Anyone broken free from professional life? Warning: rant

What do you like doing? I have managed to move out of shit office jobs. These days I am qualified in teaching subjects that interest me, yoga, first aid, bike maintenance etc. Job satisfaction and peace of mind are worth a few grand a year.

Well done, take a breather make some plans and avoid the temptation to return back to what doesn't make you happy. Also consider some self care such as meditation or exercise.

What do you like doing? I have managed to move out of shit office jobs. These days I am qualified in teaching subjects that interest me, yoga, first aid, bike maintenance etc. Job satisfaction and peace of mind are worth a few grand a year.

Well done, take a breather make some plans and avoid the temptation to return back to what doesn't make you happy. Also consider some self care such as meditation or exercise.

Not sure yet! Been thinking about getting qualified as a cycle instructor with a vague thought to do some freelance work 4 days a week to get some more work/life balance and move to four days a week. Having 6 months off from sept gives me some time to get some perspective and perhaps try new things. Realise I've kind of locked myself in to letting work take up all the time and weekends spent sleeping/occasionally seeing friends and family. Will keep following this thread for ideas and inspiration.

I'd strongly recommend looking at volunteering opportunities in areas that interest you. Without any relevant experience, companies will be reluctant to take you on, especially if you're well clear of school leaver age. Volunteering gave me the chance to try a handful of things at the same time and once you've demonstrated a bit of willing and enthusiasm you'll often be trained and tasked with things that could take you a long time to get to in paid employment.

I decided I wanted to work in either food or conservation. Now, after volunteering and then working in both I've decided to focus on conservation for the time being. Food generally involves a type of pressure and more anti-social hours than I'm prepared to commit to so, barring a rare daytime small production opportunity, conservation is better suited to my lifestyle.

I'm now working seasonal work for the local authority's Parks and Outdoor Spaces Team (the same LA I rage-quit my office job from) while saving up to get tickets in woodchipping, pesticides and basic chainsaw felling.

Thanks. At the moment I'm not quite sure what interests me, have become very cynical/dismissive of just about anything. If I can do some freelance work and free up 1 day a week I hope I can try my hand at a few things and see what actually gets me motivated/enthused. Going away for 6 months first though to get some space (fortunately been planning this with my gf for a year now so timing had worked out well).

Not sure this will work, but this article from The Economist is interesting;

https://www.economist.com/open-future/2018/06/29/bullshit-jobs-and-the-yoke-of-managerial-feudalism?fsrc=gp_en

It’s an interview with an anthropologist who has studied work and thinks 30-40% of people are in bullshit jobs, which are utterly meaningless and unfulfilling.

I thought the percentage would be higher.

So two months down the line it's coming together. Left work a month earlier than expected - kept having panic attacks, not sleeping and breaking down in tears so they agreed to let me leave early (as you can imagine, I wasn't doing a great job!). Still have anxiety dreams about work but have self referred and going away for 6 months in three weeks time. Takong two notebooks - one to write down ideas of what I want to do/change when I get back to get a better work/life balance, and another to document the trip. Have told friends and family of what happened and on the whole have been supportive )some tbf didn't know how to react to something so out of character).

Looking back, boss and work made me feel like shit, didn't help sort out pressures etc but put the blame solely on me ("some people can't cope here ") which was fucking awful way to manage the whole situation, but I'm free and have a shit load of free time now to be free of everything. Feeling very lucky to be in this position.

(Parklife)

I'm free and have a shit load of free time now to be free of everything.

Enjoy!

Just got my first chainsaw ticket. The scariest £500ish I've ever spent.

I done a years worth of dry stone walling on community service
Very therapeutic

Update- now 2 months into our travels/career break. Have taken a notepad with me and jotted ideas of how I’d like/dream of working for a cycle tours company, leading groups on holidays or more like Adventure Syndicates outreach work. Am assuming would take a while but think I could get training and experience for leading group rides, maintenance plus bike ability. Any recommendations welcome, be interested in buying someone a pint/coffee to get a better idea of what would be involved. The idea of returning to a full time desk based job brings me out in cold sweats but we are also planning to move in the next 18 months so need to show a reliable and regular income for any mortgage applications. Keep fighting off the negative voices saying none of this is possible/can’t do it and still getting anxiety attacks out here (now definitely related to tiredness/too much sugar and caffeine) so will self refer when I get back to the UK as well. Distance and break doing a world of good though. Feel very lucky to be able to do this trip, but also remember it took 2 years of planning and savings so deserve it too.

Hope everyone subbed on this thread is doing ok. Just having this helps me as I’m not able to discuss any of this with friends/family at the moment for various reasons so thanks all.

Ha
Got mine last year
Stihl or husqvarna?

Am currently not formally employed

Picking up bits of event work

We are in the middle of house extension so have taken over the project management. Have helped out with the grounds work- whacker plate last week. Today I have been setting out blocks for our brickie- thankfully splitting pallets of blocks onto more pallets and using the tractor to redistribute them. It feels good.

Sounds great fun!

Next up

Set up yoga website and also contact some first aid training providers to see if they may need me

Also helping a friend out chainsawing and doing some bikeability post course assessments for new instructors.

Funemployment!

I’d like/dream of working for a cycle tours company, leading groups on holidays

I've done a bit of this this summer. It's fun, hard, rewarding,very engaging and hard again.

Hard twice, because those who I worked for and similar businesses in the area, ran said companies in....strange ways.
There's definitely market growth for this, but with a new and fresh attitude that looks at things with more than 'go up a mountain, go down a mountain, go eat, repeat' attitude.
I've spoken to a few clients when I was doing it, and passed on hints about doing more, and the results I got were really quite positive.

Alas, out here, it is seasonal work (it really doesn't have to be) and so now I'm funemployed and heading back to the UK to regroup as well.

Don't give up on the idea. It's solid and has potential!

Interesting. Random Google results show it’s either MAMIL tours of the alps or leisurely touring / charity rides and definitely seasonal. One of my old jobs involved working with tour operators who were always “interesting” as you say. May DM you for more thoughts/tips, thanks!

I used both on the training. Stihl is a bit heavier but a bit more forgiving than a Husq. If I were to buy one I'd probably go Stihl. First up when I have some money will be the trousers and boots though.

Trying to line up some practical experience now.

We need to fell a few trees...

Have 20 acres of woodland that needs 1/5 of the trees to come down

Glad things are looking up but don't get too hung up on the 'what I'm going to do' as (if it is) a way to assuage your anxiety about how you may feel, or more likely perceive others may feel, about you to taking some time just to enjoy, relax, feel and be a better person. When I stopped my 'proper job', there was an unerring undertone of my own (and others) need to constantly reassure that I'd have a proper job (likely in education) again soon, "oh no, don't worry, he's not 'one of them'' - I'm well past that now. How long can I go on for doing (more productive and meaningful but less hours) casual work, living hand to mouth, being there 24/7 for my family (inc 2 kids two and under), being waaay healthier physically/mentally, spending loads of time outside, enjoying a far more fulfilling life, being less of a dick and almost always having a smile on my face? Well for-fucking-ever if at all possible, and no, I won't apologise for it.

Shit the bed that’s a lot of timber.

I stayed at a wood a while back whose owners were seasoning some of the best timber ‘in stick’ for top-notch joinery work where the grains butterfly. They’d been sawed longways, and stacked in order, spaced out with 1” sticks, in some tent like things with an open side.

I think very well seasoned hardwood is rare and fancypants joiners may be looking for just such a source as you if you do it right.

#iamnotanexpertobvs

I season my logs fairly carefully and I was intrigued.

Trying to line up some practical experience now.

Have they stopped chopping down the trees in Sheffield now ?