‘Is this really it for the next 30 years?' — Burnt-out Singaporean employee questions 'meaningless' corporate life

Independent Singapore

2 days ago

SINGAPORE: Noting that there have been many recent posts on Reddit where many say they want to quit their jobs, one user on the platform shared their experience and perspectives, saying that while they've only been working for around five years, they are feeling 'immense' exhaustion and burnout.
' Sunday blues is an everyday feeling for me,' wrote u /Main-Switch9765 in a post on r/askSingapore on Tuesday morning (June 10).
' The little joy of the weekends gets instantly extinguished once I look past it and see that it may very well be another 20-30 years of being trapped in a cycle like this. The futility of it all frightens me. I'm afraid that this is all my life will amount to at the end of it. I cannot imagine living feeling like this perpetually for the next 30 years of my life,' they wrote, adding, 'I don't feel any joy or meaning at work at all.'
They described their work as a 'typical corporate office job,' which they find 'meaningless.' Moreover, they don't enjoy any part of their work processes and have no desire to be part of the rat race, as a 'decent paycheck' is enough to satisfy them.
The post author has endeavored to shift their mindset to help them cope, including thinking 'work is just work' or 'work to support doing the things that you enjoy,' but added that 'none of it works as it all circles back to my fear that it's a never-ending marathon that I do not see the light at the end of the tunnel of.'
They also underlined that they have a full life outside work, with friends, family, and hobbies, and a cat that is their 'pride and joy' whom they share with their partner. But with life taking up so much of their time, the moments they have to enjoy these things feel too short.
'I work long hours and reach home late,' they added.
While u /Main-Switch9765 is aware that they should find work that they actually enjoy, they wrote that they haven't yet found the 'passion' that they want to commit to, and they're afraid that if they do so, they'll end up just getting burned out again.
'But perhaps I am too deeply entrenched in this way of living that I am unable to see beyond alternative ways of life. I'm not sure if I managed to express my sentiments accurately, but I'm not here complaining, yet I'm not willing to do anything about it. My greatest fear is that there is nothing that can be done and this is what all there is to the average adult life in Singapore,' they wrote, asking commenters to share their 'honest opinions.'
Judging from the upvotes and comments on the post, many workers in Singapore feel the same way.
'I feel you. The way you described the 'dread that never quite goes away' hits hard. The scary part is not even the work itself, it's the realisation that that might just be it for the next 30 years,' one wrote.
Others offered advice, such as finding another job with a better working environment.
One wrote that at the end of the day, workers need to prioritise their well-being. Making sure one's needs are met is something each person needs to do, as this is something no boss will do for their employees.
The commenter encouraged the post author to disconnect after work and go slow in their career progression.
'Your career is a marathon for 40 years. Not a sprint… You need to find a pace where you can sustain. Don't burn yourself on both ends of the candle and burn out.
Focus on your own goals and targets that you know you're able to sustain in this marathon. You don't need every promotion or every pay increment or maximum bonuses to be happy,' they advised. /TISG
Read also: Man who applied for 'countless roles' is feeling job search burnout, asks if he should take a break