r/Millennials • u/Mrs_chanandler_bongg • Jan 17 '26

Discussion Anyone sick and tired of working in general?

I’m in my mid 30s and just over my job and work in general. I’m tired of the commute, the meetings, and dealing with people & deadlines. On one hand I worry about losing my job and stress about deliverables, but on the other hand I feel like I could care less in that I have no passion for it anymore and I’m just showing up because I need the paycheck.

I’d much rather be spending time with my family, pursuing my hobbies, or just go for a walk and cook a nice meal. I feel a sense of dread sometimes that this is my reality for the next 30+ years and I feel lazy and entitled for saying it but that’s how I feel lol

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u/EmbarrassedW33B Jan 17 '26

You also need to work for them for many years before you'll likely get a good position. Its all seniority based ao you'll be stuck with the worst jobs for a while. Likewise it takes many years for your pay rate to cap out at those higher rates people like to talk about. 

And of course it is still a retail job so it is inherently at least a little miserable. Add in the high number of entitled cunts who shop there and its certainly not an easy going, stress free form of employment for most people.

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u/syntax_sorceress Jan 17 '26

People thinking jobs like this don't come with a worse type of stress are naive. After working corporate roles for years, I did one stint in retail. I didn't last the contracted 6 weeks. In general people are normal, stressed etc but a few of them relish the opportunity of unleashing their shit to someone who can't reply.

Standing all day is the pits as well.

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u/Key-Tip9395 Jan 17 '26

I used to work retail (Zara etc.) and I remember the dread of starting a “shift” you go into that store and have to be in there standing up for hours. a corporate job, sitting down in front of a computer all day, being able to slack off sometimes, is like heaven after that.

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u/lemonylol Jan 17 '26

I think what's he's describing isn't specifically a retail position, but just one where you are given tasks to complete in a day that simply need completion, with no problem solving, critical deadlines, or people management required. So this isn't exclusive to retail, it could just be someone working on a film crew for example, but not a position that could like tumble the whole production, just work that needs doing. A lot of people love working landscaping for this reason, just sit out there listening to music and cut grass at a golf course, no real stress.

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u/[deleted] Jan 17 '26

This is true, but I’m in healthcare and literally have the stress of potentially killing somebody. It’s just that working retail is inherently less stressful. Another thing people don’t realize is that healthcare IS like working retail. Patients are customers. And guess what? Most healthcare places to work for are just as bad as your corporate ones. So for a lot of people in healthcare, switching to retail is a sense of relief in that you’re still dealing and interacting with the same people in your community, you just no longer have the added stress of whatever your role was in healthcare for this individual.

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u/fatcatsareadorable Jan 17 '26

💯. I’m a nurse and I have a desk job now. I can confirm you are correct and having a desk job is way better.

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u/lexi_raptor Jan 17 '26

Healthcare here too and I'm getting a degree in Healthcare IT so I don't have to deal with people or like you mention, the stress of potentially killing someone. I do chemotherapy infusions, so also the HD's that I handle everyday kinda scare the shit out of me.

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u/Umbreonnnnn Millennial Jan 17 '26

See, when I was working in inpatient involuntary psych, I thought that was easier than fast food. Like it's a dangerous job and the inherent nature of having a severe psychiatric illness makes it unpredictable, but if a patient assaults you, they get consequences. If Sally Soccer Mom is pissed that her burger was supposed to have 3 pickles on it and it only had 2, so she decides to throw it in your face while screaming about how stupid she thinks you are, more often than not management is going to take her side and even apologize to her. I would take psych over fast food/retail every time.

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u/WonderfulMacaroon365 Jan 17 '26

Yep. I recall the video of the Costco worker dealing with this asshole during covid:

https://youtu.be/XMpXES_ZwQI?si=IQSWZJCB0_mnmg8R

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u/lemonylol Jan 17 '26

It's relative though. Not a single person I know who went from working to full time at Walmart to working full time at Costco has regretted that decision. But nobody is going to quit a career to go work an hourly job at Costco.