A huge leap of faith.

[Kippaxpete]

53 and I think I experienced my first panic attack this morning, such is the dread and depression I’m feeling over my work.

I’m sat here now and I literally can’t function. I simply don’t know what I can do.

A word to the wise my friend. Get out and do it quickly for the sake of your mental health. I gave up work eventually but delayed because I was plagued by thoughts of failure and concerns at a steep drop in income. It's only when I was able to put some distance between myself and my situation, I could see how utterly ridiculous my fears were. If not early retirement then a complete change of employment. Take it from someone who now knows, money is the least of our worries when your health is at stake.

 

[paulchapo]

I spoke with a close friend of mine today, he is 55 years old and I know he has been stressed with work for a good while.

He told me a few weeks ago that had made the decision that his mental health is more important than anything else, and he wanted to pack in working. He is in a well paid job, mortgage free, no debt and his kids have left home. He told me that he has around £50k in savings and over £250k in his pension pot, he just thought that he isn't prepared to deal with the daily grind anymore. At the time I thought he was just sounding off, jump back to today and he has only gone and done it, given his notice and not looking back.

He is taking 12 months out to chill out and "find himself", going to take a few holidays and go to the gym each day to get himself fit. He is going to see where things take him and enjoy life for a while. I should mention that his wife is doing the same, it seems she is fully on board with it and was just waiting for him to pull the trigger.

But it got me thinking, would I be prepared to do the same? It just seems like a huge risk to take at a time when he is doing so well financially, then again his mental health is more important. I'm not sure that I could.
There would be the worry about getting back into work in 12 months time, would I even want to go back to work? I doubt it. And the fear of eating into the savings each month and the dread of any major unexpected expense.

On the other hand I think he has just become my new hero, he hasn't ever been the impulsive type but seems to have gone all in this time. He got me thinking when he said, at 70 years old is he ever going to regret having a year out to do the things we wanted to do while still healthy enough to do so.

Anyone else have made a leap of faith like this and how did it work out?

Nobody will ever be on their death bed and think, "I wish I'd spent more time at work."

I was in a similar position. 59, fed up of travelling, working in adverse weather conditions in rough weather at sea and doing 12 hour shifts. Add on shit management putting more and more pressure on. My mortgage was paid off, I had savings and could take my navy pension of £678 a month. I sat and thought, "What am I working for?" Two or three holidays a year, a night out at the pub and going to the match. I had just over six years until I could draw my state pension. I then worked out utilising my savings and navy pension I could do all these things and more. Once the state pension kicked in I'd be getting another £800+ a month. So I thought fuck it and put my notice in.

I've never regretted a minute. Life goes fast, our health isn't guaranteed and before you get too old and your travel insurance goes through the roof I'd say do it. Everybody is different of course, with different commitments and hobbies but fuck working to make some business mega profits while they pay you as little as they can.

 

[domalino]

Everyone should do it if they can. You’re a long time dead and you can’t spend your money then either.

And leaving* aside financials, taking a year to focus on your fitness at 50 is going to make the rest of your life both longer, and a lot more enjoyable.

I’ve been on a health and fitness kick since Christmas and it’s really hard to make people understand how much better you feel day to day, how much your mood is improved, how much more energy you have and how much more you get done.


After 50 you lose 10% of your muscle mass per decade and between 50-60 is when a sharp decline in terms of cardiovascular health and endurance begins. Both of those can be counteracted with a couple of hours a week effort, with a whole year prioritising it? He’ll look and feel 10 years younger.

 

[domalino]

53 and I think I experienced my first panic attack this morning, such is the dread and depression I’m feeling over my work.

I’m sat here now and I literally can’t function. I simply don’t know what I can do.

I don’t know if you mean “your first panic attack” or just your first over work specifically, but I suffered from really severe, sometimes multi-hour long panic attacks when I just got out of uni 10 years ago, and after 1 session with a cognitive behaviour therapist (£80) I never had one again.

I would really, really recommend it to anyone who deals with panic attacks even occasionally.

As soon as the therapist broke down the thought processes behind a panic attack and we analysed them properly, it just made sense and the next time I would have had one, I recognised the thought pattern straight away and it broke.

It won’t cure everything, I still had to tackle the things giving me the anxiety, but the panic attacks never came back, and if you wanted to speak to the therapist more about underlying causes then I’m sure they wouldn’t make things worse.

 

[Bluemanc100]

I spoke with a close friend of mine today, he is 55 years old and I know he has been stressed with work for a good while.

He told me a few weeks ago that had made the decision that his mental health is more important than anything else, and he wanted to pack in working. He is in a well paid job, mortgage free, no debt and his kids have left home. He told me that he has around £50k in savings and over £250k in his pension pot, he just thought that he isn't prepared to deal with the daily grind anymore. At the time I thought he was just sounding off, jump back to today and he has only gone and done it, given his notice and not looking back.

He is taking 12 months out to chill out and "find himself", going to take a few holidays and go to the gym each day to get himself fit. He is going to see where things take him and enjoy life for a while. I should mention that his wife is doing the same, it seems she is fully on board with it and was just waiting for him to pull the trigger.

But it got me thinking, would I be prepared to do the same? It just seems like a huge risk to take at a time when he is doing so well financially, then again his mental health is more important. I'm not sure that I could.
There would be the worry about getting back into work in 12 months time, would I even want to go back to work? I doubt it. And the fear of eating into the savings each month and the dread of any major unexpected expense.

On the other hand I think he has just become my new hero, he hasn't ever been the impulsive type but seems to have gone all in this time. He got me thinking when he said, at 70 years old is he ever going to regret having a year out to do the things we wanted to do while still healthy enough to do so.

Anyone else have made a leap of faith like this and how did it work out?

I stopped at 56 with redundancy that I volunteered for.. I was disappointed that my employer wouldn't budge from statutory package but after pushback they paid up my 3 month notice period and I left within a few days... Just as we entered the first lockdown

I've been in receipt of a military pension since 2006, SWMBO has 2/3 of an NHS pension and we have rental income from a flat in Chester that we own outright.. We're also mortgage free where we live so the decision was made more simple I guess

I have a small civvy private pension sitting for a rainy day after taking the 25% tax free amount and we have a decent lump sum in savings...

I had intended to go that year anyway so the statutory deal, though a kick in the nuts, really didn't matter

Sue's been dealing with Lymphoma for just over 9 years so stopping work was a no brainer... I have zero regrets, I'm around 4 stone lighter and in good shape as I cycle most weekdays (I tend to do a 32 mile route in around 2 hours.. PB is 1 hour 39 mins)

I'd 100% recommend it to anybody, I'll never be "rich" unless I win the lottery but we are comfortable and trying to make the most of life!

 

[hilts]

I’ve never understood why people like Neil Warnock and Roy Hodgson continue to work despite surely having enough money to retire a decade or two ago.

Workaholics baffle me. I’d sooner be relaxed and happy.

A lack of imagination, come to think of it that explains the football.

 

[City Hobgoblin]

A lack of imagination, come to think of it that explains the football.

I think a lot of it in the case of Warnock and possibly also Roy is the ego factor- if they retire they are afraid they will become irrelevant and forgotten, having been in the public eye for decades.

 

[domalino]

I’ve never understood why people like Neil Warnock and Roy Hodgson continue to work despite surely having enough money to retire a decade or two ago.

Workaholics baffle me. I’d sooner be relaxed and happy.

I think it’s a combination of 2 things.

1) they probably don’t earn as much as you think. Roy topped out at a couple of million a year, but take out 40% for the tax man and 15% for you agent etc. They’re very wealthy men, but not comparable to the likes of Pep and Mourinho with their 9 figure net worths.


2) it’s not a job to them, they don’t consider it hard work. Remember if you’re not scared of being fired, 80% of the stress of being a football manager is gone.

 

[mackenzie]

I don’t know if you mean “your first panic attack” or just your first over work specifically, but I suffered from really severe, sometimes multi-hour long panic attacks when I just got out of uni 10 years ago, and after 1 session with a cognitive behaviour therapist (£80) I never had one again.

I would really, really recommend it to anyone who deals with panic attacks even occasionally.

As soon as the therapist broke down the thought processes behind a panic attack and we analysed them properly, it just made sense and the next time I would have had one, I recognised the thought pattern straight away and it broke.

It won’t cure everything, I still had to tackle the things giving me the anxiety, but the panic attacks never came back, and if you wanted to speak to the therapist more about underlying causes then I’m sure they wouldn’t make things worse.

My best mate is the same, and I think (with hindsight now) that CBT actually saved her life some years ago.
She cleared up the shite in her life and moved on. Lives in Malaga now and is happy. Was a long mental haul, but she got there

 

[mackenzie]

53 and I think I experienced my first panic attack this morning, such is the dread and depression I’m feeling over my work.

I’m sat here now and I literally can’t function. I simply don’t know what I can do.

I'm no expert and I'm sorry to read that you are struggling.
If you need to discuss though then just pm xx