3 Reasons To Quit Your Job Right Now
Updated: Dec. 07, 2020
Quitting your job can be a difficult decision, but it can also open the door to inspiring and exciting possibilities. Here are three reasons why.
Why Should I Quit My Job?
Quitting your job is like deciding to rearrange your room: you’ve grown comfortable with the status quo, and it can be hard to picture the end result. And yet, there’s the nagging feeling that you’re no longer satisfied with your current circumstances.
While it’s not out of the question for feelings of regret to surface after a major overhaul, quitting your job can reveal exciting possibilities, making you feel inspired and renewed.
1. Your Efforts Are Not Working Out
The right time to quit your job might be when you’ve put a lot of effort into it but still see no improvement. Once you decide you’re quitting, remember: you’re in charge of how to deliver that message. Friends and family members may respond with concerns, but it’s your job to offer context and plans for your next steps.
“We’re taught from our earliest days that if you quit something, it means you’re a failure,” says Will Meek, a counselling psychologist in Vancouver, Wash. “Rather than shaming, I think we could teach the value of knowing when to stop.”
2. Quitting Your Job Can Improve Your Quality of Life
Staying at a job you find unfulfilling can leave you emotionally drained, but walking away from that stress and unhappiness can have significant physical health benefits. According to the American Psychological Association, tensions can trigger or exacerbate heart attacks and arrhythmias and increase the risk of disease.
While it’s common to experience momentary grief after quitting your job, Mark Franklin, president of Toronto-based CareerCycles, has observed long-term positive effects. “When I see people start to do things they love, there’s a lot of relief,” he says.
3. Quitting Your Job Lets You Pursue Your Real Passions
Quitting a job that fails to bring you joy can leave you with ample time to explore where your heart is truly leading you.
In a 1999 study, then-Harvard University professor Herminia Ibarra looked at how bankers transitioned into different roles that required new skill sets. Subjects were drawn to acting out a version of their future selves, similar to “trying on different clothes.”
Why not try a similar approach as a way of finding out what your true desires might be? It may not feel like it at the time, but quitting your job can help you get back on track.
Related features:
3 Ways To Be A More Compassionate PersonÂ
10 Tips For A Happier Workplace
10 Tips For Managing Your Stress
