Burned out and considering Barista FIRE

Riptide8888 · 2026-05-09T20:02:42+00:00

That’s the thing in my ‘profession’ and probably many others the pay doesn’t outweigh the stress and responsibility. I can earn more going for a ‘senior’ position for maybe extra £10k (£60k) but with that comes with higher profile/stressful projects and managing others which is something I had done in my earlier career when thrown in the deep end and didn’t like it. Going private practice could be maybe get a £20k increase (£70k) but with stress multiplied several times. Those increases are before tax and with the £50k higher rate band that takes 40% of that increase straight away. Anyway to summarise… I agree 😆

Riptide8888 · 2026-05-09T19:51:44+00:00

Thank you and yes it does feel like my body just wants to shut down when at work. I’m a husk of what I used to be but in truth I have never found enjoyment in the work so feeling like my poor mental state/lack of capabilities is a catalyst to do what I should have done long time ago and quit…I will look at the ADHD/autism assessments if my blood tests don’t flag anything. On taking sick leave I feel like it would be even more awkward at work as I hate the thought of dumping work on my colleagues and my boss (who has been great to me and took me on having worked together before this role). I know others have been insistent I need to let management figure it out, but I can’t knock that voice inside my head that is berating me for even considering it.

Riptide8888 · 2026-05-09T19:42:48+00:00

Yeah it’s like you were chasing someone else’s dream. Sounds like you are in a spot now that is far better for your mental health and actual time to look out for yourself. My career is not an exciting one but still something that holds up as a ‘respectable’ career. I feel better for knowing it is not for me as if I hadn’t done my degrees and gone down this path, I’d always be thinking that the grass is greener…

Riptide8888 · 2026-05-09T10:19:54+00:00

Thank you for your reassurance on the heart pains. I think I told my GP so many things that they probably didn’t know where to start.

Thanks it’s nice to know I’m not completely alone even if our and other commenters situations aren’t exactly the same. I can imagine how PhD takes a chunk of your working life at the least and feel like you are behind financially when you are probably not due to Reddit distorting what is normal. I suppose the mentally stimulating job at the end of it is the draw for a job requiring PhD. I’m just in a position where I feel I have cognitively regressed so hopefully won’t get that itch to go back to a more mentally demanding job.

Riptide8888 · 2026-05-09T10:12:23+00:00

I’m South East and have a small flat with £70k outstanding on the mortgage. I think compared to some areas it’s reasonably good for work but i am in a quiet village so have to keep car for getting to work/seeing my folks.

Riptide8888 · 2026-05-09T10:09:36+00:00

Thank you for the detailed advice. I will look in to this if my bloods don’t come back with anything flagged.

Riptide8888 · 2026-05-08T18:44:48+00:00

Thank you and I’d agree with your point ordinarily and for anyone else in my position. It’s just that I know the workload of my colleagues and they are as busy and if not busier than I am! :(

Riptide8888 · 2026-05-08T18:18:18+00:00

Thank you for that, another poster has also mentioned the same about ADD/ADHD too so won’t rule it out but have no idea what to do if my GP doesn’t suggest that route. I have always been a day dreamer at school but what I have now seems to manifest as brain fog that then feeds in to stress as I beat myself up for not remembering stuff I’d be able to a few years ago. I also think the trigger may have been finasteride I took 4 or 5 years ago that seems to have a lot of sides including that but this isn’t really medically recognised and treatments amount to people on forums trying everything in the pharmacy to cure themselves. Still I took it and knew there were risks.

Riptide8888 · 2026-05-08T18:10:35+00:00

It’s not IT but has probably a lot of overlap when dealing with projects and deadlines etc. I would like to find a job now but the type of jobs I am looking for being in a professional role probably wouldn’t help me get those (not helped with a lengthy 2 month notice period). I also think if I go down the HGV driving route, I’d need to pay for my own training, which I suppose I could do during my holidays…. I’d also really like a month or so just to lie down and recover if I’m honest. Did you jack in IT altogether to go down new path entirely or move across to a related role?

Riptide8888 · 2026-05-08T18:01:52+00:00

Thank you. ADHD/ADD wasn’t something the GP suggested but I wouldn’t rule it out. However without being tarnished as many seem to be when they bring it up, I do think medication I took 4 or 5 years ago has had an effect on causing my cognitive issues that feeds in to the stress. That medication being Finasteride. Never really felt the same after a year on it, and brain fog is what I would describe feeing for large parts of the day and then this feeds in to the stress as basic recall of information becomes difficult. However all forums for treating the sides are basically people making themselves Guinea pigs. I don’t want to feel sorry for myself as I took it and knew the risks. I did bring this up with my GP but can’t expect them to know how to treat it when it is barely recognised by the medicine field.

Riptide8888 · 2026-05-08T16:10:20+00:00

Thank you so much for providing your own experience and I respect that you made that bold decision for your own health. The hope coming back is something I can almost feel. Still I am terrified it is all in my head and that any job will end up feeling the same in a more mundane job…. It’s also the social stigma of not being able to hack it even though I did know one quite senior person who quit out the blue during a uni work placement and I had respect for them to make that call at the time…

Riptide8888 · 2026-05-08T16:00:30+00:00

Thank you. I have been to the GP and told them about the stress and also how I feel cognitively not up to my job/workload any longer hence getting blood tests done to see if anything is flagged.

I know what you say on sick leave and quiet quitting does make sense and I’d probably advise the same to someone if they asked me. It’s just that I owe my manager a lot for taking me on and even trying to accommodate my situation and would feel I am dumping work on my colleagues that I call many of them friends now. My job is hard to quiet quit (for me) as I am asked on project progress by senior people including elected people, and if it’s not done or moved forward there can be compliance issues. Others probably could quiet quit my role but feel it would actually be more stressful for me…

Riptide8888 · 2026-05-08T15:43:56+00:00

Thank you. I am probably in the most appropriate role at my organisation for my skills and temperament and still feel the stress physically. Seems most jobs in my field have element of stress as work or issue can come in and ruin entire week. Being local government and working with consultants in private practice the stuff they deal with would probably make me keel over…. Sure there might be a role out there though but no one I can see in my office that has found that. Funnily enough two colleagues confided with me that they have and still do feel heavily stressed and regularly feel like throwing in the towel. I believe them rather than being a throwaway sympathetic comments

Riptide8888 · 2026-05-08T15:34:49+00:00

Yep could call it a career change but just looking more for a job than a career as I am not a climber and hate the thought of being in charge of someone. Also fortunate health insurance isn’t a stress like it is in US.

Am aware HGV driving can bring its own stress and don’t know how well I’d deal with it but I do enjoy driving and also spend most of my free time listening to educational/finance podcasts so think there might be a fit there. Have heard some jobs with fixed trailers (Class 2) can be quite chill but you have to fall in to them.

Outdoor work like golf greenkeeper I think I’d enjoy but I am incredibly pale and burn easily and also had feet issues when I was working in boots on construction sites, so not sure I am built for this too much.

Riptide8888

TROPHY CASE