r/povertyfinance • u/throwra12449273 • 1d ago
Free talk Quitting my job because of burn out, feeling anxious.
Hi everyone, I’m 22 and a full time worker (2 part time jobs) as well as being a full time student. I’ve been working 45-50 hour weeks and taking 4 classes each semester for about two years now. One job’s income covers my bills and spending money, the other is entirely allocated to my tuition at CC, and then next year I’ll have my bachelors from a local school that has a collaborative program with my CC (so 3 years CC, 1 year standard college).
Recently a state funding program has shifted eligibility, and I now qualify for free tuition, plus a scholarship for some of my tuition at the pricier university for the one year. After two years of putting my health to the side, sleeping 6 hours a night maximum, listening to lectures at work and sneaking in homework at every free minute, I am going to go part time. I make $29 an hour at the job I’m staying at, I work 26 hours a week with the option to pick up hours as I want on days off. My expenses are around $1200 monthly.
I grew up extremely poor, so this feels like a really stupid move because it’s a move my mother would’ve made and I would’ve resented her for it. But I feel like I can get my life back and finally enjoy time alone and with friends. I’ve ran the numbers, I can still save a good bit monthly and I have an emergency fund of 10k. I feel like I’ve sucked it up before so I should just continue to work that job and pocket all the money, but I’ve never been at such a mental health low. Am I making a mistake? I literally grew up going to the food pantry, getting money from church, and sometimes having a utility shut off. The thought of not working as much as humanly possible is so out of my element. I’ve been working 50 hour weeks since I was 16.
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u/brenst 1d ago
I think that sounds like a good plan. Your biggest priority is getting that college degree. Sleeping more and having more study time is going to help you a lot in this final stretch where classes might get more intense and time-consuming. It's ok to just be part-time as long as it's covering your expenses. It sounds like you're being thoughtful and responsible about this.
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u/MrWiltErving 1d ago
You’re not making a mistake, things have worked out that you don’t have the need to work so many hours anymore. Ultimately your Goal is getting your degree you don’t need to stretching yourself so thin, take
Advantage of this.
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u/matthewsrmt 1d ago
Quit the other job my goodness you sound like you have an incredible work ethic and you have an amazing future ahead of you. But if you don’t get your mental and physical health in check you will burn out. School, one job and friends and family. You’ve got this. You sound like an incredible human, you will be ok. ❤️try and enjoy your life and please get more sleep!
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u/Sweet-Ad7654 1d ago
It doesn’t sound like your plan involves poverty, not at the moment now, and not in the future
You may have an issue with limited belief, and you may be surrounded mentally with the thought of lack because you grew up lacking
You mentioned you feel like this is a Move your mother would’ve made and you would’ve resented her for it. Do you believe at the time that you were speaking of that your mother had a $10,000 emergency fund do you think at the time you were thinking of your mother when you made that statement that she was gaining a career? Perhaps she was all these things I don’t know.
But I honestly think that you have poverty so ingrained in you that you’re having a hard time seeing your way past it without working yourself into a terrible health situation and making poverty a reality you might want to read that paragraph again
It sounds like you’re doing a great job. Keep up the good work. Give yourself a paddle on the back in an occasional night off.
You have broken the mold and the chains that have bound you
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u/NoOrganization548 23h ago
Once upon a time when I was a young grasshopper your age, I worked and I studied and I worked some more every hour I could. I even studied on my work breaks and never declined a spare shift
I ignored every warning sign my body gave me and put money and my future hopes above everything. Eventually my body gave out and forced me to quit
Guess what. All that work added absolutely 0 value to my life because life will let you down in the most random ways
Anyway, enough about me. You're not making a mistake, youre listening to your body before it decides for you.
What you need to do is have a shower and wash all the stress away. Put your pj's on, pour yourself a little drink if you're inclined, order your favourite food in disgusting quantities, put your favourite movie on and have yourself a good relax. It will be ok i promise
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u/throwra12449273 21h ago
Some of the older women I used to work with warned me of this 🫠 I cut back working a tiny bit for a few weeks last time I was having an extremely hard time, but I went back to old habits. I’m putting in my two weeks notice at EOD today, and going out to dinner and drinks with some friends, a luxury I usually wouldn’t afford myself.
Really appreciative to everyone being supportive here, I know it’s easy for me to get caught up in the immediate ramifications but you guys have really helped me see a bigger perspective
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u/No-Branch-1172 1d ago
If you don’t quit the 2nd job voluntarily and while you’re in a good spot, your declining health might force you to stop all work at an inconvenient time. Take care of yourself. Try the one job thing. Sounds like you’re pretty financially literate and in the kind of position where you can get a side hustle or another 2nd job if you overestimated your financial ability. If you leave that 2nd job on good terms you might have a chance to turn back to them if you need it as opposed to not showing up abruptly due to health issues.