08-03-2021, 10:33 AM
What a thread. Condolences for all of the losses mentioned.
And I can certainly relate to rethinking things. I’d been planning to stay at my company at least until I turned 55, for a variety of financial reasons. That’s only 3.5 years away now, but things at work had become completely untenable in some important ways, and I had no choice but to leave. I’ll have to readjust my financial plans, and potential retirement date – it feels wildly unfair, but sometimes you just have to take a stand for yourself and what’s right.
Ken-do-nim, it sounds like we’re leading parallel lives in some ways. My daughter has Dravet syndrome, and will never live independently. Her mom (my ex) and I are in the process right now of figuring out where and how she’ll live when we can’t care for her ourselves, and creating the trusts and other mechanisms to try to ensure her safety. It is incredibly stressful and psychologically taxing. We also live in MA (not far from Brattleboro, actually), and will likely stay here given that it is better than most (which is not to say great, sadly) on services and support.
In any case, and nonetheless, I am planning to take a good chunk of time off right now to try an undo the severe burnout that has built up over the past few years. And when I do go back to work, I am very hopeful that it can be a significant downshift from the high stress jobs I’ve had for the last 20 years. My health has taken a hit in the last couple of years, and I’d really like to take better care of myself so I can be around a lot longer.
The pandemic has been a tragedy and a nightmare all around, but I do appreciate the small silver lining that it does seem to be causing a lot of people to rethink what is important. Myself included!
And I can certainly relate to rethinking things. I’d been planning to stay at my company at least until I turned 55, for a variety of financial reasons. That’s only 3.5 years away now, but things at work had become completely untenable in some important ways, and I had no choice but to leave. I’ll have to readjust my financial plans, and potential retirement date – it feels wildly unfair, but sometimes you just have to take a stand for yourself and what’s right.
Ken-do-nim, it sounds like we’re leading parallel lives in some ways. My daughter has Dravet syndrome, and will never live independently. Her mom (my ex) and I are in the process right now of figuring out where and how she’ll live when we can’t care for her ourselves, and creating the trusts and other mechanisms to try to ensure her safety. It is incredibly stressful and psychologically taxing. We also live in MA (not far from Brattleboro, actually), and will likely stay here given that it is better than most (which is not to say great, sadly) on services and support.
In any case, and nonetheless, I am planning to take a good chunk of time off right now to try an undo the severe burnout that has built up over the past few years. And when I do go back to work, I am very hopeful that it can be a significant downshift from the high stress jobs I’ve had for the last 20 years. My health has taken a hit in the last couple of years, and I’d really like to take better care of myself so I can be around a lot longer.
The pandemic has been a tragedy and a nightmare all around, but I do appreciate the small silver lining that it does seem to be causing a lot of people to rethink what is important. Myself included!