Should I quit my job? 6 signs that you need to quit your job!
Should I quit my job? That is the question. Here are 6 signs that it might be time to quit your job. There are always going to be weeks, or even months, that are more difficult than others. It’s vital, however, to be aware of just how long you’ve felt that the going is just a bit too tough.
Work takes up a lot of your time (80,000+ hours in your lifetime to be exact), and quite simply, life is too short to be unhappy in your job.
Here are six signs that suggest you should consider quitting your job! The important thing to take into account if you recognise these signs in your own life, is to acknowledge the frequency in which they are happening and the extent to which this is affecting your life, your happiness, and your mental health.
1 - The Sunday Scaries
You’re sitting on the sofa, you look at the clock, you realise it’s Sunday night. The dread kicks in. Physical signs of the ‘Sunday scaries’ include a sense of dread, restlessness, a vague sense of unease, irritability or even stomach problems. These are all signifiers of mild anxiety.
If this is you, you might be relieved to know that you’re not the only one. A 2018 LinkedIn study found that 80% of professionals experience the Sunday Scaries, with over 90% of Millennials and Generation Z reporting they feel it.
For more on how to overcome the Sunday scaries, the healthline has a whole page on it.
2 - The job is affecting other areas of your life
Is it sleep, time with loved ones, how present you are when you’re around your friends and family, travel, true rest? If you’re constantly struggling to fully switch off and it’s affecting your sleep quality, then your job is not a positive work environment for you. This doesn’t mean to say that you should just leave your job, but it might do if you can’t fix it or change it. How important is it to consider the alternatives?
3 - You’re not fulfilled
“Perhaps your tiredness isn’t from doing too much. Perhaps the real problem is that you’re doing too little of what fuels you.” - Margie Warrell - You’ve got this!
Your job can and should excite you. When your job doesn’t align with your core values you may feel unfulfilled and as though you lack purpose. This is because your job doesn’t serve your higher values. To test this, think about your day job, how excited are you about it? Do you think ‘this is totally where I see my career going’? Do you think 'I am happy about going to work this week/about the projects I am working on’? Does the work you do make you feel proud?
4 - Stress
The body was designed to cope with stress in small doses, to enable humans to survive and evolve. However, now the body deals with small, continuous levels of stress. Situations we perceive as threatening are now very different, but the physiological response is still the same. This impact on the body can be detrimental to your health in the long term.
“Stress seems to worsen or increase the risk of conditions like obesity, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, depression, gastrointestinal problems, and asthma.” (webmd)
5 - Toxic work environment
A toxic work environment can be subtle, nuanced, and slow to detect. It can take months for workplace toxicity to become obvious. For example, you may not mind the remarks, the micro-managing, and the odd Sunday or evening work. It could be lots of smaller changes, a bit of added pressure, a bit of working beyond your job description, a manager subtly putting you down.
Enter inevitable burnout, total apathy, or a knock in self-confidence.
These are serious red flags! A questioning comment here or there on your ability to complete a task may seem trivial at the time. However, take on enough of this and you yourself will absorb the habit of doubting your ability to do the task too.
Toxic work environments can do damage to your mental health and really mean that you should consider quitting your job.
6- Reaching for one too many drinks
Don’t get me wrong, I like a glass of wine. However, there is a difference between enjoying a glass of wine after a long day, and finding yourself reaching for the bottle or a G&T on multiple occasions because you’re overwhelmed, stressed or simply bored! Equally reaching for that little tipple to calm the anxiety?
All of these are warning signs that it might be time to quit your job. You know yourself best and when you’re thinking about quitting, the best thing to do is be honest with yourself. The fear of the unknown might be scary, but so is staying somewhere you’re not happy.
If you want to find out if you should quit your job and learn how to discover a job you love, click here to book your FREE clarity call to see whether my Change Career with Clarity & Courage 1-1 coaching programme is for you.
Sarah is a Career Change Coach. She helps women break through and pivot in their careers. Whether you're not networking, developing your own work or side hustle! Stop feeling like you don’t know where to start and reach out!
Sarah has a Masters in Psychology and is accredited by and a member of the British Psychological Society. She has experience working with the military and corporate sector in recovery, transition, leadership, and mentoring.
