7 Signs You May Want to Quit Your Job

Coming from someone who’s spent most of their post-grad years miserable at almost every job they had – and I had a lot of jobs – I know a thing or two about the impact of staying somewhere much longer than you should. The pressure to hold down a steady job – whether it’s for the pay, experience, or some arbitrary number of years you think you need to stick around – is real. But so is the stress that comes with spending most of your waking hours showing up for a job you hate.

Staying at a job you hate can negatively affect your physical and mental health, personal life, and motivation. It can kill your self-confidence and make getting through the days impossible.

Not everyone has the means to walk away from their job, but knowing how to recognize typical workday stress vs. being miserable can help guide your next steps. You can address the former in various ways without putting in your two weeks, but being sad and depressed at work probably can’t be fixed by meditation or deep breathing.

If you see yourself in any of the signs below, you may want to start thinking about a new job or career path.

The Sunday Scaries Start on Friday

If you’re not familiar with this phrase, the Sunday Scaries describe the impending doom and anxiety you feel on Sunday when thinking about work on Monday. If your work-related anxiety is really high, the “scaries” may start as early as the moment you clock out for the weekend. There are ways to combat the Sunday Scaries, but if you have prolonged anxiety and stress, you may need to re-examine your work situation.

You tell co-workers you’re feeling a bit “off” at work before you call out “sick” the next day

I’ll be honest, this used to be one of my favorite tricks when work worked my nerves. It’s a nice way to give yourself a break, but you’ll have to go back at some point.

You blame technology for not getting work done

“Zoom is being weird” can get you out of turning on your camera for meetings, but using technology as an excuse to get out of work will only put you on ITs radar after doing it one too many times.

You show up on time but still end up late after sitting in the car contemplating every decision that got you to this point

Self-explanatory. And super depressing.

The only thing that excites you is your check

And if your check is big enough, you may briefly forget how draining work is, but that shouldn’t be enough to keep you around.

You become irritated with everyone

This includes people outside of your job too. Your work life should never negatively impact your personal life. Because what kind of living are you making if you can’t enjoy it?

You frequently go to the bathroom to avoid work

Whether it’s to cry, dodge your manager, or kill time until you clock out, frequent “bathroom” trips like this are a telltale sign that there’s something toxic in the air at work (and no, I’m not talking about the lingering smell of God knows what in the bathroom stall you locked yourself in).

If you see yourself in some of these signs, it’s time to assess your current situation. Research your options and see what you can do to make the best of your job, like a promotion or a lateral move into a new role. If you feel comfortable doing so, talk to your manager about what’s making you unhappy. And if all else fails, start planning your exit.