Originally Posted by Unregistered

Mid life crisis? It is a normal affliction for most people. I went through a few. But I held on to my job throughout somehow.

Here are some suggestions as to how to psyche yourself out of this phase:

1. Take a sabbatical. If your company doesn't have such a scheme, be the first to introduce / initiate it. Present to them the benefits of such a scheme, and what you intend to do during the sabbatical. (Lucky for me, my company supports sabbaticals)

2. Ask for a different posting, or take on a different project. I moved from a technical discipline to the corporate side after 13 years. After 3 years, I moved back to technical in a managerial capacity

3. Take no pay leave. Again my company has this scheme but only for valid reasons such as to accompany spouse on overseas posting, to pursue studies relevant to your work, to take care of ill parents etc.

4. Do a thorough / realism assessment on the marketability of your skillset. Will you be able to re-enter the job market if you quit for a year? If so, get same pay? If answer is no, then better not quit without a job.

5. Tell yourself, the $2.5m networth is insufficient to support a young and growing family for too long. Believe me, it isn't. It will be sufficient if both of you were now 55 and your kids already financially independent on you.

6. Tell yourself, tough times don't last, tough people do. Looking back at the various trials and tribulations I went through, I now see them as small ripples in the bigger scheme of life. But of course, when you are right in the midst of a turbulent period, it seem like we might not survive it.

Good luck