On quitting your job

Six weeks ago I quit my job. I left behind stability, friendships and the biggest amount of stress I have ever experienced. I was a successful primary school teacher and I decided to leave it all behind. I couldn't hack it anymore. There have been countless articles about the teacher shortage crisis and it is all true. Teaching was tough. Teaching was not what I thought it was going to be, aged 22 and fresh out of my bachelors degree. I remember sitting in the chapel of my new university, listening to  the welcome talk for new teaching students and feeling immensely proud. I had been chosen to do this out of thousands. I had worked hard to get to this position. I deserved this. Little did I know about what was to come. Fast-forward three years and I believe it was the best and worst decision I ever made. Teaching made me. It also broke me. Countless evenings sat at the dinner table crying over a pile of 60 books to be marked. Waking up on Saturday with dread in the pit of my stomach, eyeing up the pile of paperwork to complete before I could even attempt to relax. It made me ill. And so I quit. I quit with no idea of what to do next, no financial security, no idea of who I am anymore or what I want out of life. But I did it, and this are OK. I am applying for jobs, I am tutoring on the side, I am waiting for the next adventure. If something is making you unhappy, you must seek to change it. You are important and so is your happiness.