Three (unorthodox) Signs It's Time To Quit
We know some of the traditional signs that it might be time to wave the white flag and create an exit plan, but here are some signs that it's time to quit that you might not be aware of.
We know some of the traditional signs that it might be time to wave the white flag and create an exit plan, but here are some unorthodox signs we don’t hear about as often:
Coming up with any possible excuse to get out of work.
Have you ever…ended a relationship in your mind before actually ending the relationship in real life? You’re just kind of over it, you’re no longer attached to it, you just haven’t formally left? You become really distant where you used to show up intentionally and with a sense of determination? Now…you wouldn’t really be heartbroken if they just ended things with you? When it’s time to quit a job, it can feel much the same. You’re over it, you just haven’t officially left yet. If you were to be fired, you would feel somewhat relieved. This is not a normal feeling! Consider hoping to get fired and hoping you’ll get broken up with signs that you should just take action yourself.
Your friends and family are telling you to quit. Even the overly cautious ones who you know are not advocates of risk taking.
These people who have your best interest in mind are watching you in this job and they are worried enough about you that they are saying that temporary unemployment cannot possibly be worse than this reality. A company, believe it or not, does not have your best interest in mind. They have their own best interest in mind. You are a business decision to that company from the moment you are hired until the moment they have a bad fiscal year and need to do layoffs. You are just a business decision to them. But to these people(?!)- your friends and family? They care about you as a person and they can see what this job is doing to the person they care about. If they say it’s doing more harm than good, consider believing them.
You’ve picked up sincerely bad habits for this job.
You can manage this job, but only because you picked up vaping. You can totally handle the workload of this job, you just have to take anti-anxiety medication now. You can absolutely handle this job, you just can’t remember the last time you saw friends or family because you’re so busy. You can 100% handle this job, you just drink a bottle of wine at the end of every night to decompress. Sometimes, because we are head-down in our life, we don’t see all of our choices for what they are.
What might seem like some light coping, from the outside looks like you’re putting a bandaid over a bullet hole. When I meet someone who has developed insomnia because of the stress of their job, I worry. When I meet someone who can’t remember the last time they didn’t have to take their work laptop on vacation, I feel so sad for them. When someone tells me the stress of their job has caused them to develop dangerous health conditions, I feel like I should call the cops. It’s insane what we normalize and accept as a coping method for a job that, at the end of the day, is just not good for you. It doesn’t matter if you’re good for it- you’re doing really well, everyone tells you how great you are, you’re being promoted- it is not good for you. And there is only one of you.
I know that quitting is always easier said than done and that unemployment or taking a position you might consider a step down isn’t ideal, but when it’s time, it’s time.
If you’re looking for more information and a how-to guide for creating an exit plan, there are resources in the When to Walk Away chapter in The Cure for Burnout.
Your situation might be tough but you are tougher. I’m rooting for you from over here <3
Yours,
Emily Ballesteros