After leaving my position, I no longer wake at night fretting about the time

Xiao Songyou, 29-year-old Shanghai resident

In February, I finally quit my job after four years. If I had not been able to work from home for much of the time during the past three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I would have left earlier.

I quit because I didn't know how to do my job at a mid-sized internet company. I was employed to create publicity content, but later, the boss wanted me to produce technology content and required me to learn more about technology. However, I had no interest in the subject.

While I was employed, I sought work elsewhere. Most of these jobs offered a monthly salary of 10,000 yuan to 20,000 yuan ($1,372 and $2,734), but they involved a heavy workload and long working hours, even on weekends.

I didn't want a life like that, so I continued with my job, which was already disappointing for me, but easy. It involved working remotely, but I don't think I contributed anything.

I was renting an apartment with a stranger in a suburban district. It took 90 minutes to commute to downtown for work. Two years ago, I asked to have three days off a week, with a salary reduction of 20 percent, and the company agreed.

I was quite calm after leaving my job. New recruits in the workplace usually have to obey the rules, but after working for several years, I was unwilling to accept everything that the company demanded.

Having been out of work for several months, I don't feel any sense of lost pride in not having a job. The only thing that has changed is that I'm no longer paid. I was prepared for this, so I'm not anxious about it. If I can find some gig jobs to make money, they may be a good alternative to full-time working.

For the past few months, I have lived on my savings and income from running a podcast, which has more than 110,000 followers, but I won't make it a full-time job, as I feel that work must never be solely a means of making money. It must also be interesting.

When I had my previous job, I often woke up in the middle of the night to ask Siri what time it was, as I needed to know how much longer I could sleep.

Now, I no longer have any worries about the time when I wake up in the night. After getting up in the morning, I like to enjoy the sunshine on the balcony and talk to my plants.

Since leaving my job, I have done many things I wanted to do for a long time. I went to Nanjing, Jiangsu province, to visit a bookstore and a zoo. I also spent a month in Malaysia, living like a local and making full use of my visa's validity.

I may start to look for jobs, but only those I'm good at. I cannot guarantee how long I'll stay in a particular post. I find that people are now staying at work for shorter periods, and they are no longer afraid of "window periods "between jobs.

Moreover, while people used to typically change their jobs for better pay, they are now willing to take a new job with the same or even less pay.

The reasons for this include not being required to work overtime, and the chance to work in a new industry.

Xiao Songyou spoke with Zhou Wenting.