5 Questions to Ask Yourself when considering to Quit your job to Protect your Mental Health
Noticed the increasingly famous hashtag on Tiktok? The popular term among Gen Z and millennial professionals #quietquitting doesn’t just mean leaving a job. It’s instead a movement where people reject the idea that work comes before their personal lives, and an effort to establish clear boundaries to practice work-life balance.
Is Quiet Quitting the way to go?
More than ever, employees want their work to be flexible, instead of feeling confined, restricted, burnout and discontented in their current positions. Employees who are burnt out are less engaged, commit more errors, leave the organization, and are more likely to experience low morale.
Yet, the decision to decline tasks due to disinterest, avoid work-related messages after office hours or to feel less invested in your job role leads to actual job dissatisfaction.
Here’re 5 questions to ask yourself when considering quitting a job - because truly, quiet-quitting is not the way to go (it only harms your credibility at the workplace).
Am I Communicating My Needs?
When you transparently and respectfully communicate your needs, you show your supervisors your commitment and desire to enjoy the job and role you’re in. Noticing your dedication to show up best for your role and responsibility, your supervisors may be more inclined to adjust your workload and discuss with you your duties to best suit your talents leading you away from feeling undervalued or overworked in your company. Even if it's uncomfortable, there’s always a way out when you sit down together and discuss as a team.
2. Am I Managing my Time or is my Time Managing Me?
One reason you might be feeling unfulfilled at the workplace is due to the distractions around you. By eliminating distractions, the gossiping crew, and procrastinating you can get much more work done, feel productive and achieved. Tackling the most crucial task first can help boost your morale and increase your feelings of productivity instead of choosing to put it off and feeling overwhelmed afterwards.
3. Am I still Learning or Growing?
Having a learner mindset allows you to stay ahead, be efficient and driven to learn from those with more expertise and experience. When you learn, you grow, and you quiet the voice, the desire to stay unfulfilled and in victim mode. If you find yourself stagnating, ask yourself if there’s a new skill to learn, a new course to take. Oftentimes we get so skilled at an area that we find ourselves wanting for more. Feed into that desire and learn something new!
4. Am I setting up Boundaries?
Are you clear on the difference between “work time” and “my time”? Simply put, are you shopping and “adding to cart” during a zoom meeting? Are you checking your emails right before bedtime when it’s time for you to rest? The little habits count and they can affect your relationship with work. Instead of mixing up work and personal time, limit your attention to a set amount of tasks at a specific time for a specific duration. You know it’s true: if there were no restrictions, you would constantly be working because there’s just so much to be done. Finding a balance between pursuing the career you love and ensuring your mental well-being by communicating your boundaries is key to managing burnout.
5. Am I Dwelling on the Negative?
Words matter—you've heard the saying, right? Well, they really, really matter. Although "quiet quitting" has the best of intentions, the words themselves and the sensations they evoke might have the opposite effect. Apathy doesn't benefit anyone, whether you love your job or despise it. Be mindful of the words you say to yourself and the visions you see for yourself related to the work you’re doing. If they are constantly negative, ask yourself “how can I see this from a different angle?”, “what can I learn from this experience?”.
There are no good or bad experiences, but instead opportunities to serve and learn. Is your current job the place you’re interested in continuing to serve or is there another avenue you can serve the community?
Remember the influence you have on others no matter your position. You’re here to create an impact.
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