Overview

• Shany Hagan, 56, resigned her £50,000-a-year business development manager position this May and accepted a factory floor job paying £24,000 to escape relentless targets and ‘Sunday scaries’.
• In her new role she packs food, labels products, handles administration and cleans, reporting a marked reduction in stress and an ability to switch off after shifts.
• After paying off her mortgage in 2019 and rediscovering portrait painting during her COVID furlough, she now donates her artwork to charity auctions.
• Celebrities such as Mel B and Cliff Richard have signed portraits that have raised over £350,000 for various charities through her auctions.
• Hagan says her mental health has greatly improved since the career shift and she feels happier than ever, citing better work-life balance and time for creative pursuits.