Quitting my job cause I need a break...good idea?

[njlonelydude]

I made another thread where I said I've finally decided to quit my job and get a new one instead. Well, I'm definitely ready to quit my job, but I'm not sure if I want a new one just yet.

The current job I have is easy: 9-5 with weekends/holidays off, and little-to-no overtime. But the routine I do mentally drains me. Doing the same boring work that I hate until it's time to get home, wasting time when I get home...then starting it all over. The only thing I have to look forward to is the weekend: which goes by so fast and which is very unproductive.

I don't think I'm ready to move onto another job. In fact, I really think that working is another step towards going over the edge. With all the things that are bothering me, such as my loneliness and other crap, work really doesn't help. If I had a good amount of time off, I think I could sort my life together. Then again, maybe I won't get anything done...idk.

I guess I'm posting this here because choosing to remain unemployed can be considered a "social problem." Any advice is welcome.

 

[eris]

I am unemployed by choice right now.

I worked like 10 years, I want to think about stuff for a little bit

If one can afford to not work there should not be a stigma

Dont worry about it and do whatever you like

 

[Badjedidude]

^^^It's hard to "do whatever you like" when you're financially unstable/insecure.

I say do the work, take your vacation time, and keep making money. You have no idea what the future may be. At least look into getting a new job if you DO quit.

*shrug*

Like I always say... they call it "WORK" for a reason. If our grandparents had "taken a break" during the Great Depression, we probably wouldn't even be here now.

Something to think about.

 

[eris]

I agree. I worked my whole life because I had to. My profession is kind of like philosophy, Ive got to think for a bit

but i see nothing wrong with taking some time off only if you dont need the money. If you need to pay your rent work at mcdonalds if you have to

I guess everyone has different versions of "need money"

 

[Badjedidude]

I guess everyone has different versions of "need money"

True.

I was just always raised with the idea that work isn't supposed to be fun or easy. Yeah, it's great when it IS... but you gotta do what you gotta do, right? Heh I've inherited the work ethic of the 50s.

 

[njlonelydude]

Being that I still live at home, I can "afford" to not work for a few months. But even if I had my own place, I'd still be okay because it's not like I buy a bunch of honeysuckle.

BJD, I think you're getting the idea that I wanna take the time off cause I hate working -- well yeah, I hate working, but I understand it's necessary. I just need a break from something in my life, and this consumes the majority of it right now.

I'm not even sure if I really want to go through with this break because I'm going to dealing with everything by myself, and that hasn't helped me out for the past 25 years. Maybe if I could freeze time until I figure out the right plan....

 

[Harold_King]

This really isn't the job market outlook to be quitting right now. I seriously doubt things are going to improve any time in the near future.

If you're ok with taking a year or more off, then go for it. But don't expect a quick turnaround.

 

[Badjedidude]

BJD, I think you're getting the idea that I wanna take the time off cause I hate working -- well yeah, I hate working, but I understand it's necessary. I just need a break from something in my life, and this consumes the majority of it right now.

Yeah, that makes sense. I'm just saying... sometimes a "break" becomes years long, ya know?

Be careful about quitting stuff, that's all.

 

[Sean]

Don't quit.

Ask your management, tell them you're having 'emotional issues'
Maybe they'll give you some time off.

If they don't, ask for less hours.

If you still can't handle that .. then quit.

 

[ThinkPositive]

I quit my full-time job in February. I've been living off savings and a small part-time job since. I'll just tell you my story how it is and you can draw your own conclusions.

For about 4 months, it was absolute bliss. I loved all the free time I had. I wasn't tired all the time anymore. I could run in the morning, rather than have to force myself to run in the evening after I was all tired from work. I got to do things in the middle of the day...it was great.

Then, I started to feel down. I like to be busy, and I just had too much time to be in my head, which is not good. That was right around the time I joined this forum, because not working is also very socially isolating.

I'm feeling a bit better, but now it's the money aspect that's really starting to worry me. I've had some large (necessary) expenditures, and my bank account is really dwindling.

All of that said, I still think quitting my previous job was a good move. Not only because I was tired of it and it felt like I didn't fit in, but also there were some changes going on in the company and it happened to be good timing. Frankly, I think my boss was perfectly happy to see me leave, not because he thought I was a bad worker or anything, but because he didn't really know what to do with me.

As for what BJD said...no one I know would characterize me as a "quitter." If anything, I stay at things much longer than I often should, just because I'm stubborn. But sometimes quitting is the right decision in life. I'm a hard worker, and I'm all about overcoming difficulties and all that, but I don't think working hard should be mutually exclusive to having personal satisfaction. In fact, it should be the opposite!

I don't know your specific situation or you well enough, but I just wanted to add my experience so you can make the best decisions for yourself.

 

[njlonelydude]

I quit my full-time job in February. I've been living off savings and a small part-time job since. I'll just tell you my story how it is and you can draw your own conclusions.

For about 4 months, it was absolute bliss. I loved all the free time I had. I wasn't tired all the time anymore. I could run in the morning, rather than have to force myself to run in the evening after I was all tired from work. I got to do things in the middle of the day...it was great.

Then, I started to feel down. I like to be busy, and I just had too much time to be in my head, which is not good. That was right around the time I joined this forum, because not working is also very socially isolating.

I'm feeling a bit better, but now it's the money aspect that's really starting to worry me. I've had some large (necessary) expenditures, and my bank account is really dwindling.

All of that said, I still think quitting my previous job was a good move. Not only because I was tired of it and it felt like I didn't fit in, but also there were some changes going on in the company and it happened to be good timing. Frankly, I think my boss was perfectly happy to see me leave, not because he thought I was a bad worker or anything, but because he didn't really know what to do with me.

As for what BJD said...no one I know would characterize me as a "quitter." If anything, I stay at things much longer than I often should, just because I'm stubborn. But sometimes quitting is the right decision in life. I'm a hard worker, and I'm all about overcoming difficulties and all that, but I don't think working hard should be mutually exclusive to having personal satisfaction. In fact, it should be the opposite!

I don't know your specific situation or you well enough, but I just wanted to add my experience so you can make the best decisions for yourself.

I've thought of quitting my job and doing some small part-time work instead, or maybe doing some freelance work. The one thing I'd lose is my health insurance, and I use it about 4-5 times a year.

There are people who aren't lonely, and dealing with the other issues that I have, and sometimes working gets to them; then there's me who has all these things bothering him, and work is getting to me.

 

[tehdreamer]

I have to quit my job soon because it's effecting my health which, in turn, is effecting my mental health. Being in pain all the time is sending me back into my depression. Not good.

Sometimes you do need to stop and take a breath from life for a while. But, yes, you do have to stay alert not to let the break last forever. It can be easy to fall completely out of life instead of just taking a break.

Work is supposed to be hard, but it's not supposed to suck the life out of you. That's how we get crazed postal workers going postal. So, I'd say go ahead and quit, but give yourself a time frame of when you expect yourself to be able to get back into things again.

 

[lomojojo]

This really isn't the job market outlook to be quitting right now. I seriously doubt things are going to improve any time in the near future.

If you're ok with taking a year or more off, then go for it. But don't expect a quick turnaround.

I agree 100% with ^ ^ ^
But it also depends on what type of work you do. If you have a specific occupation that is in high demand (like nursing) or you are a proffesional then it may not be that hard to find another job.

 

[freedom]

i don't mean to shoot you down here, but...

if you don't accomplish anything during the weekends, what makes you think that taking time off to sort your life together will be any more productive?

what i'm saying is that you don't need to take time off from work to sort out your life. a few weekends or a week-long vacation will suffice. you need to actually take action, though. don't just plan to fix things up. actually do it, actually fix things up.

i read a very true quote today that sais, "vision without execution is hallucination".

just something to think about.

 

[eris]

I actually have a degree. really.

All I am qualified to do is teach, and I really really really dont want to do that.

I am also pretty much covered in tattoos. No, that wasnt dumb. I really honestly do not care about career accomplishments and I dont think that everyone should.

If you want to be a fireman or a teacher, that is GREAT ! My husband is a teacher, he wanted to be a treacher his whole life.

but you see, this is what the world says.... " get a job and be someone"

i think you can be someone without a job :

BUT DONT BE A LEECH ! PAY YOUR OWN WAY AND YOUR OWN BILLS. But using your savings or inheritance or something to live on is fine.

My whole life Ive only ever wanted to do is think about "isms".

So, I think I get much more accomplished now than when I answered phones all day long.

like I said, I dont need money....so I dont work. its as easy as that

Ill probably work in the future

probably something dumb that wastes my time

Work is supposed to be hard, but it's not supposed to suck the life out of you.

and that happens so much...

My mom worked really hard labor at a coke plant ( coke the ingredient in steel not the soda) most of her life, and switched to scrubbing floors at a hospital

and now her body is totally shot at 60. She cant walk too far.

---

EDIT :

Oh, and then there is my brother He is almost 40 years old.

He is a "professional poker player" but he works almost never.

I think that is a lame excuse

Ok, so maybe he wins 1000$ every three months. He isnt very good OR very accomplished.

He mostly just lives at our aunts house and pays no bills and gets taken care of


I think doing stuff like THAT Is really lame

 

[njlonelydude]

Oh, and then there is my brother He is almost 40 years old.

He is a "professional poker player" but he works almost never.

I think that is a lame excuse

Ok, so maybe he wins 1000$ every three months. He isnt very good OR very accomplished.

He mostly just lives at our aunts house and pays no bills and gets taken care of


I think doing stuff like THAT Is really lame

GAMBLING TIP:
Being a "professional poker player" only works if you're already a "high roller" or a "ballah." If you ain't either of those, or don't know what they mean, then don't go down this "career path."

If your bro wants to make money off of gambling, the best way for him to do that is by sports betting. Although sports betting is only legal in Nevada, so tell your bro to move there. There is another way for your brother to make sports bets outside of Nevada, but if he can't pay his debts off then he's going to deal with some violent consequences.

Well, there are also websites based outside of the US that let you place bets, but from what I hear they're less likely to pay you than the "bringers of violent consequences."

 

[eris]

I never got the whole thing. IDK. I think being a professional gambler or any sort wouldnt be a very, uh, stable career


I live really really close (maybe 30 minutes) from wheeling, WV and all gambling is legal

My area ( southwestrn PA) has always had most things like slots and dog races but were recently approved this year for table games and poker and these things.

I live within 5 miles from a huge gameling "compound" of some sorts

It is really destroying a lot of lives. It seems like there are more homeless people now

my brother is just lazy and likes to play poker

 

[njlonelydude]

I never got the whole thing. IDK. I think being a professional gambler or any sort wouldnt be a very, uh, stable career


I live really really close (maybe 30 minutes) from wheeling, WV and all gambling is legal

My area ( southwestrn PA) has always had most things like slots and dog races but were recently approved this year for table games and poker and these things.

I live within 5 miles from a huge gameling "compound" of some sorts

It is really destroying a lot of lives. It seems like there are more homeless people now

my brother is just lazy and likes to play poker

Well, I was talking about sports betting specifically -- betting on fights or ball games.

 

[eris]

oh. yeah im pretty sure thats illegal

seems risky

 

[njlonelydude]

oh. yeah im pretty sure thats illegal

seems risky

If you use a website to do gambling, the law doesn't really care unless you're making an assload of money.
If a couple of guys named Vinnie, Tony and Frankie are who you place your bets with...they care about every cent.