IN the working world where most people want to move up the ladder for mostly a better pay and work environment, there are those who would rather put their mental well-being first and work at jobs that may not fit the definition of success to others.
A woman recently shared her downgrade in salary that turned out to be an upgrade for her mental health after switching from her high-paying office job to working at a convenience store.
The 35-year-old shared her experience on the Instagram page @malaysianpaygap, detailing that she was a Project Manager earning RM3,700 per month, working a hectic schedule to the bone dealing with the demands from her clients and bosses.
“I always see an increment in salary on MPG (@malaysianpaygap) and I wanted to share something in reverse.
“I used to work as an associate (basic salary RM3,700) in Project Management but work was on call 24/7, people would try and find you all the time, every project is on a tight deadline etc,” she said.
Due to the nature of her job taking a toll on her mental health, she put her foot down and quit for the sake of her mental health and is currently working as a convenience store assistant earning RM1,500 monthly.
She added that the store was just below her apartment making it a two-minute walk thereby cutting down on commuting expenses.
“Even though my salary is less than half, I feel much better mentally and somehow, physically as well.
“No more getting stuck in traffic jams, no more getting calls at any second or chasing deadlines. Once my shift is over, it’s over. I even cook at home more now to save money.
“Even with a cut-down salary, I somehow managed to live within my means,” the anonymous woman concluded in her post.
Her story gained considerable traction with netizens commending her bold decision with some others relating to her post of quitting their high-earning jobs for a simpler job.
