I Don't Want to Work Anymore – Steps to Make It Reality

At some point in your life, you have more than likely thought to yourself, “I don’t want to work anymore!”

It’s probably on a day when things haven’t been going that well at work. Perhaps your manager has yelled at you, a customer has been rude, you’re behind on a deadline, and you’re out of coffee.

We aren’t all cut out for working a 9-5 (or longer!) day after day, and that’s not something to be ashamed of. If you’re feeling tired of working, it’s time to start thinking about what you can do about it.

You don’t have to remain trapped in a job that brings you unhappiness. You have the power to make positive changes in your life, find happiness in your career, or explore other available options. Your choices can pave the way for a fulfilled and successful future.

Is It Normal Not to Want to Work?

It is becoming more and more normal not to want to work, but the question is – why? If you don’t want to work, there has to be something more to it than just wanting to sit on your couch and watch reruns of The Office (although that does sound pretty good, to be fair!).

However, there is a difference between not wanting to work because you don’t like certain aspects of your job as opposed to if you don’t want to work anymore – ever.

The thing is, we need to work to produce an income that sustains our way of living. If you don’t want to work anymore, you need a good plan to sustain your current level of spending.

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Why We Don’t Want to Work

You may say I don’t want to work for many reasons. Understanding your aversion to working is important to decide your next steps.

Maybe it’s not that you don’t want to work anymore. It could be that you don’t want to work at your present company anymore. Changing to a new company, job, or career path can improve mental well-being.

You’re Not Enjoying Your Job

If you don’t want to work, you probably aren’t enjoying your current job. Although we may start out enjoying our chosen career path, that doesn’t mean it will feel the same years down the line.

You may have enjoyed it when you first started working, but many people find themselves in a job simply because they need the money. When you’re doing a job just for the money, it can feel like a never-ending cycle of unhappiness and stress.

Burnout

Burnout is when you feel mentally, emotionally, or physically exhausted due to long periods of stress.

Symptoms of experiencing burnout include feeling like there’s too much stuff going on, feeling emotionally wiped out, tired, or drained of all your energy.

If you’ve reached this point, you may feel you can’t work anymore. It may feel like things are just too much. But when you feel burned out, it can also take a toll on your home life.

If you’re stuck in the rat race of trying to maintain a career that isn’t going anywhere, feeling burned out can lead to losing the motivation to work anymore.

Toxic Work Environment

If you’ve been in the workforce for any length of time, there’s a significantly high chance that you’ve been exposed to a toxic work environment.

The people you work with can have a drastic impact on workplace morale. If you can’t get along with your co-workers, it can cause negative feelings and leave you feeling overwhelmed. Or maybe you don’t agree with your company’s ethics or culture. Either way, having a positive work environment is essential to your overall happiness and well-being.

Health Has Been Suffering

Trying to continue working when you have health problems can be difficult. Your company culture may not understand or care about the health of their employees, no matter how serious.

A major issue that can come from hard work while you’re sick is that it can cause your health to get worse. If you’re sick, you may need a break from work to recuperate.

But a temporary break might not be enough if you have a serious condition you can’t cure. Your best course of action might be to create an exit plan that entails leaving the workplace.

What Should I Do If I Don’t Want to Work?

If you’re one of those who decide they don’t want to work anymore, it’s crucial to put a plan of action together. Let’s have a look:

Imagine What Your Ideal Life Would Look Like

Visualizing your ideal life is a crucial exercise to complete regularly – everyone should do it, not just if you decide that you’re going to quit working.

Life constantly has a lot of stuff going on, and it can be easy to get caught up in the goings-on and move around on autopilot. Once you get used to going through the motions, you can forget how you want things to go.

So, think about your ideal life if you stop working. Do you want to spend time traveling, being around others, or working on a garden or your house? What do you want to spend your time doing every day?

Take time to think of how your ideal life would look like – from the time you get up in the morning to the last thing you’ll do before you go to sleep. Maybe even create a vision board for yourself!

Take a Career Change

If you’re unsure if you want to work anymore, maybe you’re just dissatisfied with your current job. Changing to a new job can make you re-energized and excited about working again.

Think about other careers that interest you. Is there something you want to try, even if it’s different from the same field of your current interest? Maybe you want to try a job working remotely, alone, from home. It may be time to go for your dream job.

Starting your dream job can be a fantastic way to overcome the negative thought that you don’t want to work anymore.

If you need more motivation about ideas for advancement opportunities, talk to your support system about ideas for starting a side hustle or joining a new career.

Make Time for a Break

When you’re experiencing burnout, you can feel mentally and physically exhausted. The feeling of blah can make you want to avoid doing anything, especially work.

And when there’s so much going on in your life, from multiple hours spent at work to all the essentials, it can become too much. Something needs to be cleaned, cooked, or cared for: kids, pets, plants, home, or yourself.

With so much going on, there’s a high chance you need a break. As much as we all try to be a superhero, we all need to enjoy some free time now and then.

Before you quit your job, take some time off work first. Go on a vacation or spend a few days chilling at home.

Find the Cause of Your Feelings

When you think I don’t want to work anymore, it may be time to evaluate your work life balance.

Unless you’re working your dream job, you may need to adjust your work-life schedule. You may need to cut back on your hours at work and spend more time with your family life. Rediscover your core values and focus on your personal issues to re-motivate you to get back to work or find a new job.

Do some self-reflection to figure out what is causing feelings that make you not want to work anymore. Journaling your thoughts is a great way to find what is causing the negative feelings. Do a brain dump of all the thoughts drowning your brain and see what trends emerge.

There may be negative aspects to your job that are causing you not to want to work. Once you have answers, you can take steps to re-motivate yourself to get back to your job in your current position, start a side hustle, or change your career.

How Do I Quit My Job?

If you’ve decided that your best course of action is to quit your job, it’s crucial to make a plan once you’re out of work. It’s not a smart decision to leave your job at a moment’s notice without a way to have enough money to handle your personal finances.

Use this checklist to help you create a course of action to prepare you for quitting your job.

Create an Exit Plan

Before you quit your job, you need to give the idea major consideration. You may want to discuss the decision with a family member to ensure it’s the right choice.

You should never quit your job while in a bad headspace. If you’re angry, fed up with a situation, or don’t want to work anymore, it’s not the right time to make a drastic choice.

Instead, take a break and take time to calm down. Professional help from a career counselor or someone educated in how to help job seekers find a job suited to their interests.

It’s best to wait to quit your job until you have a new job opportunity lined up. If you want to take a break from working, first, make sure you save money to support your lifestyle financially during your hiatus.

During your time off, you can promote your skills with job recruiters, join career networks, and update your resume.

Cut Expenses

Unless you’ve saved enough money to handle your bills and lifestyle, it can take some time before you’re ready to quit your job. Bills don’t care that you don’t want to work anymore.

Starting a savings pot is essential for financial support when quitting your job or switching careers. It helps to have an amount in mind before you try to save money. Having a goal also lets you know how much you need to cut out of your expenses to meet your budget.

Save Money

If you’re experiencing dissatisfaction in your current workplace, now is a good time to start putting money aside to grow your savings.

Even if you decide to stay with your current job after taking some time off to recharge, saving money can reduce the stress of unplanned emergencies.

Start Hustling

Setting a monetary goal and decreasing your expenses are only the start of your plan not to work anymore.

Increasing your income can reduce how long you need to save money before you can leave your current position.

Here at Living Low Key, we’re all about that side hustle life! These are some of our favorite ways to earn money with side work. And some of these are opportunities that you can turn into a small business:

Can I Survive Without Working?

Before you decide you don’t want to work anymore, ask yourself, “Can I survive without working?”

The answer to this question should motivate you to get your life in a position where you don’t need a full-time income from a job you hate.

To live your lifestyle without working hours of your life away, it’s necessary to have multiple income sources, bringing in money.

There are ways to survive without having a lot of money. You can change your lifestyle to live off-grid and reduce excess expenses. But ask yourself if you’re willing to give up your comforts so you don’t have to work anymore.

Many people find they have too many things they don’t want to live without and give up the idea of not having jobs. But you can make money without hard work if you create passive income streams.

How Do You Make a Living If You Don’t Want to Work?

Most people don’t want to work anymore if they have the choice. But life doesn’t always care what you want or how you’re feeling. There are still bills you’ll need to pay. And you’ll still want money to spend on luxuries to enjoy life. So, what’s your workaround if you’re done with your job?

Create Passive Income Streams

When you don’t want to work traditional jobs anymore, having ways to get money coming in is crucial. We’re huge fans of passive income streams. After all, who isn’t a fan of making money without having to work?

Many passive income success stories make it sound like you can do nothing and still generate many riches. Sadly, that’s not true.

Most passive income sources require a lot of work upfront. But once you get these systems in place, they create opportunities for you to have a source of repeat income with minimal oversight and effort.

Some of our favorite passive income stream ideas are:

Rental Income
Investing – Our favorite beginner investing course
Write a book – Thats right, become an author
Advertise on your car
Create and sell digital products

Final Thoughts- I Don’t Want to Work for Anyone

If you’re at a point in your life where you don’t want to work anymore, it’s okay. It’s also normal if you’re experiencing feelings of guilt or concerns that you think you’re being lazy. But on the contrary, as humans, we were never meant to sit indoors, confined in cubicles for long periods.

Before you leave your current job, take time to evaluate if you desire to leave the workforce. Or if you need to depart from your current position, job, or career. Maybe it’s just time for a change.

If you’re certain that leaving your job is right for you, creating an exit plan is crucial to help you save money to support your decision.

The best way to continue a normal lifestyle without working is to generate passive income. Passive income means you can work less or not at all and still get money.

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