For years, I was part of the 9 to 5 grind, tethered to a desk, watching the clock, and counting the minutes until the weekend.

But beneath the surface, this routine was taking a toll on me – physically, mentally, and emotionally.

This is the story of why I decided to break free from my traditional career, a journey from corporate cubicles to finding my own path.

It’s a tale of liberation, self-discovery, and the pursuit of true well-being.

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Why the 9 to 5 was making me sick

Honestly, this is quite difficult for me to write. I have always prided myself on being the clever one.

The one who could figure it out and the one who always has an answer. And yet I’m sick and no one knows why or how to make me better.

NOTE: Health issues including depression and suicidal thoughts are discussed in this post, it is not graphic in any way but if you are sensitive to these issues then please just be aware they are discussed below.

Realistically I can take part in life nearly as much as everyone else, something I truly am grateful for. But in way, this makes accepting that I’m just not well enough to work a career even harder for myself.

I have a number of chronic health conditions. Not so bad individually, but when placed together I just can’t cope with life very well.

They are:

• Depression (I have suicidal thoughts but luckily have never acted on them)
• Anxiety
• Irritable Bowel Syndrome –IBS-D
• Migraines
• Chronic headaches (I have a headache most days)
• Chronic fatigue

• Raynaud’s Syndrome (This is where any change towards a cooler temperature turns my fingers and toes freezing cold, white and then grey. This doesn’t really affect my life much but I include it because it’s quite random. And I’m always hoping someone will see the list of conditions and go oh yeah I know exactly why you have those and how to cure it. That hasn’t happened yet but its still worth a shot).

They all get way, way, way worse around stress of any kind including happy stress like excitement.

That can be a hard one to explain to people. I got depressed, and had a migraine, because I was really looking forward to seeing you, great.

Now bearing the above information in mind, let’s get back to why the 9 to 5 was making me sick.

If you remember from this article I wrote, we worked out that if you are working a full-time job you would end up with around 32.5 hours left per week of your time.

Time to relax or for hobbies, for whatever makes you happiest.

Well, that’s the thing you see once I had dealt with all the health issues above I was in minus hours because I just felt so bad.

There wasn’t time for me to do the things I loved because I was so exhausted, in pain, sad and anxious.

In fact, when I quit my job, I had spent so long in that state of just keeping myself well enough to function. I could no longer identify what I enjoyed doing.

My life was purely devoted to making sure I was okay enough to handle a day at work, nothing else. And overtime this was becoming less and less possible.

I dreaded seeing friends or doing something nice on the weekend because I just knew I wouldn’t be able to recover well enough for work.

I never had enough time to recover enough. Over time I ended up becoming even sicker.

I worked other full time jobs before but had normally quit them after a few months for various reasons.

Mainly because of my health, although I never admitted that to myself. But this job was different, it was going to be my career, the one where I earn loads of money and become super successful.

I was already exhausted and destroyed, there was no way I would be able to stick at it for years.

The Night I Knew I Couldn’t Go Back To The Workforce Ever Again

One night when I getting ready for bed, crying because I had work the next day. I had the thought that I could end my life right now and then I would never have to worry about work again.

Whilst I had had suicidal thoughts before, but this one was different. I really wanted to do it this time. All the other times it had felt like a last resort.

But this time it seemed like a viable option.

I immediately told my boyfriend. I would urge anyone who has suicidal thoughts to get in the habit of telling someone. It could save your life. I’m lucky that my boyfriend and family are incredibly supportive and I feel I can tell them these things.

All my previous suicidal thoughts had occurred because the depression had got so bad.

I had felt like everything was so black that if it did not get better then that would be my last resort to stop the pain. I had truly felt that I was stuck with no control over how to make it better.

This time I was in a situation where I could do something to help myself significantly. I could quit my job.

I spoke for a long time with my boyfriend and parents and we all decided that it would be for the best if I took some time.

Time to get back on track, live my life, and explore other ways of making money. Ways that don’t make you think suicide is a viable option.

This is what led me to launch my blog WellandWealthy.org, and I’m so glad I did!

Launching A Blog As A Business As A Healing Tool That Helps Others

Quitting my career to relax and blog full-time has been amazing! I can tell you I’m feeling a lot less stressed which is improving everything else too.

This blog, Well and Wealthy now pays me more than my 9-5 salary did! I am feeling well enough now to and help others who may also have felt like this.

If you want to start a blog for yourself, I invite you to enroll in this blogging class taught by Chelsea at HerPaperRoute. The course teaches everything you need to know to start, monetize and grow a blog.

The 9 to 5 Was Making Me Sick: Why I Quit my Career – Conclusion

Quitting my 9 to 5 career wasn’t an easy decision; as it was a leap into the unknown. But it was a worthwhile one. It was about reclaiming my health, my time, and my passion.

This journey has taught me that sometimes, the bravest thing we can do is listen to our bodies and hearts.

To anyone feeling trapped in the relentless cycle of a job that’s making you sick, know that there’s a world of possibilities waiting when you dare to take that first step toward change.

What should I do if I am feeling suicidal now?

There are also organizations you can speak to (anonymously if desired) who can support and help you. I have listed a few below:

UK –Mind has an excellent page on on what to do if you are feeling suicidal and further information to help you heal.

You can also call the Samaritans 24 hours per day, 7 days per week on 116 123.

USA – The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week on 1-800-273-8255. They also have options if you are deaf, hard of hearing or only speak Spanish.

Don’t forget you can call and you should call emergency services if you don’t feel you can keep yourself safe right now. Call 911.

International – Suicide.org has a list of suicide hotlines for each country.

On the International Association for Suicide Prevention (IASP) website you can also search for assistance and a hotline in your country.

Don’t forget, you should call emergency services if you don’t feel you can keep yourself safe right now.