A job that changed me: I cried nearly every day working in aged care, then realised I could bring joy instead

Carolyn Mullen: ‘I became so grateful for the chance to share the residents’ lives with them, as well as being more grateful for my own life and abilities.’ Composite: Guardian design/Getty Images

In my 40s, I was beginning to wonder where I fit in the employment world. I had a variety of jobs including an improv instructor, actor and corporate facilitator, then Covid arrived and all those people-facing roles disappeared.

Living in Sydney, with my kids at school and a mortgage to pay, I took on some temp work through an agency.