Hi all,
I've been feeling miserable at work for 9 years (UK based), I've always worked in offices, for small, medium and large companies, I work on projects either as a Project Manager or Planner/support depending on need.
I'm 43 now, and was fine with work in my 20's and early 30's, hard worker and motivated, I get paid well, so no grumbles there, but I feel utterly miserable and hopeless, I always seem to be in jobs where I'm pushing water uphill, mainly as a result of being a safe pair of hands to get things done, but now I don't care if people don't want to do things, why should I care and get myself stressed out, but at the same time it's in my nature to care about my job, I've changed companies 3 times in those 9 years but each move I find I'm run down, de-motivated and disengaged within 2 months of starting, I recognise myself with the burnout theory, not overworked, but no control, lack of community, meaningless etc etc, it no longer makes any difference if it's a lead role or support role, I feel the same.
I did a life coaching course to try and change direction, a nicer job I thought, but I didn't enjoy it enough to take forward, I've also done all the self-help, what I like/don't like, but to no avail. I'm at the point where I don't want to switch my laptop on…the only time I've felt happy was when I had 6 weeks off between jobs, and no stress as I knew I had a job to go to.
Is this fixable? I can't carry on feeling like this for another 25 years in the workplace.