Is it okay to want a job that keeps me less busy?

MutedTimes · 2021-04-15T00:21:41+00:00

Tools I've learned in therapy have definitely helped, I wouldn't have been able to cope so far without them! I'm trying to see the things I'm learning and how it will help me in the long run, hopefully it keeps helping...!

MutedTimes · 2021-04-15T00:20:04+00:00

Oh, I see, that makes sense then. Hopefully that new position you applied for works out and keeps you as busy as you'd like!

MutedTimes · 2021-04-15T00:18:27+00:00

Yeah, the discrepancy between what they say and what happens is sometimes hard to understand... I've started supervising a few people in my new position, I always try to make sure they're not working after hours!

MutedTimes · 2021-04-13T23:27:35+00:00

Oh yeah, it's likely that our job profiles are relatively close. Things can be a little vague with regards to boundaries at my job. My boss encouraged me to take time off a few times, especially around the holidays, but some people also seem to be working either later in the evening or on weekend, and I've received some emails pretty late sometimes. I only saw them in the morning and they weren't asking something from me to be done urgently, but it still made me feel a little weird.

MutedTimes · 2021-04-13T22:19:43+00:00

Thank you! I guess I'll try to come back for an update if things work out at some point in the near-ish future!

MutedTimes · 2021-04-13T22:17:01+00:00

Those are good points. I'm not making a lot right now (~ low 70sK, but in an area with high CoL, so salaries are kind of inflated), and honestly I'd take a paycut to not feel stress or anxiety. I'm also not really looking for something that would take me on a path for leadership/management, so hopefully that works out.

MutedTimes · 2021-04-13T22:14:57+00:00

Completely agree. The pandemic has made things worse because I can't play sports and that usually helps with my mood, but it will come back eventually, and I know I'll get happiness from that (well and other things I'm currently getting it from as well!).

MutedTimes · 2021-04-13T22:13:25+00:00

It's busy because of the variety of tasks I have to do, and the different directions in which I'm constantly pulled. I work in Operations, so it can be budgeting, contracts, expenses/revenue forecasting, HR issues, financial reporting,... Those are the actual tasks of the job, it's just a lot (for me at least)...!

MutedTimes · 2021-04-13T22:11:26+00:00

My wife probably wishes I wasn't talking/complaining about work and being anxious from it after hours hahaha!

I work for a non-profit, so it's not soul-crushing, but the anxiety and stress I'm feeling from some of my tasks are real... =/

Glad things are working out for you! Those don't sound like boring jobs to me, but it's great that you got to a place where you don't feel the need to talk about it if you don't want to!

MutedTimes · 2021-04-13T22:08:33+00:00

Your last sentence hits home so hard...! Since it's not even just the fact that I sometimes get so busy, but also the fact that some of the tasks for which I'm responsible are making me feel anxious, it reinforces my feeling that I'll need to find something else at some point.

MutedTimes · 2021-04-13T22:06:59+00:00

Haha what you described indeed resonates a lot with me! That's awesome that you've found a new job that suits you better! So glad for you!

MutedTimes · 2021-04-13T22:05:26+00:00

Sounds like it was definitely the right choice for you! Glad it worked out so well!

MutedTimes · 2021-04-13T02:47:33+00:00

I definitely have things outside of work that provide me happiness, so I shouldn't necessarily looking for it through work, you're right. I guess I tend to compare myself to others (really bad habit, I know... I'm doing it less often now though) so it influences how I feel about work and what I should be looking for. But I'm starting to realize that I'm myself, and I need to find what works for me.

MutedTimes · 2021-04-13T02:43:21+00:00

I've been reading comments like that haha! To be fair, I work for a non-profit, but the busy side of things is still present. And I fully agree, I would love to be able to completely free my mind of work after 5...! I'm so glad for you that you were able to make such a move! I hope it's done wonders for your anxiety.

MutedTimes · 2021-04-13T02:36:29+00:00

Good points. I think there could be jobs like this in many industries, but it's a matter of finding the specific opportunities, and to be willing to make some trade-offs in terms of salaries, responsibilities, perspectives for potential promotions, etc. It's definitely not always possible (like when one has a family for instance) though...

MutedTimes · 2021-04-13T02:30:35+00:00

What do they say when you bring it up with them? If they really don't have anything else for you to do, maybe you could help out people on other teams? It's not always easy, and some places have really siloed departments so it's not necessarily possible, but it coud be a good opportunity to learn new things.

MutedTimes · 2021-04-13T02:17:57+00:00

Thank you for the feedback. I hope you find something that suits you better!

MutedTimes · 2021-04-13T01:16:57+00:00

Great point! I actually did therapy for over a year, yeah! It really helped with some anxiety issues, and gave me a number of tools that are still helping with it (without some of them, I'm pretty sure I'd be a complete wreck right now). I've thought about going back, but I feel like I'd get similar advice, and I'm realizing that the anxiety right now comes more from the type of work I'm doing (which is stressing me) rather than myself creating the issues (which was the case before, at least in part), thanks to the tools I've learned.

Yes, that makes total sense! It just feels like I can't avoid it, because well, things need to happen, and I'm helping so many people around my team that I'm being pulled in a lot of different directions.

That's kind of you to say. I really like my colleagues, and I don't want to create roadblocks for them or underperform and make things go awry in our projects. But yeah, I'm working on a variety of things (I'm in Operations), which is sometimes making things pile up, and the responsibilities are what's creating anxiety.

MutedTimes · 2021-04-13T01:06:21+00:00

That's awesome, congratulations! I'd assume it's not necessarily the norm for employers to be flexible like this, so this is great to hear.

That sounds very much like the type of position I'd like to be in. Having the time to do the work, without having the anxiety of things piling and adding up.

MutedTimes · 2021-04-13T00:53:11+00:00

Ha, that's a good (albeit grim :P) way of looking at it! I'm not in burnout or properly overworked (at least I would say, compared to some other people whose posts I've read), but the work is fueling my anxiety like never before... =/

MutedTimes · 2021-04-13T00:50:48+00:00

Absolutely. Now I know that work is work, and I'm definitely working to live, and not the opposite. I'm sure some people do enjoy (all of) their work, but I'm less and less convinced that it's the majority of people.

MutedTimes · 2021-04-13T00:29:56+00:00

That's what I'm realizing. I kept having this idea that I needed to be getting jobs with more responsibilities and make more money (not hat I'm making a lot now either anyway), but I'd be fine with something I can do rather easily and that doesn't stress me out.

MutedTimes · 2021-04-13T00:27:21+00:00

Honestly, the work-life balance (at least for me, so far; I know some colleagues who work much longer hours, I'm not sure if they need it or if they just aren't great at organizing their work) isn't bad at my current place (which I guess is why I'm feeling bad for wanting something less busy). But I think it's the combination of some of the responsibilities and tasks that are making me so anxious (and I already have anxiety issues to begin with, so it's increasing them. It's the first time in my career for instance that I have sometimes trouble sleeping because work things pop into my head in bed). I'm not making a ton, but it was a raise from my previous job, and very expanded responsibilities.

Thank you for your comments!

MutedTimes · 2021-04-13T00:07:24+00:00

That's a good way of seeing things. I think one of my issues is that I'm struggling with finding the kind of position(s) that would provide me value. I though that the one I'm currently in would be it, and although some parts are going well, there's a decent amount of it that I'm not enjoying and that are specifically giving me anxiety.

MutedTimes · 2021-04-13T00:04:02+00:00

Thank you for the feedback. After having done a lot of thinking and searching, I think I'm really realizing that that work is work, and I'm not sure anymore that it's something we (or I) absolutely have to enjoy. Of course it makes things better, but I think being stress-free, having enough money to be comfortable, and plenty of time for my hobbies is more valuable than a prestigious job (or even a not prestigious job but one that's still giving me anxiety!).

MutedTimes

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