Former Teacher Says She Now Prioritizes Comfort Over Fulfillment After Finding A New Job — ‘I Have Little Stress’
“Although I loved working with kids and was good at it, teaching just wasn’t my cup of tea.”
PanuShot / Shutterstock.com Most of us have been lectured and bred to seek fulfillment in our jobs — making our careers, job stress, and workloads the root of our entire identity. If you’re not actively climbing the “corporate ladder” or building a luxurious career, you’re doing something wrong.
However, the truth is that within our current economy and social situation, seeking comfort and stability might be the key to happiness. With many people now prioritizing a healthy work-life balance, comfortable and stress-free jobs are becoming increasingly desired.
It’s the conclusion a former teacher reached after staying in the profession for over two years — “After my first year of teaching, I realized it wasn’t sustainable,” she wrote in a Reddit post.
The former teacher admitted that she left her profession and started an ‘office job’ to seek out stability and comfort.
After just two years in the teaching profession, the educator not only struggled to maintain her work-life balance, but also her unique identity, well-being, and general health. From chronic migraines to overwhelming job stress, she knew she needed to leave the profession to look after her future self.
“I have been at my new job for nearly one month, and I have never been happier,” she admitted about her new administrative position. “My new office job is at a small company. Although it’s not necessarily the most fulfilling work, I have amazing hours, and I feel very little stress.”
While her new job is ‘less fulfilling’ and a bit repetitive, she’s now able to prioritize her personal life.
While it’s an internal battle for many people to leave jobs they’ve dedicated years of education, energy, and personal time to, the end result is often a healthier, more rewarding experience — both in the office and in their personal lives. For this former teacher, the switch not only gave her more free time and less stress but also more financial stability.
With her new job, she got “a large salary increase," good benefits, and a "more ADHD-friendly" position.
Despite her financial circumstances, her general “career transition” story can be empowering, even for people who are considering taking a pay cut to pursue a more balanced work and personal life. Most people who’ve made a similar decision, with a pay cut in mind, report they’re living happier, more fulfilling lives outside of their career despite leaving their once-financially rewarding roles.
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“I can go to the bathroom at my own will. I can put in my AirPods, tune out everyone, and crank out my work,” she added.
“I thought I would be miserable not working with kids," the former teacher continued. "Although I love working with kids and am good at it, teaching was not my cup of tea."
Now, she can freely enjoy her time outside of work, whether she spends time with family, enjoys a carefree meal, or picks up a new hobby.
Let this be your reminder, no matter how much time, energy, or effort you put into acquiring and succeeding in your current job, you have the free will to make a change. Even if you can’t take a pay cut right now — with bills, family life, and general expenses piling up — consider moves you can make to set yourself up for a career transition in the future.
Her new ‘stress-free’ job also helped her physical health, curing her struggle with chronic migraines from teaching.
Once this former teacher made her career transition, she noticed more than just a change in her mental and emotional mindset — she also noticed significant positive changes in her health. After struggling with what she once perceived to be chronic migraines, she immediately noticed changes in her stress levels at work “healed” her.
After working a few weeks in her new job, her migraines went away completely.
Unfortunately, physical symptoms of workplace stress and anxiety aren’t uncommon. In fact, a recent American Psychological Association survey from 2023 reported that over 77% of employees face struggles with job stress. For many, the associated physical health struggles are never addressed as symptoms of stress or anxiety.
TikTok creator @itsaverywagner admitted that before being placed on anti-anxiety medication, she experienced five intense physical symptoms of her manifested anxiety — from vision blurriness to brain fog. Not only did this affect her relationship with work, but it bled into her personal well-being, health, and general happiness — making every part of her life more intensely unsettling to navigate.
If you’re considering making a career change or pursuing a more “comfortable” job, the benefits may be more significant than you ever imagined. Make the switch. Or, at the very least, make small changes that help you plan a future career change when you have the freedom to do so. You’d be surprised at how much better you’ll feel, how much happier you’ll be, and how your life will significantly change and flourish around you.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a News & Entertainment Writer at YourTango who focuses on health & wellness, social policy, and human interest stories.