The man shared a short list of things he and his wife were able to accomplish after quitting their hectic jobs.
When a workplace feels toxic, it's common for folks to start thinking about leaving. Stuff like strict schedules, feeling burned out, not making any more money, dealing with stress, and not feeling appreciated can really make employees feel undervalued. Some people deal with it by quietly pulling back from their work, while others keep daydreaming about actually saying goodbye to their 9-to-5. A great example of this is a 35-year-old man, who goes as @barky_bark on Reddit. In a recent post, he made a case for quitting the 9-to-5 job and it's resonating with many. The reason? He needed a break from his everyday trials and tribulations and wanted to live a more stress-free life, full of happiness.
Titled “One year after exiting the rat race,” the original post describes how he and his 40-year-old wife quit their jobs and found happiness. “A year ago, my wife and I committed to exiting the rat race of 9-to-5. She was a baker, I bounced between kitchens (sometimes management) and construction.” He continues that his wife now runs her bakery from home and sells at a farmers’ market. Whereas, he manages a fishing camp from May to September. “I truly do realize how lucky we are that we’re in this position but it’s honestly eye-opening at how detrimental working for someone who just wants to chase profit is,” he adds.
The man then lists the things that have changed since he started this new routine. He writes that now, he connects better with his family and even friends from the high school, with whom he had lost touch. He is getting to know his neighborhood better. He is also available for his daughter as he drops and picks her up from school almost every day. He says that his new life enables him to take up yoga and limit his alcohol consumption. His overall expenses are a lot less than they were before. His family enjoys more homemade food, makes their own clothes and works only when they want. “Not a day goes by when my wife and I don’t look at each other and say ‘I’m so happy we get to do this.’ I truly hope it lasts. Working for others sucks,” he continues.
People loved the way the man and his wife turned their lives around. @Right-cause9951 praised the man, “Proud of you. Reclaiming your life and showing how it's done.” @Unapprovedopinion wrote, “Thank you for sharing your success story. The more of us who escape and find a way to live apart from traditional full-time employment, the better.”
In the comments section, the man mentions his father as the inspiration for taking this plunge. He had witnessed his father not loving his job and how exhausting it was to see him like this. He says that children don’t need toys and entertainment from their parents; they need love, attention, and joy, which can only come if parents themselves are happy.
Replying to a commenter in the same thread, he points out how he prefers this routine much further than his earlier routine, “True. I’m ‘working’ 24/7 for 4 months. But the ‘working’ is chit-chatting, chopping firewood, fishing with clients, and teaching my kid how to live in the woods and self-sufficiently. It’s all things I do in the off-season anyway. I’d rather be doing that than drywalling someone else’s house, going home, and being too tired to socialize with my family.”
While lots of people today are motivated to quit the daily grind, some prefer “quiet quitting.” According to the World Economic Forum, "quiet quitters" don't leave their jobs outright, but stop taking them so seriously.
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