my 2 office days . Still happy to be doing aged care shifts and I also picked up housekeeping gig for a well off family , which I do once a week for 4.5 hrs. Still on my feet but I can handle it and I can listen to podcasts :)

Real estate agent - need to investigate, thanks!

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #7 on: September 05, 2021, 04:45:26 PM »
What about taking a few months off of work altogether and in that time learning some skills that would allow you to do comfortable work from home jobs, like technical writing or any of the other myriad jobs that have gone remote since the pandemic hit.

I think a few months off and then hopping back into a different interesting career that you could ramp up if you wanted would be a better approach in the long term than going straight into a "low stress* job.

In my experience, the stress of jobs comes primarily from how unpleasant your management is, and unfortunately, at the low responsibility level of jobs, the management tends to be terrible.

So you could get an "easy" job and end up just as burnt out due to dealing with a toxic work environment.

life_travel

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #8 on: September 05, 2021, 05:09:57 PM »
Malcat, thank you for your thoughts, I read forum every day , and I value your advice a lot.

Yes I would love to take time off but have a few concerns:

- I had 10 months off in 2020 and it took full 4 months just to recover from acute burnout , as in I ate, slept , walked every day 3 km , did yoga and swam a few times a week.

I then started a short course ( 1 day a week) for 6 months which was perfect and it landed me my 2nd job ( in aged care). I honestly thought I recovered enough , but obviously not.

- Still need to earn money , my husband is tired too , it won't be fair on him if I take time off again. We dramatically slowed our investments in 2020/2021 , we still invest but much , much less.

- I also look after close family member , who has mental health issues and addictions , I have no help from others in that. I am working with therapist on setting boundaries , etc in relation to that. We have to support said member financially due to external reasons forever in some capacity but in the next 12-18 months fully .

- I have one idea what I may want to do, and I will need to study for 18 months at 2 days per week ( so can still work another day or two) but ultimately I HAVE NO burning desire for any one field . I even got out " what color is your parachute" book last year while I was on my leave, did all the exercises but didn't come with with any new ideas :)

I decided that racing to FI was detrimental to my mental health , and CoastFI would be a better option but that means I need to find a new path that I can happily follow for the next 6-8-10 years.

Metalcat

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #9 on: September 05, 2021, 05:26:36 PM »
I understand. That's a really tough spot to be in.

Still, I would focus on figuring out exactly what factors in previous jobs have burnt you out.

It's rarely the challenge of the actual job that burns people out, but the pressures of the job.

I also still maintain that there are countless job possibilities our there. You couldn't pick a better time to switch to a new career.

Is remote work a possibility? If so, you could just spend a day on Indeed perusing what's out there now.

I had staff who had a side hustle doing medical billing. There really are endless options.

Chris Pascale

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #10 on: September 05, 2021, 10:07:17 PM »
Would you consider something in local or federal govt? In federal govt there's really no such thing as being overqualified. I knew a retired hedge fund manager who was a tax examiner at the IRS. Sitting right behind him was a retired NYPD detective. Another retired cop was a file clerk.

What's really great about this is that if you like it you can seek out promotions for higher pay, and in some cases with just 5 or 10 years you can lock down a small pension as part of your FI plan.

life_travel

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #11 on: September 06, 2021, 07:24:45 PM »
I understand. That's a really tough spot to be in.

Still, I would focus on figuring out exactly what factors in previous jobs have burnt you out.

It's rarely the challenge of the actual job that burns people out, but the pressures of the job.

I also still maintain that there are countless job possibilities our there. You couldn't pick a better time to switch to a new career.

Is remote work a possibility? If so, you could just spend a day on Indeed perusing what's out there now.

I had staff who had a side hustle doing medical billing. There really are endless options.

You are correct , if I can " simplify" my job I would still be able to do it ( not love it but tolerate).
Part of my job is to be an account manager , I used to have ONE large client , with lots of departments though but over the years I knew them all but their overall policy was ONE , with lots of variations .
Now, in my new team, we have 30(!) accounts split between 6-7 people and we work on them all, but their policies , set ups , etc are all vastly different . It's very stressful.
Also over the years my job moved from sales+account manager+accounts payable to sales+account management+ tech support/troubleshooting  . I am not into tech and I saw the writing on the wall in 2015 but was riding the gravy train ( money wise) until the end. Now covid affected our wages too so we earn a lot less. So suddenly on top of being stressed , the carrot of good pay is gone.

I started applying for admin jobs. It's very hard as my mental state is all over the place and it took me weeks to push myself just to update my resume.


I may have to bite the bullet, quit and start that 18 month training course. I am frantically trying to refinance our investment property to a lower rate , and our home too , because it would be near impossible if I leave this job, with only casual job. Banks don't like that :)

life_travel

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #12 on: September 06, 2021, 07:36:00 PM »
Would you consider something in local or federal govt? In federal govt there's really no such thing as being overqualified. I knew a retired hedge fund manager who was a tax examiner at the IRS. Sitting right behind him was a retired NYPD detective. Another retired cop was a file clerk.

What's really great about this is that if you like it you can seek out promotions for higher pay, and in some cases with just 5 or 10 years you can lock down a small pension as part of your FI plan.

I will consider anything at the moment! I am in Australia and from what I've heard gov jobs are hard to get .

Early this year I was actually going to do some tax training to be a tax assistant , to help people file their taxes at the end of the year, then submitting it to a proper qualified person before it goes to tax department. You are employed by tax agency.

The pay was minimum wage , and it's a seasonal job , July to October  , which could be great option for travelling.

I decided not to take the course this year ( you can only start in Feb each year for 16-17 weeks ) because I just started my 2 casual jobs, and for my mental health the motto was " less is more"

To be honest, I completely forgot about that option! Feb 2022 is not that far away :)

Now , that I've seriously tried my old job at 2 days a week, and I always wanted to give a proper try, so 2.5 months is decent I think? to realise nope, still hate it.

I think it's like leaving mildly abusive relationship of 10+ years, being away from it, and then going back for " one more try". When the other person promised they've changed , and they DID work on themselves, but you go back and all old feeling surface, and you just can't do it.

Thanks for listening whoever is reading and replying.

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #13 on: September 06, 2021, 07:46:47 PM »
Not the fastest or easiest - but at my engineering firm we hire people with AutoCad certifications which can be had within a couple months of courses I think. We even hired a couple of people with just one college autocad course. Pay isn’t super high, but the work is easy. Stare at a PC and draw construction plans. Don’t have to talk to many people, just do what you are told. One of those guys went on to become a fairly highly compensated project manager, but his workload and stress levels are probably off the charts now. Don’t take the promotion!

life_travel

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #14 on: September 07, 2021, 12:44:39 AM »
Not the fastest or easiest - but at my engineering firm we hire people with AutoCad certifications which can be had within a couple months of courses I think. We even hired a couple of people with just one college autocad course. Pay isn’t super high, but the work is easy. Stare at a PC and draw construction plans. Don’t have to talk to many people, just do what you are told. One of those guys went on to become a fairly highly compensated project manager, but his workload and stress levels are probably off the charts now. Don’t take the promotion!

Thanks, that's exactly why I asked the forum, this is an option I never thought of. Worth investigating.
Do you know what's the actual role called so I can check out employment opportunities?

Magnolia

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #15 on: September 07, 2021, 03:33:21 AM »
sorry to hear that you are struggling with burnout. It is exhausting to deal with.

I am in Australia and thought you could look at Clinical coder jobs as far as long term work. As far as I am aware you work in a hospital and read through medical records and code all the diagnoses so Medicare can be charged correctly. THere are several clinical coding courses. look on seek.com.au for more details about clinical coder.

have you looked on your local council website as they sometimes have part time administrative type roles?

I would also look at organisations like Silver Chain eg there is a Resource Coordinator job where you roster the other staff to make sure services reach their clients

A lot of jobs are advertised on organisation specific website so can be hard to find.

I hope you do mind me saying this but google perimenopause as once your hormone levels start dropping in your 40's you can experience poor sleep, fatigue which leads to brain fog and poor attention span and this leads to difficulties at work which then creates anxiety and exhaustion.

I hope you can find a new satisfying career path and start to feel more energised. Best wishes.




Steeze

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #16 on: September 07, 2021, 07:05:57 AM »
Not the fastest or easiest - but at my engineering firm we hire people with AutoCad certifications which can be had within a couple months of courses I think. We even hired a couple of people with just one college autocad course. Pay isn’t super high, but the work is easy. Stare at a PC and draw construction plans. Don’t have to talk to many people, just do what you are told. One of those guys went on to become a fairly highly compensated project manager, but his workload and stress levels are probably off the charts now. Don’t take the promotion!

Thanks, that's exactly why I asked the forum, this is an option I never thought of. Worth investigating.
Do you know what's the actual role called so I can check out employment opportunities?

Probably depends on the region but these keywords are used (at least in the US) Draftsman, draftsperson, CAD Technician, AutoCAD Drafter, Computer Aided Drafting, Cad Designer, CAD Operator

begood

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #17 on: September 07, 2021, 10:54:53 AM »
Coming at this from a slightly different direction... as someone who has a young adult with a mental illness, I recognize the fatigue in your voice. It can be quite the roller coaster, and I always feel like more than half of my brain is engaged in coping/planning/processing that. It can be exhausting and discouraging and scary. It makes everything else in life harder. So I just want to acknowledge that for you and offer empathy. And I encourage you to be really compassionate with yourself and extend yourself all the grace you can.

Have you connected with AlAnon Australia? https://www.al-anon.org.au/ AlAnon is designed for families who support someone struggling with addiction. Finding solidarity with others in a similar position may be helpful to you.

lifeandlimb

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #18 on: September 07, 2021, 11:45:23 AM »
The most relaxed job I ever had was doing data entry. I highly recommend it. (I also can't stand on my feet for long periods of time without grave pain.)

I recently started teaching part-time and think that's a great option, too.

life_travel

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #19 on: September 07, 2021, 03:38:12 PM »
Coming at this from a slightly different direction... as someone who has a young adult with a mental illness, I recognize the fatigue in your voice. It can be quite the roller coaster, and I always feel like more than half of my brain is engaged in coping/planning/processing that. It can be exhausting and discouraging and scary. It makes everything else in life harder. So I just want to acknowledge that for you and offer empathy. And I encourage you to be really compassionate with yourself and extend yourself all the grace you can.

Have you connected with AlAnon Australia? https://www.al-anon.org.au/ AlAnon is designed for families who support someone struggling with addiction. Finding solidarity with others in a similar position may be helpful to you.

Yes, that's my situation, it's a rollercoaster , sometimes it gets easier , and then they fall off the wagon and I am just surviving.. I literally don't know how people can hold full time jobs while supporting someone with addictions/mental illness/disability/terminal illness. I've gone to part time and I am STILL struggling.

I definitely need to reach to others , thanks for mentioning AlAnon, it's all new to me to navigate, I was in denial for years that their problems are long term, always hoped they will change and everything will be good . Naive, I know :(

life_travel

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #20 on: September 07, 2021, 03:49:29 PM »
sorry to hear that you are struggling with burnout. It is exhausting to deal with.

I am in Australia and thought you could look at Clinical coder jobs as far as long term work. As far as I am aware you work in a hospital and read through medical records and code all the diagnoses so Medicare can be charged correctly. THere are several clinical coding courses. look on seek.com.au for more details about clinical coder.

have you looked on your local council website as they sometimes have part time administrative type roles?

I would also look at organisations like Silver Chain eg there is a Resource Coordinator job where you roster the other staff to make sure services reach their clients

A lot of jobs are advertised on organisation specific website so can be hard to find.

I hope you do mind me saying this but google perimenopause as once your hormone levels start dropping in your 40's you can experience poor sleep, fatigue which leads to brain fog and poor attention span and this leads to difficulties at work which then creates anxiety and exhaustion.

I hope you can find a new satisfying career path and start to feel more energised. Best wishes.

Thank you SO much Magnolia for suggestions specific to Australia, I checked our local council site already but nothing is available atm. I will check the others.

At the moment as I am dealing with yet another crisis with said family member , the level of my mental energy even to update my resume is so so low. But going back to my office job fills me with dread and anxiety.

I think about perimenopause, but to be honest when I was on stand down from my corporate job last year and earlier this year and was just doing aged care casual shifts , AND family member was ok, working and functioning, I had excellent sleep, no anxiety, I laughed and made life plans.  However  I did recognise that going back to more complex job was hard, I used to be so good at it in my 30s , fast, quick thinker, etc. I am definitely not as fast now and I struggle with demands, conflicting priorities and deadlines.

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #21 on: September 08, 2021, 03:11:25 PM »
Not the fastest or easiest - but at my engineering firm we hire people with AutoCad certifications which can be had within a couple months of courses I think. We even hired a couple of people with just one college autocad course. Pay isn’t super high, but the work is easy. Stare at a PC and draw construction plans. Don’t have to talk to many people, just do what you are told. One of those guys went on to become a fairly highly compensated project manager, but his workload and stress levels are probably off the charts now. Don’t take the promotion!

What is the pay scale on that if you don't mind me asking? I'm currently a project engineer (not a PE) for an environmental contractor. I have a fair amount of experience with surveying and construction drawings, but not autoCAD. I've considered learning CAD as a coast job as I'm getting really burnt out travelling 90% of the year like I do now.

Steeze

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #22 on: September 08, 2021, 03:48:30 PM »
Not the fastest or easiest - but at my engineering firm we hire people with AutoCad certifications which can be had within a couple months of courses I think. We even hired a couple of people with just one college autocad course. Pay isn’t super high, but the work is easy. Stare at a PC and draw construction plans. Don’t have to talk to many people, just do what you are told. One of those guys went on to become a fairly highly compensated project manager, but his workload and stress levels are probably off the charts now. Don’t take the promotion!

What is the pay scale on that if you don't mind me asking? I'm currently a project engineer (not a PE) for an environmental contractor. I have a fair amount of experience with surveying and construction drawings, but not autoCAD. I've considered learning CAD as a coast job as I'm getting really burnt out travelling 90% of the year like I do now.

Not 100% sure because I don’t deal with that side of things, but probably in the 40k-50k range starting with no experience. Standard benefits package. 10-20% bonus and 5-10% raises with a ceiling in the 75k range. Honestly the starting salary is pretty low considering we dont pay overtime, this is NYC, and you can make 40k at McDonald’s.

For someone with a BS in engineering no experience maybe 50k-60k + 10-25% bonus & raises with the expectation that you will become a project manager within a year. Ceiling in the 100k range for a PM. If you are a PE with 5+ years at the firm  and can manage people then a ceiling around 150k. If you can bring your own clients and expend the company’s product offering while managing and growing your own division, the ceiling is probably a % of the net profit.

My firm basically only hires people directly out of school, so no telling what they would do with someone with significant experience.

InvincibleChutzpah

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #23 on: September 08, 2021, 04:39:41 PM »
Not the fastest or easiest - but at my engineering firm we hire people with AutoCad certifications which can be had within a couple months of courses I think. We even hired a couple of people with just one college autocad course. Pay isn’t super high, but the work is easy. Stare at a PC and draw construction plans. Don’t have to talk to many people, just do what you are told. One of those guys went on to become a fairly highly compensated project manager, but his workload and stress levels are probably off the charts now. Don’t take the promotion!

What is the pay scale on that if you don't mind me asking? I'm currently a project engineer (not a PE) for an environmental contractor. I have a fair amount of experience with surveying and construction drawings, but not autoCAD. I've considered learning CAD as a coast job as I'm getting really burnt out travelling 90% of the year like I do now.

Not 100% sure because I don’t deal with that side of things, but probably in the 40k-50k range starting with no experience. Standard benefits package. 10-20% bonus and 5-10% raises with a ceiling in the 75k range. Honestly the starting salary is pretty low considering we dont pay overtime, this is NYC, and you can make 40k at McDonald’s.

For someone with a BS in engineering no experience maybe 50k-60k + 10-25% bonus & raises with the expectation that you will become a project manager within a year. Ceiling in the 100k range for a PM. If you are a PE with 5+ years at the firm  and can manage people then a ceiling around 150k. If you can bring your own clients and expend the company’s product offering while managing and growing your own division, the ceiling is probably a % of the net profit.

My firm basically only hires people directly out of school, so no telling what they would do with someone with significant experience.

Thanks! I didn't major in engineering, but do have 10 years experience as a construction engineer, my CAPM, and some experience as an assistant PM. I'm on my way to getting my PMP in the next year or so too. I'm not sure that I really want to be a PM, in all honesty. The pay is decent, but as someone who is close to coastFIRE I wonder if the stress is worth it. I kinda just want to sit at a desk and screw around on the computer. Hence, considering autoCAD. I think $50k is doable for a job like that. That kind of salary would allow me to coast and probably still save a little bit.

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #24 on: September 09, 2021, 03:35:49 PM »
Coming at this from a slightly different direction... as someone who has a young adult with a mental illness, I recognize the fatigue in your voice. It can be quite the roller coaster, and I always feel like more than half of my brain is engaged in coping/planning/processing that. It can be exhausting and discouraging and scary. It makes everything else in life harder. So I just want to acknowledge that for you and offer empathy. And I encourage you to be really compassionate with yourself and extend yourself all the grace you can.

Have you connected with AlAnon Australia? https://www.al-anon.org.au/ AlAnon is designed for families who support someone struggling with addiction. Finding solidarity with others in a similar position may be helpful to you.

Yes, that's my situation, it's a rollercoaster , sometimes it gets easier , and then they fall off the wagon and I am just surviving.. I literally don't know how people can hold full time jobs while supporting someone with addictions/mental illness/disability/terminal illness. I've gone to part time and I am STILL struggling.

I definitely need to reach to others , thanks for mentioning AlAnon, it's all new to me to navigate, I was in denial for years that their problems are long term, always hoped they will change and everything will be good . Naive, I know :(

That's a defense mechanism our brains provide for us because it's easier than staring at the sun of an uncertain future. And some addicts DO choose sobriety and some people with mental illness DO respond to treatment, therapy, and medication, so your present may not be fully indicative of your future. What AlAnon may be able to do is help you with setting boundaries and untangling your emotions from your loved one's. At a minimum, I hope if you go you will feel less alone, even if nothing else changes. I'm sending you big hugs from afar.

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #25 on: September 09, 2021, 08:18:58 PM »
Look up where people in your area take long exams like the LSAT or MCAT or whatever equivalent there is where you are, and then apply to those places to work as an exam invigilator. The barrier to entry is eye-wateringly low. Can you hand out tests and then sit at the front of a room and quietly read a book? Congratulations, you qualify!

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #26 on: September 10, 2021, 12:35:25 PM »
Between careers DH graded standardized tests.  It was a seasonal gig, pretty stress free once the state figured out how to get things scanned and sent over.  Before that it was a mess, but not his mess :). 

He also did data entry (not work from home) and that was fine with him.   Since he wasn't interested in showing off to the company he didn't interact with other people, just got his quota done. For him it was pretty easy until management made things rough enough it was time to leave.

A kid of a friend proctors standardized tests (like mentioned above).  Low barrier to entry.  The hours are a little random for her, but the stress is also very low. 

I've tracked nesting sea turtles late a night (more on your feet than you probably want) low stress, great work environment. 

I have lots of friends that make and sell art, so very on your own time.  All kinds of mediums.  Very irregular income though. 

Pet sitting is a popular one around here for people transitioning from one career to another (an acquaintance did it though Rover) not sure how it worked out, we lost touch over time.

Loren 

life_travel

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #27 on: September 10, 2021, 03:13:40 PM »
Look up where people in your area take long exams like the LSAT or MCAT or whatever equivalent there is where you are, and then apply to those places to work as an exam invigilator. The barrier to entry is eye-wateringly low. Can you hand out tests and then sit at the front of a room and quietly read a book? Congratulations, you qualify!
Interesting option, I never even heard of the word " invigilator" . I checked and our governing body appoints members and trains them , but the closing date just passed, it was 6 Sep. The work is just for 1 month but interesting to try, maybe this time next year.

The XXX appoints members of the community as invigilators to observe and report on the administration of assessments. The invigilator role is independent; they are appointed to supervise proper administration of the assessments, not to supervise students or assist with any administration or assessment set-up tasks.

External assessments will be administered from 19 October to 16 November 2021.

life_travel

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #28 on: September 10, 2021, 03:21:12 PM »
Between careers DH graded standardized tests.  It was a seasonal gig, pretty stress free once the state figured out how to get things scanned and sent over.  Before that it was a mess, but not his mess :). 

He also did data entry (not work from home) and that was fine with him.   Since he wasn't interested in showing off to the company he didn't interact with other people, just got his quota done. For him it was pretty easy until management made things rough enough it was time to leave.

A kid of a friend proctors standardized tests (like mentioned above).  Low barrier to entry.  The hours are a little random for her, but the stress is also very low. 

I've tracked nesting sea turtles late a night (more on your feet than you probably want) low stress, great work environment. 

I have lots of friends that make and sell art, so very on your own time.  All kinds of mediums.  Very irregular income though. 

Pet sitting is a popular one around here for people transitioning from one career to another (an acquaintance did it though Rover) not sure how it worked out, we lost touch over time.

Loren

Thanks for the suggestions, keep them coming, I am checking viability and availability of each option.

Tracking turtles - some friends do it and it's all volunteer work.
Art - unfortunately I am not arty or creative at all
Pet sitting - we just got a rescue dog and also fostering another dog for 18 months so won't be able to take any more in.
Data entry - I am looking, applied for a few ( here it mostly called office admin with extra duties) , I am a bit picky as i want part time and only during the week.

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #29 on: September 12, 2021, 10:58:26 PM »
I'm so sorry you're suffering from burnout. I also got burnout a few months ago, and it was not pretty. I'm also in my late 40s, working full time, taking care of a disabled husband, had a virtual schooled kid (thankfully now back at in-person school). I wonder if it will be tough to work while burned out. My brain got pretty fried. I ended up still working, but basically slacking off in all areas of my life, and just focusing on nature, exercise, food, etc. For jobs, it would be so great if you could do something that uses the skills that you used to have. I right now work as a product engineer, and work closely with account managers, QA, engineering, etc. Is there a different company that you could work at, but in the same industry? For example, I think the least stressful jobs at my company would be documentation, customer support and QA. If you work in a different industry, like in food services for example, I think it wouldn't necessarily be less stressful. You could always try for a short time and see how it goes. People on NextDoor and Facebook are always posting jobs, like they're looking for a nanny or a handyman or something like that. Or you could become a bus driver.

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #30 on: September 13, 2021, 02:27:26 PM »

Cashier job - possibly , just need to find somewhere I can sit down intermittently , most of them expect you to stand for 8 hours.


I was on a college campus a few years ago and went into the cafeteria where two cashiers were sitting on chairs ringing up the lunches.

I feel like I've also seen this in hospital cafeterias.

It seems like that would have busy and slow periods mixed. 6 a.m. to 8:30 a.m busy; 9 to 11 slow; 11 to 2 p.m. busy. That's 8 hours. 

Regarding the mobile notary, explore that a little more. I'm in the U.S but when I refinanced in March 2021, I found that this was common. During Covid, did Australian Title Companies still ask buyers to come in in-person to notarize documents? 

Covid introduced a lot of conveniences that look here to stay. (My Woman's Club is doing an in person meeting with a video'ed version for people who want to attend by zoom which we think we will continue so people who are sick or out-of-town can attend virtually; I still get some of my groceries via Amazon; my daughter's new job is going to be remote for at least the next year.) I would be surprised if mobile notaries don't continue to be an option post-Covid.

Loren Ver

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #31 on: September 13, 2021, 03:49:29 PM »
Not just pet sitting, but also walking or visiting during the day (night), or while people are on vacation and can't kennel (due to numbers, types, personalities, or medications).  People love their furry friends.  The pet industry is BIG!  Just being willing to give a cat a shot (like for diabetes, simple thing to do) can make you like gold for someone going on a business trip. 

Loren

life_travel

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #32 on: September 14, 2021, 04:54:28 PM »


Regarding the mobile notary, explore that a little more. I'm in the U.S but when I refinanced in March 2021, I found that this was common. During Covid, did Australian Title Companies still ask buyers to come in in-person to notarize documents? 


To be honest I am not too sure what people do here in lockdowns , in our state we only had very short 7 day lockdowns..

I can't believe anyone can be a notary in US, I just googled it and to be a notary in my state in Australia , you have to be a practicing lawyer for AT LEAST 10 YEARS!! Talk about strict regulations!

life_travel

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #33 on: September 14, 2021, 05:08:09 PM »
Not just pet sitting, but also walking or visiting during the day (night), or while people are on vacation and can't kennel (due to numbers, types, personalities, or medications).  People love their furry friends.  The pet industry is BIG!  Just being willing to give a cat a shot (like for diabetes, simple thing to do) can make you like gold for someone going on a business trip. 

Loren

I guess any type of " jobs" like that are more side gig type.. you need to hustle for them, a lot of mental energy , to get 1 client. I am still capable of doing quality work, but I just need it to be uninterrupted, maybe even repetitive ( so data entry would be fine) so I don't get flustered and stressed while I build my capabilities again.

That's why I am looking for a job, with an employer, so THEY give me tasks to do, THEY tell me what to do and I do it . I know, people usually hate these things , and they are the reasons people leave and go self employment route, and usually I would be thinking hell no, but at this stage in my life, part time job 2-3 days a week where I know what's expected of me and I can meet their expectations , is what I need.

I may reach out to my manager's boss and ask if there are any roles within the company they can offer me .

Do you think it's ok to be honest about not coping? I am scared that they will offer more support , but ultimately I am just struggling to work on that level and need to step down ( there are no immediate step down roles at all).
It's not like I am a manager , I am already an individual contributor, and we don't have junior and senior roles.

Admitting to my boss that I am incapable of doing this role , even with support, is pretty much saying I need to leave, right??

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #34 on: September 14, 2021, 06:59:25 PM »


Regarding the mobile notary, explore that a little more. I'm in the U.S but when I refinanced in March 2021, I found that this was common. During Covid, did Australian Title Companies still ask buyers to come in in-person to notarize documents? 


To be honest I am not too sure what people do here in lockdowns , in our state we only had very short 7 day lockdowns..

I can't believe anyone can be a notary in US, I just googled it and to be a notary in my state in Australia , you have to be a practicing lawyer for AT LEAST 10 YEARS!! Talk about strict regulations!

They might mean what we would call a Justice of the Peace and certifying documents. Which is a voluntary job here.

I've spent a lot of time in lockdown... needed my signature witnessed on a document recently and could not find a JP anywhere.

life_travel

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #35 on: September 15, 2021, 03:12:35 AM »
Yeah, JP is a voluntary job here and proper notary is a lawyer!

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #36 on: September 15, 2021, 05:05:32 AM »
Be careful...I went down this path. Got burned out from a job. Found a simple coastfire job and spent my days slacking off, took a lot of days off work, spent a lot of days in the office at the company gym, walking around, doing the bare minimum work. Not listening when people told me to do stupid work, only did the work that seemed important to the company.

I kept waiting for them to fire me...instead I got several raises and promotions. I even told them they should fire me for slacking off all day. They laughed, sad I was the best worker and gave me another promotion.

Now I make more money than I have ever made and am FI, but struggle to leave the job because I spend most of my time working from home slacking off anyway. Be careful...this could happen to you also.

kei te pai

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #37 on: September 15, 2021, 05:36:43 AM »
Are their any agencies in your area providing private homecare for the elderly? Granny sitting/ homehelp rather than personal cares? Youve got some training/ experience.

Not sure where in Australia you are but many years ago I did this and found it reasonably well paid and much less stressful than the nursing I had been doing. I think the agency was dial an angel. Still makes me laugh, I wasnt very angelic!
« Last Edit: September 15, 2021, 05:40:05 AM by kei te pai »

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #38 on: September 15, 2021, 12:36:43 PM »
Hi life_travel,
I am sorry to hear that you are going through this. My wife and I have both been in similar situations in the past and it is not good, and the money is definitely not worth it. Leave ASAP.

I am a runner so I am very familiar with plantar fasciitis. This is most commonly brought on by too quickly of ramp in demand on your feet. Marathon runners that increase their distance by more than 10% per week run into this. If you go from sitting all day to having job where you have to stand for 3 plus hours, yes you are likely to have problems. If you want to give the standing job another go 3 tips:
1.   Build up to more time on your feet slowly. Try increasing it by no more than 30 minutes per day per week (2 hours – 3x week then next week 2.5 hours…etc)
2.   Get a good pair of cushioned shoes, running shoes or industrial footwear. No high heels, flats, etc.
3.   Never be in your bare feet until you get past 6 months or longer with no issues. A lot of people don’t wear shoes in their home. Cooking when standing on a tile floor, morning prep on hardwood. This can stir things up if you are prone to Plantar F.

Having said that, I am going to offer a different suggestion then most which is to take a similar job with a different company. If you were to leave your current field to do something much less skilled you may begin to believe that you couldn’t hack it. Perhaps you start a position in a new field and your learning curve is not as fast as you or they believe it should be and this causes stress. People go down the path of, “I can’t do anything right.” This is not true but you certainly want to think through the implications of such a decision.

I believe the current job is a trigger for you after having worked for the toxic manager. You can have the best job on earth, but if you have a Jerk for a boss, they can make your life hell. There are Jerk bosses in every industry. You obviously have experience in what you do, you have done it for 20 years. You likely need a fresh start with a good boss. Watch for red flags during the interview process. Ask other employees what they don’t like about their job. Remember you are interviewing them to see if they are good enough for your time and talent. You are on the lookout for Jerks and having had a toxic manager you will be able to smell them from a mile away.

If you get into a new company and it is not what you thought, no big deal onto the next. There is a key for every lock and there is place for your talent and skill in this world.

Good Luck my Friend
« Last Edit: September 15, 2021, 01:50:56 PM by NCYeti »

Loren Ver

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #39 on: September 15, 2021, 12:49:58 PM »
Not just pet sitting, but also walking or visiting during the day (night), or while people are on vacation and can't kennel (due to numbers, types, personalities, or medications).  People love their furry friends.  The pet industry is BIG!  Just being willing to give a cat a shot (like for diabetes, simple thing to do) can make you like gold for someone going on a business trip. 

Loren

I guess any type of " jobs" like that are more side gig type.. you need to hustle for them, a lot of mental energy , to get 1 client. I am still capable of doing quality work, but I just need it to be uninterrupted, maybe even repetitive ( so data entry would be fine) so I don't get flustered and stressed while I build my capabilities again.

That's why I am looking for a job, with an employer, so THEY give me tasks to do, THEY tell me what to do and I do it . I know, people usually hate these things , and they are the reasons people leave and go self employment route, and usually I would be thinking hell no, but at this stage in my life, part time job 2-3 days a week where I know what's expected of me and I can meet their expectations , is what I need.

I may reach out to my manager's boss and ask if there are any roles within the company they can offer me .

Do you think it's ok to be honest about not coping? I am scared that they will offer more support , but ultimately I am just struggling to work on that level and need to step down ( there are no immediate step down roles at all).
It's not like I am a manager , I am already an individual contributor, and we don't have junior and senior roles.

Admitting to my boss that I am incapable of doing this role , even with support, is pretty much saying I need to leave, right??

Working with your manager might not be a bad idea since what you are doing isn't going to work for you long term. 

Could it also be where you are working, not just what you are doing?  Adding an additional mental hurdle to jump?  Hate for you to move departments just for it to not fix the issue, just move it around.

You really need to take care of you first.  You can't help your family or your ill family member if you are not okay.

life_travel

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #40 on: September 16, 2021, 05:13:35 AM »
Are their any agencies in your area providing private homecare for the elderly? Granny sitting/ homehelp rather than personal cares? Youve got some training/ experience.

Not sure where in Australia you are but many years ago I did this and found it reasonably well paid and much less stressful than the nursing I had been doing. I think the agency was dial an angel. Still makes me laugh, I wasnt very angelic!

I was thinking of that , but most of them are still personal cares and housework, being in aged care I like being in a team , if something happens I am not on my own, I just call the nurse :)

life_travel

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #41 on: September 16, 2021, 05:16:35 AM »
Be careful...I went down this path. Got burned out from a job. Found a simple coastfire job and spent my days slacking off, took a lot of days off work, spent a lot of days in the office at the company gym, walking around, doing the bare minimum work. Not listening when people told me to do stupid work, only did the work that seemed important to the company.

I kept waiting for them to fire me...instead I got several raises and promotions. I even told them they should fire me for slacking off all day. They laughed, sad I was the best worker and gave me another promotion.

Now I make more money than I have ever made and am FI, but struggle to leave the job because I spend most of my time working from home slacking off anyway. Be careful...this could happen to you also.

Love it, lucky you. For some reason anything I do in life involve blood, sweat and tears, I am one of these people that never came across any " coasting" jobs in my life. Maybe one day?

life_travel

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #42 on: September 16, 2021, 05:31:08 AM »
Hi life_travel,
I am sorry to hear that you are going through this. My wife and I have both been in similar situations in the past and it is not good, and the money is definitely not worth it. Leave ASAP.

I am a runner so I am very familiar with plantar fasciitis. This is most commonly brought on by too quickly of ramp in demand on your feet. Marathon runners that increase their distance by more than 10% per week run into this. If you go from sitting all day to having job where you have to stand for 3 plus hours, yes you are likely to have problems. If you want to give the standing job another go 3 tips:
1.   Build up to more time on your feet slowly. Try increasing it by no more than 30 minutes per day per week (2 hours – 3x week then next week 2.5 hours…etc)
2.   Get a good pair of cushioned shoes, running shoes or industrial footwear. No high heels, flats, etc.
3.   Never be in your bare feet until you get past 6 months or longer with no issues. A lot of people don’t wear shoes in their home. Cooking when standing on a tile floor, morning prep on hardwood. This can stir things up if you are prone to Plantar F.

Having said that, I am going to offer a different suggestion then most which is to take a similar job with a different company. If you were to leave your current field to do something much less skilled you may begin to believe that you couldn’t hack it. Perhaps you start a position in a new field and your learning curve is not as fast as you or they believe it should be and this causes stress. People go down the path of, “I can’t do anything right.” This is not true but you certainly want to think through the implications of such a decision.

I believe the current job is a trigger for you after having worked for the toxic manager. You can have the best job on earth, but if you have a Jerk for a boss, they can make your life hell. There are Jerk bosses in every industry. You obviously have experience in what you do, you have done it for 20 years. You likely need a fresh start with a good boss. Watch for red flags during the interview process. Ask other employees what they don’t like about their job. Remember you are interviewing them to see if they are good enough for your time and talent. You are on the lookout for Jerks and having had a toxic manager you will be able to smell them from a mile away.

If you get into a new company and it is not what you thought, no big deal onto the next. There is a key for every lock and there is place for your talent and skill in this world.

Good Luck my Friend

Thank you for your time writing your detailed response. I appreciate it.

A bit tricky to increase foot loading gradually when the min shift time is 4hr ( rare) or 6 hr or 8hrs. I haven't worked for the last 2 weeks in aged care and just signed up for 4 days next week, see how I go.
I finally able to go for walks again ( yay!) and been doing 3-4km almost every day.
I used to be the person that wore flip flops everywhere and bare feet at home ( outside too). Since this PF problem I wear cushioned slippers at home, it helps!

When I think about the company, I never want to set foot in it , honestly it's not a bad company at all, it's just I feel  I am DONE.
I also don't care much about the industry, which is super weird as it's used to be my love and one of my main hobbies.. and now I am like, meh..

I had one vey short video interview for a part time job, where I had to record myself, ugh it went BAD :) I doubt they'll call me back for an in-person interview, I stumbled, I was vague with my answers and halfway through I realised I am answering for 30 seconds where a 3 minute respond was expected. Oh well..
My husband says , use it as a practice , don't get too upset about the first one.

I took 3 weeks off my office job for mental health.

I use my hours when I don't feel nauseous with anxiety to apply for jobs , but I am also VERY selective .
I should have 10 weeks paid leave when I leave ( omg, I can't believe I am saying "when" and not "if") so that will give me a bit of cushion too. 

life_travel

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #43 on: October 04, 2021, 05:48:43 PM »
I did get the in-person interview so I was ok I guess in my video? It went well but the days weren't totally suitable so I was so relieved when they sent " unsuccessful " email. I feel good that it was my first interview in 15 years and I got to be one of 3 people. I also had a feeling I could've sold myself into that job, but instead I got cold feet at the end and didn't care anymore.

I also quit my corporate job!!! After 15 years and being on mental health leave for 3 weeks, I pulled the plug , handed my resignation on Friday and doctor has given me another 4 weeks off so I don't have to go back to work at all! It felt surreal, I was relieved but sad too .. it doesn't feel real yet .

The hard part is I don't have anything lined up but I guess it's by design as I need to recover from stress. My husband is struggling too , ugh , so I feel guilty having quit and "forcing" him to stay.

I am actually thinking , I want to be away from ANY office jobs for now. We are also looking into ways to decrease our expenses so he can step down to part- time too.

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #44 on: October 05, 2021, 06:50:35 AM »
congratulations on your time off. 
I had a set of work set backs about 15 years ago, took some time off, did a mini-retirement, yet I still wasn't ready to go back to an office job.  So I took a job at a wine store and took the opportunity to learn a LOT about all things wine.  I also can't stand long periods on my feet, but this job allowed me to do all kinds of things from sitting in a course (monthly) to learn wine tasting so that I could perform them myself, stacking boxes (great exercise), stocking shelves (meh), cashiering, etc.  The one thing I wish I had done differently would be to say that I would only cashier 4 hours per day max and that I would have a stool to sit on while I did it.  I'm positive that they would have been fine with that and would have accommodated me, but I was still in a phase where I was too chicken to ask. 

Anyway, it was fun for a few months, I learned something I wanted to learn, got some new upper body strength, didn't have to think hard for a long time, and then when I was ready to go back to serious learning, I went back to corp work.   

You'll find something -- even if it's just for a few months, try a lot of different things!  There is no "permanent record" except the one that you carry around.  So don't worry about leaving when something no longer feels right.  Good luck!

Loren Ver

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #45 on: October 05, 2021, 08:54:34 AM »
Glad you pulled the plug.  You needed to take care of yourself for a while.

calimom

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #46 on: October 06, 2021, 07:25:29 PM »
Good to hear you are taking a break!

I have a client account that is a wellness center (my small company takes care of the plants). They do acupuncture, PT, therapeutic massage, health classes, and a chiropractor has just joined their team. There's a front-desk person that does minor billing tasks, makes appointments, greets clients, and helps to prep the treatment rooms. While it is technically an office-type position, it seems very low stress and pleasant with enough tasks to keep it from becoming boring. I doubt a job like this pays much, but the person that I'm familiar with has told me part of her compensation is getting treatments, which might aid you in your journey to good health. Just tossing it out there, and wishing you well.

meadow lark

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #47 on: October 15, 2021, 08:00:43 PM »
Good job quitting!  My personal experience has been that time not working was the only thing that helped.

alsoknownasDean

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Re: A simple job to work while I recover from burn out
« Reply #48 on: October 15, 2021, 08:54:23 PM »
Hospitality and retail is an obvious choice but I can't be on my feet .

I believe Aldi checkout staff sit on chairs if that works for you (and if course if Aldi has stores in your area).

Otherwise maybe bookkeeping or accounts payable/receivable work?