Psychologist Anna Heal

Daniel, thank you for laying out your situation with such clarity. The fact that you can name both the pull toward something different and the risk of acting rashly tells me you are already thinking like someone who wants a thoughtful decision rather than a reactive one. At 48, with 22 years in one role and a recent year of repeated reorganization, your question is not unusual, and it is not a sign of failure. It is a sign that your work identity and your sense of meaning have been disturbed at the same time, and you are trying to sort out what is temporary from what is enduring.

The first distinction worth making is between a situational reaction to workplace change and a deeper reappraisal of how you want to spend the next chapter of your life. Workplace reorganizations are losses, even when your performance reviews stay positive. When meaningful responsibilities are automated or reassigned, you lose daily evidence of your competence and contribution, and that can produce disengagement that looks like a career crisis but is really a grief response to role loss. A useful test is to ask whether your dissatisfaction is tied to specific tasks, people, or structures that changed, or whether it follows you across settings and weekends. If the heaviness lifts when you imagine doing similar work in a different organization, you may be reacting to this environment rather than to work itself. If the heaviness remains even when you imagine a better version of the same job, you may be facing a broader question about meaning and timing.

The second distinction is between a retirement crisis and a midlife review. A true retirement crisis usually involves a sense that time is running out, a persistent wish to stop working altogether, and anxiety about whether you have enough money and purpose to do so. What you describe sounds more like an early signal that your current arrangement no longer fits, combined with a realistic fear of financial and family risk. That is a review, not necessarily a crisis. It is also worth noticing that 48 is young for retirement in most career timelines, so the wish to prepare earlier may be less about leaving work and more about wanting more control over how you work.

To tell temporary from genuine, I would encourage you to track your experience over time rather than decide in a single mood. For several weeks, note when you feel most engaged and least engaged, what you were doing, who you were with, and what was missing. Look for patterns. If your lowest points cluster around specific meetings, lost tasks, or a particular manager, that points to a role-fit problem you might solve internally or elsewhere. If your low points are diffuse and constant, that points to a deeper shift. Also pay attention to your body and sleep, because prolonged disengagement often shows up there before it shows up in a clear thought.

Practically, you can separate the decision into three tracks and explore each without committing to a sudden change. On the financial track, meet with a financial planner to model several scenarios: staying in your current role for five more years, moving to a different role at similar pay, reducing hours, or retiring earlier than planned. You do not need to decide, but you need numbers rather than fear. On the career track, consider a low-risk experiment such as a lateral move, a temporary project, mentoring, or a conversation with your manager about reclaiming one meaningful responsibility. You might also explore whether a different industry values your operations experience in a way that feels fresher. On the personal track, ask what you want more of in daily life, not just what you want to escape. Retirement is only satisfying if it has structure, relationships, and purpose, so test those now through hobbies, volunteering, or side projects.

Because you cannot ask clarifying questions here, I will offer a few angles that cover different possibilities. If your disengagement is mostly reactive and recent, giving it six to twelve months with deliberate efforts to reshape your current role may be enough, and you may find that the feeling fades as new responsibilities settle. If it is role-specific but stable, a planned move within two years, with your finances checked, is a reasonable middle path. If it is a genuine existential shift, you may need to accept that the question is not which job but what kind of life you want, and that answer often comes through small experiments rather than a single leap. In all cases, avoid framing this as stay versus retire. There are many middle options, including phased retirement, consulting, part-time work, or a sabbatical if your savings allow it.

Finally, watch for resentment as a warning sign rather than a verdict. Resentment grows when you feel trapped and silent. It shrinks when you have a plan, even a slow one. Give yourself permission to gather information for a few months, talk with people who have made similar transitions, and revisit the question with fresh data. You are not behind, and you are not required to solve this today. The goal is a decision you can respect, not a decision you make in a hurry.