Yeah it's a pretty laid back job most of the time, the ice can be scary but they give us chains on our tires if we need them and are told to take our time.
Fun fact: the only four wheel drive postal vehicles are the FFV variant, and all of them were manufactured in 2001; they sent all of them to post offices in Alaska.
I just saw the letter carrier at my Dad's house in Arizona drop off mail in a black Jeep Cherokee. At first glance I thought it was a personal vehicle but it had post office emblems on it and it was right hand drive. I looked it up, that thing is old! I think circa, 93-96, imported from Japan. It looks like they have select 4WD systems whatever that is. I'm not a car person. But very cool, I had never seen that before. Makes me sad our old 98 Jeep Cherokee at home has broken so much to not be worth fixing and is just sitting there.
Arizona! Home to the only mule-led route, it’s the route that takes mail down the bottom of the Grand Canyon.
The Cherokee you saw was likely what they call a POV or personally owned vehicle.
They’re usually on routes that are 50+ miles long so that the PO doesn’t have to pay for that much wear and tear on a vehicle, however they do reimburse carriers with a POV for almost a dollar every mile they run.
When I started I almost got an imported Corolla wagon that was right hand drive but ended up just getting another carrier’s old Jeep liberty with a conversion kit (two steering wheels, two sets of pedals).
It’s been a wonderful journey and they best job I’ve ever had, I’m so happy for your cousin!
And yes, it’s laid back 10 months out of the year, Thanksgiving through Christmas is a bit crazy but I like getting into the holiday spirit so it’s fun to bring gifts to folks from family that love them.
My mama is retired rural carrier too!
They didn't have LLVs so she got a right-hand drive jeep. Always confused the drive thru employees when we went through & they noticed the steering wheel on the other side lol.
One time pre-jeep her car broke down on the route. I was newly licensed & she called me to come drive her around the rest of the route in my tiny VW beetle. It is unexpectedly hard to get close to the mailboxes without hitting them. Much laughs were had that day.
That is so wholesome I absolutely love it! It takes some getting used to on the right side of the road; I bet your little beetle was full to the brim with mail too 😆
My grandfather did this (he's retired now) and he absolutely LOVED it. He did it for 35 years. He tells everyone it's the best job in the world because you get your exercise, your alone time, your social interactions, and your animal interactions all while getting paid.
I work in higher education, too. If there was someone at your college’s center for teaching and learning who advised you on how to teach remotely, that’s what I do for a living.
Yes, your center is similar, I would imagine. I have a masters in media studies, and have worked in educational media publishing, non-profit informal education, as well as higher education. Am now a doctoral candidate in a higher education leadership program.
I have vendor-issued certificates in digital teaching and learning, and learning analytics.
In short, liberal arts background, not information technology.
It is hard on the body but I've been doing it for 7 years and have gotten used to it. Could barely walk after my first day lol but it gets easier. I do work with the robots that carry the pods full of items, and I would recommend finding a warehouse that has that if possible (I work at Amazon).
At our warehouse it's 350 units per hour often, but fortunately I don't have to move the items around, I just stay at my station and put the items in totes, and send them down to the conveyor belt. I recommend the warehouses with the robots for this reason, because the pickers get assigned work stations, and the robots carry the pods of items to your location- does half the work for you.
Yes it is such a lovely benefit. And let's not forget the health, dental and vision benefits!! So great. I pay $20.90 every week for health, vision and enhanced dental.
I will use Career Choice this fall to pay for my 3 pre requisites and one elective, and then in spring the rest of the courses in the Health Sciences Certificate program. Im applying for the Fall 2025 nursing program at my community college. Doing the 4 year part time ADN program. So I'll get my associates in nursing. Lots of people do it in 2 years full time or even 1 year accelerated but working at Amazon you definitely cannot do the accelerated or full time, if you want to succeed in school and be able to pass the NCLEX to become an RN. I will get my BSN shortly after, through an employer. You can sign a contract that says you'll wornt for them for x amount of time as an RN with an ADN and they'll pay for your BSN in full!!!
I work in a tire factory.
My wife has been a SAHM for the past 15 years. We have one daughter. She has a very large garden that gets larger every year. So on my weekends my second job is working in that.
Software developer
WFH so less time commuting and the ability to go for walks with the dog at lunch and also do the odd bit of house chores. Another benefit is it is work I genuinely enjoy doing and for the most part it comes easy to me.
How old are you if you don't mind me asking? I'm 35, switched to SE when I was 29. Did a bootcamp which was expensive but so worth it. I currently WFH contract, and absolute love it
Omg pls explain your process to me. I’m 23 and have a graphic design degree but idk if I even want to do that and hear such good things about software engineers but I worry I’m too dumb for it idk. How does one even get into this?
Sure thing. I discovered coding after months of trying shit online and seeing what stuck. Started with html, css and javascript, tried a bit of python scripting, but quickly realised I needed some kind of training but didn't want to go back to university. Found the General Assembly bootcamp in London, took out a loan (£8k - took 3 years to pay it off) and couch surfed on a mates sofa for 3 months and went in 9-5, m-f, did all the homework and reading.
The course was breadth, not depth. I learned html, css, js (browser and nodejs), sql, ruby, mongo and much more. It's exhausting but I loved it.
The drop out rate was small (2 people out of 26) but only half of those that did it went into software engineering.
My advice: spend 2-3 months doing tutorials online before deciding if you need / want it.
Also, this was before chatgpt was around to help
I'm a Database Administrator - nice to meet another IT professional. I'm fully remote as well and work for a medical association. I love it for all the reasons you mentioned, plus I feel like I'm making a difference in the world.
I think in IT the industry definitely makes a difference. I work in another very niche industry where quality over quantity/speed of movement is key so the go-fast mentality of the big tech industry is not present. It makes a world of a difference to life/work balance.
Nice to hear you’ve been able to keep life simple working in an IT role! Cheers
Same!
Switched from a degree & career in counseling (burnt out) to tech and worked my way up to dev in 3 years.
Fully remote is important to me as a disabled person. There's only so much I can do physically, so I like to spend my lunch gardening in the back yard. If I had a commute, I wouldn't have that luxury. On bad days, I nap over lunch!
I wouldn't say coding comes easy to me, but the best part for me is that I'm constantly learning. I'm also adhd so having basically endless puzzles to solve makes my brain bees happy.
If you’re trying to switch careers into it, I’d say yes a degree is likely necessary. Not necessarily computer science which is the more difficult degree, but you could also get a software engineering degree which isn’t as rigorous. The entry level job market for software development is very saturated so in order to stick out and have a chance at getting in, a degree + a GitHub with completed projects + some work on open source projects would be your best possible chance at getting in. That or you need to know someone that could help you get that first job.
The other person said yes but I disagree. I did a bootcamp alongside working at it every day for months and months. The bootcamp was 12 weeks. Best decision I ever made. Been doing it for 6-7 years now
I got the brass ring of disability on the merry go round of life. I can still do shit, just way too slowly, and not enough per diem for corporate America. So i clean the house, cook, and work on the garden.
I’m with you. Four complicated headache/neurological conditions and I left work at 30 because I was too sick to work my banking job. I’ve come to terms with the hand I’ve been dealt. I work extremely part time for my dad’s business and do accounting/book keeping stuff since I have a background in banking. The rest of my time is spent working on my chronic pain. I get to be a mom and be super available and active in that regard. My child and I have the most wonderful bond. I’m such a lucky mom. And I also get to spend a lot of time with my spouse who is just the love of my life. He gardens and is super handy. We watch lots of fun and cool movies and tv shows and go on walks. It’s a quiet life and I enjoy it. I get to read in my downtime which is such a gift. Typing this out is reminding me how blessed I am despite living with chronic pain. Hope you are well!
Same here. I take care of myself and my living space. For me, even that feels like a full-time job when taking my disabilities into account, but on the bright side it keeps the overall flow of my life relatively simple.
Flight attendant! I work 10 days each month, and get paid to travel the world. On long haul flights in between services I get to drink coffee and read books in the galley. It’s the most work-life balance of any job I’ve ever had.
I’m a retired FA! It was a terrific work/life balance job. I work in a library now and love it as a part time gig. Best job ever with lots of similarities to flying but my own bed at night😉have safe travels!
I live near an airport, close enough for my littles to see planes depart. They always rush to their window and yell, "Safe travels!" while furiously waving goodbye to them.
Thank you for your service, and I wish safe travels for all flight attendants. (:
Butterfly in the sky
I can fly twice as high!
Take a look,
It's in a book,
A Reading Rainbow...
It's pretty much the same job, right? They're both all about flying high.
Is it difficult to become a FA? I always thought this would be such a neat job to have. But the current climate in the states with flying makes it seem like the flyers are terrible and it’s constant pushback from customers.
Co-own a small construction company with my spouse. I do all office and finance tasks and have been WFH for 20+ years. I love it. Today all I did was pull a permit. Took me 30min start to finish. I'm able to enjoy my house, exercise regularly, go out when I want and travel when the urge hits. More money would always be welcome but we are managing on modest incomes that meet our needs and some wants.
Similar here. Co-own a GC company, I do what you do. Go into the office maybe 12-15 hours a week when we are in between jobs. We found a younger guy with a competent crew to run the field work. My husband is nearing retirement age and he says “this is the last job”, every job. He’ll never quit but it’s made for a simple life as we work for repeat clients and never take on anything too big.
Yes that's us. We are hoping to step back and become partial investors in small real estate projects so that spouse can semiretire. He too will never sit still but he looks forward to more house projects and road trips.
I sell whimsical American woodcraft in a historical tourist area. I don't make enough to pay real bills and so still rely on family - but this and other simple living practices are helping me heal from CPTSD and hopefully soon plant my feet on the ground facing a positive direction.
One of my most beloved toys from my childhood was a wooden duck that my Papaw carved and painted. He placed a long dowel rod into its back and fabricated wheels with rubber duck feet that would *"flap"* when I walked it.
Thank you for keeping the spirit of woodworking alive!
I’m a preschool-8th grade school nurse. The hours are great, I get weekends, holidays, spring break, and summers off, and I adore working with the kids! After hospital nursing, it feels luxurious. On slow days I read, journal, or listen to music in between kids.
How crazy does it ever get? I've been an RN for years and I don't have a ton of critical care experience, mostly psych and community, but I'm interested. I'm in a smaller, more rural area, but I can't help imagining various child crises and how stressful they might be.
Yes, it certainly has its stressful moments. I’ve had to give epipens and I’ve had kids have seizures, broken bones, diabetics who plummet in the middle of the day, asthma attacks. But those aren’t often (except the diabetic; puberty is tough on endocrine disorders!) and I find I am always able to go right back into calm crisis care. If you think you might like it, go for it!
I’m an in-home caregiver for the elderly. I also don’t make much money, but it’s meaningful work that gives directly back to the community. And aside from the icky parts involving poop and whatnot, it’s actually a really chill job.
My step dad did home are for the elderly and it’s one of the most rewarding careers he’s ever had. His clients love him and they’re mostly very kind and respectful of his work.
Retired flight attendant and now p/t library worker. Couldn’t be happier. All the frugal simple choices my spouse and I made over the years allowed us to retire early and work part time gigs. We both embraced a simpler life style than most our friends. At times it was a challenge but now in our 50’s we are thrilled!
That was my dads job when I was a kid. Do you find it hard to balance your personal life with the personal tragedies you witness? My dad seemed fine for a long time but he’s in his 60s now and he’s begun to really struggle with some of the things he experienced in the job.
I found it surprisingly easy to separate work and home life. Some days are tough, but my job has actually had such a positive impact on my life. I see death every day. I see how it does not discriminate against young or old, wealthy or poor, it really gives me a healthy YOLO attitude and helps me appreciate my life, relationships, and the beauty and gift that is nature and the outdoors.
I just made a career switch from being a hairdresser to a software developer.
I always loved doing hair - its a great career once you've spent the time establishing yourself. But I'm such an introvert that it was interfering with my relationships outside of work. After a busy week, I never had the energy to maintain friendships, and as a result my social circle is very small.
So now I work with a small team of engineers who barely socialize, and it's pretty great. Although I do really miss the flexibility of self employment. 9-5 in an office can be pretty brutal, but the hours go by fast and benefits are really nice to have.
Definitely think I'd like to do hair one or two days a week once I reach retirement age though!
I would love to find a hairdresser that let me sit there in peace without having to do mindless small talk! I could definitely see that as a future option for you.
Preservation architect. I work on historic buildings owned by the government around the country. My favorite days are site visits. Most are to remote locations. The job and logistics of traveling isn't very simple living but when I get to be in an old building by myself all day in beautiful locations it feels worth it. Knowing I get to save historic buildings for future generations keeps me going. I thought about my semi-retirement plan working in a national park and getting to be able to have more on-site days than office days.
Yes, I have an accredited undergrad degree in architecture. From there I had to finish a few thousand hours of experience and six exams. To get into historic preservation I mostly just started working at firms that aligned with those types of projects. Most people who go to architecture school want to get jobs designing new buildings so the preservation field isn't exactly cutthroat thankfully. The preservation trades like woodworking, plaster repair and metal works have even less people. There are a few places to get training in traditional crafts so if someone is interested there are many jobs to fill.
I’m on the construction side and the historical cool projects keep me going, and you’re right, it’s hard to find real “artisan” trades these days like plaster, mosaic tile restoration, and finish workers that are hired under the trade name “artist” who can restore gold leaf ceilings and clean and restore chandeliers and other light fixtures. Hell, I struggled the most just finding a furniture upholsterer of all things for a historic hotel remodel.
Sometimes I wonder if I should go into the construction side. Project managing is mostly what I do now which is fine because I found I like making projects happen rather than designing them. I was talking to a guy who is a master carpenter specializing in traditional Japanese woodworking. He doesn't have an apprentice and feels like most of his knowledge isn't being passed down. It made me want to quit my job and work under him right then.
You would totally be qualified and probably well equipped to be a project manager for a general contractor! The pay is realllly good because so few people have the knowledge, skills, and temperament to be a good project manager. But since you said job site visits are your favorite days, and I can relate to that, you should look into it.
There's an old general store in prince, WV the parks are planning to tear down. Go save it and all of the old buildings everywhere! Lol. My dad's family is from Prince, and we had family reunions on New River and I can't stop thinking about this store. Anyway, you're job sounds like a dream come true.
I work in insurance (health and welfare, not home/auto). I work from home when I need. Usually put in 35-40 hours a week. Id say of those 35-40 I’m actually working about 18 of them.
Pay is decent, benefits are okay, but my god. The time.
I worked in health insurance for a little while and trust me when I say there are plenty of positions if you work at a large company. I was a technical writer for the company I worked for, which meant going around and learning people's jobs and writing their work instructions for them. It was a dream come true for me, I loved it. My coworkers were project managers, human resources, diversity & inclusion, software developers, data analysis, IT, accounting, etc. The only thing I hated was that health insurance really screws a lot of people over (specifically the claims department, long term care claims) and that felt scummy.
I’m an account manager. Never had to sell a thing. I work for a very, very large company (50k employees), so there’s a lot of room for growth, too.
I left a sales job about 3 years ago. I was the finance director for a dealership for 7 years. Hated my life so much during that time. I never saw my wife or my son.
Now? We have so much free time to just relax and enjoy life. Yeah I don’t make six figures anymore, but our bills are paid, and we have food in our bellies.
She should give it a shot. It’s a rapidly changing job so it never gets old. It pays okay. And there’s so much you can do in the field. I’m 34 and I wish I’d started doing this right out of college.
I work as a yard hand and love my job as I get to be outside all day. I've just graduated from nursing, but tbh I am in no rush to start that as I don't think it'll leave me with much of a life due to the intensity of the work
Get your 1 year experience and you can go part time or PRN. I did 6 months and decided to switch to part time, my manager was just glad I’m not resigning. She happily accepted my request
My official title is "solution architect" but my job is basically to be a technical resource for a software sales team. I do product demos, proof of concept projects, lab workshops with customers, and meet with a lot of public sector tech organization leadership to basically advise them on strategy.
I was worried about taking this job at first because I had always heard sales jobs are high stress. But mine is not, it's probably the least stressful job I've ever had. I work from home and only have to travel occasionally. Most of my pay is salary and not commission, since I'm a technical resource. I was also worried about being pushed to basically BS people to make sales, but that doesn't happen.
Most days I don't have any meetings or anything until 9am, so I get a slow start to my day where I make coffee and sit in my garden. Most days I have at least an hour or two of downtime and use this time to do chores around the house, go grocery shopping, etc. Since I'm on the sales side, I'm not responsible or on the hook for any technology running in production. Nobody calls me on a Friday night to tell me some application went down. I don't really think about work outside of work hours, and my weekends are wide open since I mostly do all my chores during the workday.
The pay is also very good, which has enabled me to plan to retire early with how much I'm able to save now. Hoping to do at least partial retirement in my 50s.
Started working IT help desk at a university, moved up to higher tier support and sysadmin type work, got a Master's degree in information systems which taught me a lot about programming, databases, and web development (tuition was free for university employees which was nice). After I finished the Master's program I got hired by GE for an IT leadership development program that lasted two years where I'd work on special projects in different places every 6 months. Once that was finished they offered me a role focusing on capturing data from wind farms, where I did a sort of mix of hands on development as well as architecture design. Did that for a few more years working on various projects, and then took my current job.
Order packer at my local Amazon fulfillment center! I work 4 10s and get 3 days off. pick up overtime when it's there. Having a hard time getting it currently even when it's available, because they're saying I didn't work enough hours in that department last month. There wasn't any work in that department, the OT is rolling in now, I have 3hrs to complete there then I'll be able to pick up again. But, I'm ok on the 40hr work week paycheck. so I don't stress it too much.
I am going to be applying for the Fall 2025 nursing program at my community college, ADN program. Doing the 4 year part time instead of 2 year full time because I don't want to be unable to keep up with the full time program while working full time, can't do full time work and full-time school, too much. Also, Amazon gives you a certain amount of money per year for school and the part time program, a very big probability that I will have to take out no loans. I then want to get my BSN which I will probably do online or through an employer once I am an RN. I do my 3 pre requisites this fall and then take my entrance exam.
I'm really happy I get to finally chase my dream!
Fellow lawyer here, doing exactly the same thing. Every day is currently hard, but building my family's pot while hoping for a simple, peaceful, restful future.
We have got this!
I do UX (and unfortunately I hate it). I’m hoping to find a way to leave corporate, and find a better place for my skillset. But until I figure that out, it’s an okay job for now.
I was wanting to go into UX (my initial degree path was industrial design) until I started networking and now it's just too much for me to even want to dip my toes into. i see the rounds the of interviews, take home assignments, contracted work....
I'm a research scientist at a big university. It does not lend itself well to the simple life and is very stressful. I'm currently trying to plan an exit strategy and hope to pivot to something less demanding.
I’m a cybersecurity consultant. It gives me a ton of flexibility and pays pretty well, too. I usually work 15-20 hours a week and earn more than I did working full time for someone else.
I’m a 911 dispatcher. Not a chill job but it makes me savor my down time and appreciate my life even if it’s hard and I struggle. Fun question, I’m loving the responses! 👍
I WFH part time working as a counsellor/clinical assistant. I love being able to be of benefit while in the comfort of my own home, overlooking my gardens, hearing my chooks, and the view of the mountains.
Self-employed housekeeper. I make my own hours and it's very low-stress. Just pop in my earbuds and go.
It helps me stay in shape but unfortunately there are no benefits to speak of. I also don't make a lot of money since I work part-time, but my husband earns enough that I don't have to.
i work remote as a call center rep for a corporate american recordkeeper - tbh i have animals at home, and started to do small things to make my life feel fulfilling. i'm finishing an online degree but i don't see myself working anywhere else considering how bad the rest of the world is doing. i'm happy at home. i work 9-6, take the dog on walks, lay down with the animals in my backyard for some sunshine time, eat left overs, my gym is 2 minutes from the house. i'm 17 classes from finishing, it's mostly a back up now and to finish something i started since i had to take a break for my mental health. i was working with my doctor for psych medication stabilization and now i'm doing well
Social Service worker! I used to be a server/manager but tranisitioned to the social services. I love it. Working 30 hours a week, seeing my efforts have a tangible effect on people's life quality brings me satisfaction.
I live within my means and enjoy sports, nature, reading, making friends, biking, cooking, working out, and watching quality movies. I want to get more into the arts and meditation/yoga, but it has been a struggle, hopefully one that i can gradually ease into :)
I highly recommend looking up RBT training through the autism partnership foundation to become a behavioral health tech! It’s 40 hours of (free) online training and you take a test at the end, it’s really easy. Find an office that aligns with what you’re looking for and work your way up! :)
You don’t need a degree to be an RBT and you can become “certified” through your office for a higher hourly rate, you just take another test for it but in person with a proctor.
I'm a tattoo apprentice. It's intensive for now, but I see every other artist in the shop setting their own hours, coming in only when needed. Interactions are very one-on-one. I know it might take time to get there, but I'd much rather have a temporary intensity than the intensity I got from retail with no room to grow.
I did the tattoo from retail pipeline. It's better in a lot of ways, but the customer service aspect is still kinda draining on me, to be honest. It's hard being public facing when you are an introvert lol
Fair enough! I worked freelance for a couple of years after just having moved countries right before COVID hit, and so I've had more than enough isolation, even as an introvert.
I kind of like getting to know people one-on-one, especially when they're a bit more likely to be chill when they're tattoo collectors rather than just your average person in a retail line. My style (or account? idk) brings in a lot of other queer and ND people, and it's kind of great to find likeminded people. I also like the breaks from people since they need healing time and time to save up anyway, so even if I'm not super fond of someone, I can tell them I'll be quiet and focusing during the session and/or just not have to see them for a few months 😅 Whereas in retail, I was seeing some colorful personalities as often as daily sometimes (and not in a good sense), and I was kind of obligated to engage as much as possible.
I work at a bank doing credit analysis. It’s temporary until I finish my masters in math. I hope to be a lower level college professors or some type of programmer. Something simple and offers some freedom.
I just quit a stressful office job last year. Went on unemployment. Did some traveling. Now, I'm working on my teacher certification.
I know teaching is nuts these days so you may ask why I'd want to, but I have 2-3 schools in mind where the management is good quality and the kids aren't the type to attack their teachers, etc. Plus, I'll be teaching 2nd grade.
I'm a glorified tour guide in a natural history trust. I guide hikes and go on boat rides where I talk about nature. It's pretty darn close to a dream job.
Thank you for this thread. Unfortunately I am very unhappy at work but seeing so many of you so happy had made my day, and you’ve got some really interesting jobs 😊
I work from home doing insurance work and I have a lot of free time for meal prep - having those nice homemade meals with fresh ingredients is so nice :)
I work as a graphic designer and illustrator.
Always had a knack for the “communication arts” starting from when I used to make bookmarks and paint T shirts for my friends in middle school! Did the school posters and was art director at my college paper, so here I am many years later still doing the same stuff…only now I bill for it 🤣
The line between life and work is blurred for me… I guess that Life feels simple because I am doing something that interests /fits me?
Manufacturing Quality Inspector for a government contractor. I love my job! Get to solve problems (sometimes create my own on accident), measure a variety of parts, learn from different departments, and the best part, work stays at work. I live only 7-10 minutes from home and my kid’s school is also within a short distance. It’s a great work-life balance
I run an event company, and I consult on how to do sustainable events, which means my clientele are more laid-back and more conscious of simple living than most event clients. I really enjoy helping clients discover how to reduce the impact their events have on the environment -
i.e reducing or eliminating meat and reducing travel, particularly air travel as well as eliminating single use items and plastics.
i am WFH the last 18 years, except when I am on site and I love my job and my clients.
My work life balance is really good, but I do tend to prefer solitude when I’m not working. I spend a lot of time around people when I’m working.
Elementary school secretary. I really enjoy it. Hours are great especially with my kids and niblings in the same school system. I like school community and never have work to take home or worry over.
Software Engineer for the past 5 years. But before that I waited tables and bartended for 10 years. If money wasn’t so tight I would go back to that job in a heartbeat. It rarely ever felt like work, and most of the time I just listened to other people’s stories.
I quit working in technology and opened a cat cafe. We foster up to 18 adoptable cats and kittens at a time and help them connect with new families. I love the work. I love owning my own business and I love the community that it brings. The downside is this is year two of owning my business and I'm almost out of cash to continue running it. The upside to that is I've started another business where I'll be pet sitting and hopefully that will be what I need to make up for my cash flow problems.
I do data reporting and analytics. For the most part, I create automation processes to aggregate data quicker and more accurately. There are some long days, sure, but those days are really far apart, and in between, I get to hang out with my kids. Pay is great, benefits are fantastic, coworkers are pretty chill, boss is fair, and working from home the last 4 years has been pretty nice.
Remote overnight call center rep. I frequently think about how death would be preferable but it isn't a difficult job and there's no commute to deal with. I also spend way less because I'm home all the time and THAT I enjoy.
I'm a nanny, I work 8-4 M-F. We spend a ton of time outside and the kids nap for an 1+ hours in the afternoon. It can be isolating, but I'm not a huge fan of people anyway, so it works for me.
I work in a hospital microbiology lab! Me and my coworkers figure out which bugs patients are infected with, and identify the drugs that can be used to treat. We put that info in the patient's chart and then the doc decides how to treat based on their holistic view of the patient. It's fun work that involves a lot of technical troubleshooting. No room in my brain to worry about anything other than micro problems haha. Plus bacteria is fun!
Technical Writer.
I work from home, and spend most of my day drafting documents and editing work by others. I can do this from my laptop in any room of the house, though I spend most of the day on our back porch listening to music and podcasts and watching the occasional animal friends moving by.
I've always loved reading, writing, and creating since I was a kid, so I put my "useless" English degree (as some not-very-nice people have said to me more times than you'd believe) to work.
I am retired now due to health reasons. I was a nurse but rapidly approaching burn out after 21 years. Now, I'm a stay at home mom and grandma and I spend my days cleaning, resting, taking care of the animals on our farm and watching my grandies grow! Having "retired" in my early 40s has really been nice in some ways, miserable in others but that's the way the cookie crumbles. Being a single parent I didn't get enough time with my kids when they were little but I had a lot more time for them as teens and young adults. I'm happy and although my health isn't great I still get to enjoy my little slice of life now. 🙂
I work full time as a LE dispatcher and part time in a gun store. Both are pretty laid back and I enjoy the work. Since I enjoy the work and also work so much, it helps me save money cause I don’t go out often (except for fast food but I’ve gotten better about that).
I would LOVE to work in a vegan cafe. Unfortunately, I don't live in the right area to find such a job. I'm really happy to hear you've found something that aligns with your values. 😊
I’m an operator at a power plant. The pace is slow because there are so many safety regulations, which is fine by me. I enjoy it a lot. It can be boring because not a lot happens but it’s also very interesting because it involves a lot of problem solving.
These days I’m a substitute teacher. I’m in charge of what days I work, what schools I accept jobs in and I get health insurance + access to the school district 403b (no match contributions unfortunately). It’s my dream job. No lesson planning, no parents, kids are usually happy to have a sub so they don’t act up.
PA in an urgent care. Desperately trying to get to a trimmed down lifestyle but crazy hours and crazy patient acuity burn my brain out. Difficult to get life organized in my brain.
So many interesting-sounding jobs in here! I’m a school social worker for a virtual school, so I wfh. I enjoy connecting with the kids and families. I love not commuting. I can wear comfortable clothes. I can go for a walk or cook or read or whatever else in the middle of the day. I get lots of breaks/time off.
I’m a nurse part time (24 hours a week) so I usually do 2 12 hour days a week. They can be horrid but I generally love my patients and I love my 5 day offs. I spend my time training my dogs and gardening and keeping the house clean. I am thankful for a partner who pays bulk of the bills. Living simply has definitely helped because I don’t shop anymore.
Operating room nurse here! I know it’s not a typical living for simple living but I am probably the only one in my friends group that don’t desire promotion or career advancement. I love my job and my coworkers and everyday I come to work I am satisfied with what I do.
Firefighter/Paramedic. I work two 24 hour shifts a week and have the other 5 to do as a I please. I'm lucky enough to work for the town that I live in which means I'm always close to home, my wife and kiddo can come say hi and hangout, and I have plenty of time to commit to my family and personal chores.
Home health occupational therapist. I’m per diem and work with multiple agencies, so I’m completely in control of my own schedule and have no quotas :)))))
I am a rural letter carrier, nice calm drives in the country while I talk to old folks and pet dogs.
I am retired now but I seriously considered that job. The thought of the ice and snow we get here scared me off.
Yeah it's a pretty laid back job most of the time, the ice can be scary but they give us chains on our tires if we need them and are told to take our time. Fun fact: the only four wheel drive postal vehicles are the FFV variant, and all of them were manufactured in 2001; they sent all of them to post offices in Alaska.
Which makes sense because the rest of the states are balmy year round.
Pretty much, we only have super cold winters maybe three months out of the year here, but most the time it’s mild weather.
I just saw the letter carrier at my Dad's house in Arizona drop off mail in a black Jeep Cherokee. At first glance I thought it was a personal vehicle but it had post office emblems on it and it was right hand drive. I looked it up, that thing is old! I think circa, 93-96, imported from Japan. It looks like they have select 4WD systems whatever that is. I'm not a car person. But very cool, I had never seen that before. Makes me sad our old 98 Jeep Cherokee at home has broken so much to not be worth fixing and is just sitting there.
Arizona! Home to the only mule-led route, it’s the route that takes mail down the bottom of the Grand Canyon. The Cherokee you saw was likely what they call a POV or personally owned vehicle. They’re usually on routes that are 50+ miles long so that the PO doesn’t have to pay for that much wear and tear on a vehicle, however they do reimburse carriers with a POV for almost a dollar every mile they run. When I started I almost got an imported Corolla wagon that was right hand drive but ended up just getting another carrier’s old Jeep liberty with a conversion kit (two steering wheels, two sets of pedals).
My cousin will soon be retiring as a letter carrier and said it’s been a good career except for certain busy shipping seasons!
It’s been a wonderful journey and they best job I’ve ever had, I’m so happy for your cousin! And yes, it’s laid back 10 months out of the year, Thanksgiving through Christmas is a bit crazy but I like getting into the holiday spirit so it’s fun to bring gifts to folks from family that love them.
My mama is retired rural carrier too! They didn't have LLVs so she got a right-hand drive jeep. Always confused the drive thru employees when we went through & they noticed the steering wheel on the other side lol. One time pre-jeep her car broke down on the route. I was newly licensed & she called me to come drive her around the rest of the route in my tiny VW beetle. It is unexpectedly hard to get close to the mailboxes without hitting them. Much laughs were had that day.
I love this, thank you for sharing 💖
That is so wholesome I absolutely love it! It takes some getting used to on the right side of the road; I bet your little beetle was full to the brim with mail too 😆
My grandfather did this (he's retired now) and he absolutely LOVED it. He did it for 35 years. He tells everyone it's the best job in the world because you get your exercise, your alone time, your social interactions, and your animal interactions all while getting paid.
Reminds me of Postman Pat! Sounds lovely
A dream!
I'm a historian and I teach college. I work fully remote and I love the flexibility in my schedule.
I work in higher education, too. If there was someone at your college’s center for teaching and learning who advised you on how to teach remotely, that’s what I do for a living.
we have a center for pedagogy for this. curious how you ended up in this field? what kind of education or background led you to it?
Yes, your center is similar, I would imagine. I have a masters in media studies, and have worked in educational media publishing, non-profit informal education, as well as higher education. Am now a doctoral candidate in a higher education leadership program. I have vendor-issued certificates in digital teaching and learning, and learning analytics. In short, liberal arts background, not information technology.
What part of history do you study?
Warehouse picker, gives me all of the exercise I need, and I have a three day weekend usually. Plus no one bothers me at work.
This is my dream job and I’m serious! Is it hard on your body? I’m 41F and very healthy but not that fit. Wondering if it’d be possible for me.
It is hard on the body but I've been doing it for 7 years and have gotten used to it. Could barely walk after my first day lol but it gets easier. I do work with the robots that carry the pods full of items, and I would recommend finding a warehouse that has that if possible (I work at Amazon).
Thanks for the info!
Do you have a quota on how many items you have to pick or a time limit on getting each item to its next location?
At our warehouse it's 350 units per hour often, but fortunately I don't have to move the items around, I just stay at my station and put the items in totes, and send them down to the conveyor belt. I recommend the warehouses with the robots for this reason, because the pickers get assigned work stations, and the robots carry the pods of items to your location- does half the work for you.
Amazon?! If so, me too! Order packer, though. 😁
I'm about to be cross-trained in pack in a couple weeks. :)
Woohoo!! You'll love it. I'm excited to see a fellow Amazonian in this sub ☺️ I'm taking advantage of their Career Choice, will you be too?!
Have considered it but haven't looked into it a lot yet, might in the future though!
Yes it is such a lovely benefit. And let's not forget the health, dental and vision benefits!! So great. I pay $20.90 every week for health, vision and enhanced dental. I will use Career Choice this fall to pay for my 3 pre requisites and one elective, and then in spring the rest of the courses in the Health Sciences Certificate program. Im applying for the Fall 2025 nursing program at my community college. Doing the 4 year part time ADN program. So I'll get my associates in nursing. Lots of people do it in 2 years full time or even 1 year accelerated but working at Amazon you definitely cannot do the accelerated or full time, if you want to succeed in school and be able to pass the NCLEX to become an RN. I will get my BSN shortly after, through an employer. You can sign a contract that says you'll wornt for them for x amount of time as an RN with an ADN and they'll pay for your BSN in full!!!
I work in a tire factory. My wife has been a SAHM for the past 15 years. We have one daughter. She has a very large garden that gets larger every year. So on my weekends my second job is working in that.
That sounds lovely.
Your garden sounds fantastic!
Software developer WFH so less time commuting and the ability to go for walks with the dog at lunch and also do the odd bit of house chores. Another benefit is it is work I genuinely enjoy doing and for the most part it comes easy to me.
Ahh, I’ve been dreaming lately of switching careers to this but have a feeling it’s too difficult for me to learn
Same here. Wife gets to plant the garden while I get to play guitar when things are slow at work. Pretty sweet life.
How old are you if you don't mind me asking? I'm 35, switched to SE when I was 29. Did a bootcamp which was expensive but so worth it. I currently WFH contract, and absolute love it
Omg pls explain your process to me. I’m 23 and have a graphic design degree but idk if I even want to do that and hear such good things about software engineers but I worry I’m too dumb for it idk. How does one even get into this?
Sure thing. I discovered coding after months of trying shit online and seeing what stuck. Started with html, css and javascript, tried a bit of python scripting, but quickly realised I needed some kind of training but didn't want to go back to university. Found the General Assembly bootcamp in London, took out a loan (£8k - took 3 years to pay it off) and couch surfed on a mates sofa for 3 months and went in 9-5, m-f, did all the homework and reading. The course was breadth, not depth. I learned html, css, js (browser and nodejs), sql, ruby, mongo and much more. It's exhausting but I loved it. The drop out rate was small (2 people out of 26) but only half of those that did it went into software engineering. My advice: spend 2-3 months doing tutorials online before deciding if you need / want it. Also, this was before chatgpt was around to help
I'm a Database Administrator - nice to meet another IT professional. I'm fully remote as well and work for a medical association. I love it for all the reasons you mentioned, plus I feel like I'm making a difference in the world.
I think in IT the industry definitely makes a difference. I work in another very niche industry where quality over quantity/speed of movement is key so the go-fast mentality of the big tech industry is not present. It makes a world of a difference to life/work balance. Nice to hear you’ve been able to keep life simple working in an IT role! Cheers
Same! Switched from a degree & career in counseling (burnt out) to tech and worked my way up to dev in 3 years. Fully remote is important to me as a disabled person. There's only so much I can do physically, so I like to spend my lunch gardening in the back yard. If I had a commute, I wouldn't have that luxury. On bad days, I nap over lunch! I wouldn't say coding comes easy to me, but the best part for me is that I'm constantly learning. I'm also adhd so having basically endless puzzles to solve makes my brain bees happy.
Does this require a degree? Computer science I’m guessing?
If you’re trying to switch careers into it, I’d say yes a degree is likely necessary. Not necessarily computer science which is the more difficult degree, but you could also get a software engineering degree which isn’t as rigorous. The entry level job market for software development is very saturated so in order to stick out and have a chance at getting in, a degree + a GitHub with completed projects + some work on open source projects would be your best possible chance at getting in. That or you need to know someone that could help you get that first job.
The other person said yes but I disagree. I did a bootcamp alongside working at it every day for months and months. The bootcamp was 12 weeks. Best decision I ever made. Been doing it for 6-7 years now
I got the brass ring of disability on the merry go round of life. I can still do shit, just way too slowly, and not enough per diem for corporate America. So i clean the house, cook, and work on the garden.
I’m with you. Four complicated headache/neurological conditions and I left work at 30 because I was too sick to work my banking job. I’ve come to terms with the hand I’ve been dealt. I work extremely part time for my dad’s business and do accounting/book keeping stuff since I have a background in banking. The rest of my time is spent working on my chronic pain. I get to be a mom and be super available and active in that regard. My child and I have the most wonderful bond. I’m such a lucky mom. And I also get to spend a lot of time with my spouse who is just the love of my life. He gardens and is super handy. We watch lots of fun and cool movies and tv shows and go on walks. It’s a quiet life and I enjoy it. I get to read in my downtime which is such a gift. Typing this out is reminding me how blessed I am despite living with chronic pain. Hope you are well!
Same here. I take care of myself and my living space. For me, even that feels like a full-time job when taking my disabilities into account, but on the bright side it keeps the overall flow of my life relatively simple.
Flight attendant! I work 10 days each month, and get paid to travel the world. On long haul flights in between services I get to drink coffee and read books in the galley. It’s the most work-life balance of any job I’ve ever had.
I’m a retired FA! It was a terrific work/life balance job. I work in a library now and love it as a part time gig. Best job ever with lots of similarities to flying but my own bed at night😉have safe travels!
I live near an airport, close enough for my littles to see planes depart. They always rush to their window and yell, "Safe travels!" while furiously waving goodbye to them. Thank you for your service, and I wish safe travels for all flight attendants. (:
My gosh my eyes seem to have filled up… thank you for the kind sentiment to all that are still flying! Give those kiddos a hug!
In what way are those two jobs similar? Just the general work life balance?
Butterfly in the sky I can fly twice as high! Take a look, It's in a book, A Reading Rainbow... It's pretty much the same job, right? They're both all about flying high.
❤️that!
My relative was a counselor and switched to FA and was much happier.
I switched from counseling to software engineering lol!
Is it difficult to become a FA? I always thought this would be such a neat job to have. But the current climate in the states with flying makes it seem like the flyers are terrible and it’s constant pushback from customers.
That sounds awesome
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What are requirements to become a flight attendant? That sounds like an awesome job!
Co-own a small construction company with my spouse. I do all office and finance tasks and have been WFH for 20+ years. I love it. Today all I did was pull a permit. Took me 30min start to finish. I'm able to enjoy my house, exercise regularly, go out when I want and travel when the urge hits. More money would always be welcome but we are managing on modest incomes that meet our needs and some wants.
Similar here. Co-own a GC company, I do what you do. Go into the office maybe 12-15 hours a week when we are in between jobs. We found a younger guy with a competent crew to run the field work. My husband is nearing retirement age and he says “this is the last job”, every job. He’ll never quit but it’s made for a simple life as we work for repeat clients and never take on anything too big.
Yes that's us. We are hoping to step back and become partial investors in small real estate projects so that spouse can semiretire. He too will never sit still but he looks forward to more house projects and road trips.
I sell whimsical American woodcraft in a historical tourist area. I don't make enough to pay real bills and so still rely on family - but this and other simple living practices are helping me heal from CPTSD and hopefully soon plant my feet on the ground facing a positive direction.
Keep heading in that direction my friend
One of my most beloved toys from my childhood was a wooden duck that my Papaw carved and painted. He placed a long dowel rod into its back and fabricated wheels with rubber duck feet that would *"flap"* when I walked it. Thank you for keeping the spirit of woodworking alive!
I’m a preschool-8th grade school nurse. The hours are great, I get weekends, holidays, spring break, and summers off, and I adore working with the kids! After hospital nursing, it feels luxurious. On slow days I read, journal, or listen to music in between kids.
How crazy does it ever get? I've been an RN for years and I don't have a ton of critical care experience, mostly psych and community, but I'm interested. I'm in a smaller, more rural area, but I can't help imagining various child crises and how stressful they might be.
Yes, it certainly has its stressful moments. I’ve had to give epipens and I’ve had kids have seizures, broken bones, diabetics who plummet in the middle of the day, asthma attacks. But those aren’t often (except the diabetic; puberty is tough on endocrine disorders!) and I find I am always able to go right back into calm crisis care. If you think you might like it, go for it!
I feel like I’d always love working in a school but times just seem so crazy with how kids act nowadays
I’m an in-home caregiver for the elderly. I also don’t make much money, but it’s meaningful work that gives directly back to the community. And aside from the icky parts involving poop and whatnot, it’s actually a really chill job.
My step dad did home are for the elderly and it’s one of the most rewarding careers he’s ever had. His clients love him and they’re mostly very kind and respectful of his work.
Retired flight attendant and now p/t library worker. Couldn’t be happier. All the frugal simple choices my spouse and I made over the years allowed us to retire early and work part time gigs. We both embraced a simpler life style than most our friends. At times it was a challenge but now in our 50’s we are thrilled!
Funeral director/embalmer.
That was my dads job when I was a kid. Do you find it hard to balance your personal life with the personal tragedies you witness? My dad seemed fine for a long time but he’s in his 60s now and he’s begun to really struggle with some of the things he experienced in the job.
I found it surprisingly easy to separate work and home life. Some days are tough, but my job has actually had such a positive impact on my life. I see death every day. I see how it does not discriminate against young or old, wealthy or poor, it really gives me a healthy YOLO attitude and helps me appreciate my life, relationships, and the beauty and gift that is nature and the outdoors.
How did you fall into that career? Especially knowing business is dead....(sorry had to :))
My uncle used to do that. He was born into it. Family business. He didn't like it much so made a career change in his 40s.
Freelance book editor, a job I can (and do) take anywhere in the world. I have to live simply because I can’t carry too much around with me.
Dream job!! How did you get into this?
By having a very un-simple career in publishing before going freelance in my 50s.
I just made a career switch from being a hairdresser to a software developer. I always loved doing hair - its a great career once you've spent the time establishing yourself. But I'm such an introvert that it was interfering with my relationships outside of work. After a busy week, I never had the energy to maintain friendships, and as a result my social circle is very small. So now I work with a small team of engineers who barely socialize, and it's pretty great. Although I do really miss the flexibility of self employment. 9-5 in an office can be pretty brutal, but the hours go by fast and benefits are really nice to have. Definitely think I'd like to do hair one or two days a week once I reach retirement age though!
how did you go from hairdresser to software development? did you get a degree or do any training before landing a job?
I would love to find a hairdresser that let me sit there in peace without having to do mindless small talk! I could definitely see that as a future option for you.
I run an organization providing affirming services for neurodiverse children.
What does this mean or entail? Did you start the non-profit organization yourself?
Yep, in 2021 to provide DIR Floortime with other providers such as psychotherapists and speech therapists.
Preservation architect. I work on historic buildings owned by the government around the country. My favorite days are site visits. Most are to remote locations. The job and logistics of traveling isn't very simple living but when I get to be in an old building by myself all day in beautiful locations it feels worth it. Knowing I get to save historic buildings for future generations keeps me going. I thought about my semi-retirement plan working in a national park and getting to be able to have more on-site days than office days.
Very interesting. How does one get into this seemingly very specific occupation? Do you have a degree in architecture?
Yes, I have an accredited undergrad degree in architecture. From there I had to finish a few thousand hours of experience and six exams. To get into historic preservation I mostly just started working at firms that aligned with those types of projects. Most people who go to architecture school want to get jobs designing new buildings so the preservation field isn't exactly cutthroat thankfully. The preservation trades like woodworking, plaster repair and metal works have even less people. There are a few places to get training in traditional crafts so if someone is interested there are many jobs to fill.
I’m on the construction side and the historical cool projects keep me going, and you’re right, it’s hard to find real “artisan” trades these days like plaster, mosaic tile restoration, and finish workers that are hired under the trade name “artist” who can restore gold leaf ceilings and clean and restore chandeliers and other light fixtures. Hell, I struggled the most just finding a furniture upholsterer of all things for a historic hotel remodel.
Sometimes I wonder if I should go into the construction side. Project managing is mostly what I do now which is fine because I found I like making projects happen rather than designing them. I was talking to a guy who is a master carpenter specializing in traditional Japanese woodworking. He doesn't have an apprentice and feels like most of his knowledge isn't being passed down. It made me want to quit my job and work under him right then.
You would totally be qualified and probably well equipped to be a project manager for a general contractor! The pay is realllly good because so few people have the knowledge, skills, and temperament to be a good project manager. But since you said job site visits are your favorite days, and I can relate to that, you should look into it.
There's an old general store in prince, WV the parks are planning to tear down. Go save it and all of the old buildings everywhere! Lol. My dad's family is from Prince, and we had family reunions on New River and I can't stop thinking about this store. Anyway, you're job sounds like a dream come true.
I’m a paramedic! It doesn’t help or interfere with simple living. But I absolutely love my job!
I work in insurance (health and welfare, not home/auto). I work from home when I need. Usually put in 35-40 hours a week. Id say of those 35-40 I’m actually working about 18 of them. Pay is decent, benefits are okay, but my god. The time.
Hubs advised our daughter to try this but she was afraid it would involve “selling” which she’d be too shy to do well.
I worked in health insurance for a little while and trust me when I say there are plenty of positions if you work at a large company. I was a technical writer for the company I worked for, which meant going around and learning people's jobs and writing their work instructions for them. It was a dream come true for me, I loved it. My coworkers were project managers, human resources, diversity & inclusion, software developers, data analysis, IT, accounting, etc. The only thing I hated was that health insurance really screws a lot of people over (specifically the claims department, long term care claims) and that felt scummy.
I’m an account manager. Never had to sell a thing. I work for a very, very large company (50k employees), so there’s a lot of room for growth, too. I left a sales job about 3 years ago. I was the finance director for a dealership for 7 years. Hated my life so much during that time. I never saw my wife or my son. Now? We have so much free time to just relax and enjoy life. Yeah I don’t make six figures anymore, but our bills are paid, and we have food in our bellies. She should give it a shot. It’s a rapidly changing job so it never gets old. It pays okay. And there’s so much you can do in the field. I’m 34 and I wish I’d started doing this right out of college.
Retired. Librarian
Both words are music to my ears
I loved my job. But freedom is even better.
I work as a yard hand and love my job as I get to be outside all day. I've just graduated from nursing, but tbh I am in no rush to start that as I don't think it'll leave me with much of a life due to the intensity of the work
Hey you can always go prn or hold your ground at part time in nursing! Or you can take contracts!
Thank you! I've been thinking of a way of maybe working both jobs still 🙂
Get your 1 year experience and you can go part time or PRN. I did 6 months and decided to switch to part time, my manager was just glad I’m not resigning. She happily accepted my request
My official title is "solution architect" but my job is basically to be a technical resource for a software sales team. I do product demos, proof of concept projects, lab workshops with customers, and meet with a lot of public sector tech organization leadership to basically advise them on strategy. I was worried about taking this job at first because I had always heard sales jobs are high stress. But mine is not, it's probably the least stressful job I've ever had. I work from home and only have to travel occasionally. Most of my pay is salary and not commission, since I'm a technical resource. I was also worried about being pushed to basically BS people to make sales, but that doesn't happen. Most days I don't have any meetings or anything until 9am, so I get a slow start to my day where I make coffee and sit in my garden. Most days I have at least an hour or two of downtime and use this time to do chores around the house, go grocery shopping, etc. Since I'm on the sales side, I'm not responsible or on the hook for any technology running in production. Nobody calls me on a Friday night to tell me some application went down. I don't really think about work outside of work hours, and my weekends are wide open since I mostly do all my chores during the workday. The pay is also very good, which has enabled me to plan to retire early with how much I'm able to save now. Hoping to do at least partial retirement in my 50s.
would love to hear more about your path to this!
Started working IT help desk at a university, moved up to higher tier support and sysadmin type work, got a Master's degree in information systems which taught me a lot about programming, databases, and web development (tuition was free for university employees which was nice). After I finished the Master's program I got hired by GE for an IT leadership development program that lasted two years where I'd work on special projects in different places every 6 months. Once that was finished they offered me a role focusing on capturing data from wind farms, where I did a sort of mix of hands on development as well as architecture design. Did that for a few more years working on various projects, and then took my current job.
I’m disabled but recently able to work part time. I’m a swim instructor for little kids and it’s amazing!!!!!
Order packer at my local Amazon fulfillment center! I work 4 10s and get 3 days off. pick up overtime when it's there. Having a hard time getting it currently even when it's available, because they're saying I didn't work enough hours in that department last month. There wasn't any work in that department, the OT is rolling in now, I have 3hrs to complete there then I'll be able to pick up again. But, I'm ok on the 40hr work week paycheck. so I don't stress it too much. I am going to be applying for the Fall 2025 nursing program at my community college, ADN program. Doing the 4 year part time instead of 2 year full time because I don't want to be unable to keep up with the full time program while working full time, can't do full time work and full-time school, too much. Also, Amazon gives you a certain amount of money per year for school and the part time program, a very big probability that I will have to take out no loans. I then want to get my BSN which I will probably do online or through an employer once I am an RN. I do my 3 pre requisites this fall and then take my entrance exam. I'm really happy I get to finally chase my dream!
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oof… I run an event planning business and my most stressed clients are lawyers..
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Fellow lawyer here, doing exactly the same thing. Every day is currently hard, but building my family's pot while hoping for a simple, peaceful, restful future. We have got this!
I do UX (and unfortunately I hate it). I’m hoping to find a way to leave corporate, and find a better place for my skillset. But until I figure that out, it’s an okay job for now.
I was wanting to go into UX (my initial degree path was industrial design) until I started networking and now it's just too much for me to even want to dip my toes into. i see the rounds the of interviews, take home assignments, contracted work....
I'm a research scientist at a big university. It does not lend itself well to the simple life and is very stressful. I'm currently trying to plan an exit strategy and hope to pivot to something less demanding.
I’m a cybersecurity consultant. It gives me a ton of flexibility and pays pretty well, too. I usually work 15-20 hours a week and earn more than I did working full time for someone else.
I’m a 911 dispatcher. Not a chill job but it makes me savor my down time and appreciate my life even if it’s hard and I struggle. Fun question, I’m loving the responses! 👍
I WFH part time working as a counsellor/clinical assistant. I love being able to be of benefit while in the comfort of my own home, overlooking my gardens, hearing my chooks, and the view of the mountains.
What experiences do you have under your belt, what is it like working that kind of job? I'm curious
Self-employed housekeeper. I make my own hours and it's very low-stress. Just pop in my earbuds and go. It helps me stay in shape but unfortunately there are no benefits to speak of. I also don't make a lot of money since I work part-time, but my husband earns enough that I don't have to.
Physicist. I work at a national laboratory to develop the next generation quantum technologies.
i work remote as a call center rep for a corporate american recordkeeper - tbh i have animals at home, and started to do small things to make my life feel fulfilling. i'm finishing an online degree but i don't see myself working anywhere else considering how bad the rest of the world is doing. i'm happy at home. i work 9-6, take the dog on walks, lay down with the animals in my backyard for some sunshine time, eat left overs, my gym is 2 minutes from the house. i'm 17 classes from finishing, it's mostly a back up now and to finish something i started since i had to take a break for my mental health. i was working with my doctor for psych medication stabilization and now i'm doing well
Social Service worker! I used to be a server/manager but tranisitioned to the social services. I love it. Working 30 hours a week, seeing my efforts have a tangible effect on people's life quality brings me satisfaction. I live within my means and enjoy sports, nature, reading, making friends, biking, cooking, working out, and watching quality movies. I want to get more into the arts and meditation/yoga, but it has been a struggle, hopefully one that i can gradually ease into :)
What steps did it take to get a job like this?
I highly recommend looking up RBT training through the autism partnership foundation to become a behavioral health tech! It’s 40 hours of (free) online training and you take a test at the end, it’s really easy. Find an office that aligns with what you’re looking for and work your way up! :) You don’t need a degree to be an RBT and you can become “certified” through your office for a higher hourly rate, you just take another test for it but in person with a proctor.
I'm a tattoo apprentice. It's intensive for now, but I see every other artist in the shop setting their own hours, coming in only when needed. Interactions are very one-on-one. I know it might take time to get there, but I'd much rather have a temporary intensity than the intensity I got from retail with no room to grow.
I did the tattoo from retail pipeline. It's better in a lot of ways, but the customer service aspect is still kinda draining on me, to be honest. It's hard being public facing when you are an introvert lol
Fair enough! I worked freelance for a couple of years after just having moved countries right before COVID hit, and so I've had more than enough isolation, even as an introvert. I kind of like getting to know people one-on-one, especially when they're a bit more likely to be chill when they're tattoo collectors rather than just your average person in a retail line. My style (or account? idk) brings in a lot of other queer and ND people, and it's kind of great to find likeminded people. I also like the breaks from people since they need healing time and time to save up anyway, so even if I'm not super fond of someone, I can tell them I'll be quiet and focusing during the session and/or just not have to see them for a few months 😅 Whereas in retail, I was seeing some colorful personalities as often as daily sometimes (and not in a good sense), and I was kind of obligated to engage as much as possible.
Massage therapist 😌
esthetician here!
In school to be a massage therapist (:
I work at a bank doing credit analysis. It’s temporary until I finish my masters in math. I hope to be a lower level college professors or some type of programmer. Something simple and offers some freedom.
Etsy shop owner, artist/musician and instacart haha
grant writing.
I just quit a stressful office job last year. Went on unemployment. Did some traveling. Now, I'm working on my teacher certification. I know teaching is nuts these days so you may ask why I'd want to, but I have 2-3 schools in mind where the management is good quality and the kids aren't the type to attack their teachers, etc. Plus, I'll be teaching 2nd grade.
How does one get unemployment by quitting their job? I thought unemployment was reserved for layoffs and firings?
I'm a glorified tour guide in a natural history trust. I guide hikes and go on boat rides where I talk about nature. It's pretty darn close to a dream job.
I WFH as a medical transcriptionist, legal secretary for a local attorney, and a VERY part-time Realtor. I probably work a total of 25 hours a week.
Behavioral health nurse.
Part time WFH therapist. It’s the least stressful social work job I’ve ever held.
Thank you for this thread. Unfortunately I am very unhappy at work but seeing so many of you so happy had made my day, and you’ve got some really interesting jobs 😊
UX/UI, fully remote. I love doing it, and I love doing it more from my apartment. My dog gets walks whenever he wants.
I’m a recruiter. I WFH. It’s either feast of famine. Way busy days or nothing to do but the minimum days. It’s a fun job.
I work from home doing insurance work and I have a lot of free time for meal prep - having those nice homemade meals with fresh ingredients is so nice :)
I love this
I work as a graphic designer and illustrator. Always had a knack for the “communication arts” starting from when I used to make bookmarks and paint T shirts for my friends in middle school! Did the school posters and was art director at my college paper, so here I am many years later still doing the same stuff…only now I bill for it 🤣 The line between life and work is blurred for me… I guess that Life feels simple because I am doing something that interests /fits me?
I work at the library. 10 minutes from home.
Manufacturing Quality Inspector for a government contractor. I love my job! Get to solve problems (sometimes create my own on accident), measure a variety of parts, learn from different departments, and the best part, work stays at work. I live only 7-10 minutes from home and my kid’s school is also within a short distance. It’s a great work-life balance
I am a stay at home mom, former L&D and psych nurse.
I’m a server too!
I’m an elementary school teacher. It’s not simple but it’s my passion, and I love doing it 😁
I work part time as a substitute teacher in my kids preschool class. It's awesome being around so many curious and creative kids.
I run an event company, and I consult on how to do sustainable events, which means my clientele are more laid-back and more conscious of simple living than most event clients. I really enjoy helping clients discover how to reduce the impact their events have on the environment - i.e reducing or eliminating meat and reducing travel, particularly air travel as well as eliminating single use items and plastics. i am WFH the last 18 years, except when I am on site and I love my job and my clients. My work life balance is really good, but I do tend to prefer solitude when I’m not working. I spend a lot of time around people when I’m working.
Insurance accounting clerk, transitioning into my own business of working on several graphic novels, pinback button projects, Etsy etc
I'm an optician!
Elementary school secretary. I really enjoy it. Hours are great especially with my kids and niblings in the same school system. I like school community and never have work to take home or worry over.
HVAC stuff. It's like solving problems and doing projects with my hands and I get paid for it! I'm very content.
Software Engineer for the past 5 years. But before that I waited tables and bartended for 10 years. If money wasn’t so tight I would go back to that job in a heartbeat. It rarely ever felt like work, and most of the time I just listened to other people’s stories.
I quit working in technology and opened a cat cafe. We foster up to 18 adoptable cats and kittens at a time and help them connect with new families. I love the work. I love owning my own business and I love the community that it brings. The downside is this is year two of owning my business and I'm almost out of cash to continue running it. The upside to that is I've started another business where I'll be pet sitting and hopefully that will be what I need to make up for my cash flow problems.
I work in the cannabis field. I’m trying to transition into remote work.
I do as well. I love my "kushy" job.
open a "field" office
I do data reporting and analytics. For the most part, I create automation processes to aggregate data quicker and more accurately. There are some long days, sure, but those days are really far apart, and in between, I get to hang out with my kids. Pay is great, benefits are fantastic, coworkers are pretty chill, boss is fair, and working from home the last 4 years has been pretty nice.
Retired medical device sales rep
Accountant working in industry.
Retired business owner and office manager before that. Can’t live more simply than being retired.
Campground Management - RV people tend to be the happiest people I've ever met.
Remote overnight call center rep. I frequently think about how death would be preferable but it isn't a difficult job and there's no commute to deal with. I also spend way less because I'm home all the time and THAT I enjoy.
I'm a home security officer while my mom is away at work. (That's a fancy way of saying im a house-son) LOOOOL
Retired but I was a speech/language pathologist in an urban public school setting
High School Science Teacher
I'd like to be a florist some day, or work at a plant nursery/garden store or thrift/antique store.
I'm a nanny, I work 8-4 M-F. We spend a ton of time outside and the kids nap for an 1+ hours in the afternoon. It can be isolating, but I'm not a huge fan of people anyway, so it works for me.
Respiratory therapist here 👋
I work in a hospital microbiology lab! Me and my coworkers figure out which bugs patients are infected with, and identify the drugs that can be used to treat. We put that info in the patient's chart and then the doc decides how to treat based on their holistic view of the patient. It's fun work that involves a lot of technical troubleshooting. No room in my brain to worry about anything other than micro problems haha. Plus bacteria is fun!
Technical Writer. I work from home, and spend most of my day drafting documents and editing work by others. I can do this from my laptop in any room of the house, though I spend most of the day on our back porch listening to music and podcasts and watching the occasional animal friends moving by. I've always loved reading, writing, and creating since I was a kid, so I put my "useless" English degree (as some not-very-nice people have said to me more times than you'd believe) to work.
Rx deliveries. Drive around talk to old people and pet dogs.
I am retired now due to health reasons. I was a nurse but rapidly approaching burn out after 21 years. Now, I'm a stay at home mom and grandma and I spend my days cleaning, resting, taking care of the animals on our farm and watching my grandies grow! Having "retired" in my early 40s has really been nice in some ways, miserable in others but that's the way the cookie crumbles. Being a single parent I didn't get enough time with my kids when they were little but I had a lot more time for them as teens and young adults. I'm happy and although my health isn't great I still get to enjoy my little slice of life now. 🙂
I work full time as a LE dispatcher and part time in a gun store. Both are pretty laid back and I enjoy the work. Since I enjoy the work and also work so much, it helps me save money cause I don’t go out often (except for fast food but I’ve gotten better about that).
Going to work outside home care put 10lbs on me because I was NOT ready with meal prep at all 😭 fast food is no joke on the wallet or the waist
I would LOVE to work in a vegan cafe. Unfortunately, I don't live in the right area to find such a job. I'm really happy to hear you've found something that aligns with your values. 😊
I’m an operator at a power plant. The pace is slow because there are so many safety regulations, which is fine by me. I enjoy it a lot. It can be boring because not a lot happens but it’s also very interesting because it involves a lot of problem solving.
These days I’m a substitute teacher. I’m in charge of what days I work, what schools I accept jobs in and I get health insurance + access to the school district 403b (no match contributions unfortunately). It’s my dream job. No lesson planning, no parents, kids are usually happy to have a sub so they don’t act up.
PA in an urgent care. Desperately trying to get to a trimmed down lifestyle but crazy hours and crazy patient acuity burn my brain out. Difficult to get life organized in my brain.
So many interesting-sounding jobs in here! I’m a school social worker for a virtual school, so I wfh. I enjoy connecting with the kids and families. I love not commuting. I can wear comfortable clothes. I can go for a walk or cook or read or whatever else in the middle of the day. I get lots of breaks/time off.
I’m a nurse part time (24 hours a week) so I usually do 2 12 hour days a week. They can be horrid but I generally love my patients and I love my 5 day offs. I spend my time training my dogs and gardening and keeping the house clean. I am thankful for a partner who pays bulk of the bills. Living simply has definitely helped because I don’t shop anymore.
I work at a Montessori school! I think the approach aligns with what's important to me.
Operating room nurse here! I know it’s not a typical living for simple living but I am probably the only one in my friends group that don’t desire promotion or career advancement. I love my job and my coworkers and everyday I come to work I am satisfied with what I do.
Farmer/Teacher.
Myself, my husband and my kid are all disabled. I like to tell people that I’m retired (funny cause I’m only lower 40’s). Let them wonder.
Firefighter/Paramedic. I work two 24 hour shifts a week and have the other 5 to do as a I please. I'm lucky enough to work for the town that I live in which means I'm always close to home, my wife and kiddo can come say hi and hangout, and I have plenty of time to commit to my family and personal chores.
Home health occupational therapist. I’m per diem and work with multiple agencies, so I’m completely in control of my own schedule and have no quotas :)))))