Update: I stayed at work, I got my pension vested. Thank you

Six months ago, I wrote to r/AskMenOver30 about my situation at work. I was falling apart due to burnout and work pressures with six months left before my pension vested. [https://www.reddit.com/r/AskMenOver30/comments/120xsa1/falling\_apart\_at\_work\_with\_6\_months\_left\_before/](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskMenOver30/comments/120xsa1/falling_apart_at_work_with_6_months_left_before/)

Well, today, I found out from the state pension fund that my pension has been vested. I was a bit shocked because it is a bit early. I called their customer service line and they said it’s vested. I think the guy took the hint from my line of questioning and quipped “hey, the pension will be here for you even if you quit”.

I just want to say thank you to this subreddit. After a really hard day (more often than I would like), I would read your comments again. I’m writing a follow-up because I have received a DM and a reply months after asking if I stayed and endured. I am happy to report I did.

Now lies another hard choice. I made a promise to myself I would quit shortly after I vest. Of course, the best recourse would have been found another job, but I had no luck. I applied to 30 places over six months. I got really close with one, and it fit perfectly, but they required a 90 minute commute one way three times a week so it fell apart.

I am still most likely going to quit in the coming weeks with nothing lined up. What was once a dream job has become nightmarish. All the conditions I listed in my original post remains, but a bit less because I have just given up the last few weeks and I just sit around doing the bare minimum. I must say it is more soul-suffocating than I expected. I am afraid of the current job market, but it is not enough to override my current conviction.

I have a supportive partner who supports my decision to quit, and I have squirreled away enough money for 8-10 month expenses. I have been seeing a therapist for years now. It’s funny when people recommend seeking therapy when the work life is rough, because through therapy I have lost much of the motivation and drive of grinding at work. All I want to do is go for walks, read, write, paint, bike, cook and clean for my partner. I feel like therapy has made life so much more vivid and my appreciation has deepened and I want more of life that does not involve having multiple 50-thread email conversations at a cubicle.