The first day of the rest of my life?

So what do you do when the 9 to 5 existence you have been so desperate to exit becomes a thing of the past? I guess I'm about to find out...

I finally decided that I had to make a change in my life and shake things up. Managing a chronic illness doesn't seem to be getting any easier over time and the afternoons are the worst for me. The high stress environment of a corporate 'for profit' office - open plan and full of vulgar chatter - and the pressure of an ever expanding workload in a struggling industry hasn't helped me and ultimately proved too much, so after seven years in publishing I just took a deep breath, steadied my nerves and walked away.

The decision wasn't a particularly easy one to make. I have given up a comfortable £30k full-time and full-on occupation and all the trappings that went with it: indulgently priced cocktails with friends, the daily commute, a work laptop, international travel and a career track... but the numerous attempts at drawing up a pros and cons list tell me that leaving this lifestyle is better for me in the long run.

After a relocation to a new city (where the cost of living is significantly lower) to be with my partner (who will be partly supporting me), I've taken a part-time job in an educational institution. I'll be going from 35 minimum to 18 hours a week and picking and choosing the working hours that make most sense to me and my body. This is going to take some definite adjustment!

But it seems I'm not alone. I've noticed that even despite really tough economic times in the UK a wave of my friends all aged in their late twenties and early thirties are similarly choosing to turn their backs on the stability of full time employment and the daily grind in favour of experimenting with flexible hours, working from home, returning to study and freelance work. It is their braveness that made me feel able to try something different myself.

And now? Well, today was day one of flexible working and I'm home before the fatigue hits to write this with a cup of tea on the sofa.

I think the challenge for me will be to recognise that my past self - all driven and ambitious to achieve - needs to relax into a different set of circumstances and an altered set of priorities now.