What Is the Relationship Between Quiet Quitting and Mental Health?
This article is the opinion of the writer. It is for general informational purposes only. It does not constitute individual therapeutic advice.
What is the relationship between quiet quitting and mental health?
Quiet quitting has been quite the buzzword recently. It describes the act of declining to excel beyond standard work expectations.
For example, one might insist on only working the standard 40 hours a week for their salary. An employee who quiet quits might stop volunteering for extra projects.
It is a change in attitude from the prevailing “hustle” culture. It is a stark difference from the culture many employers promote.
I think the act of quiet quitting is an attempt to improve one's mental health.
Placing boundaries on the workday can help us maintain or improve work-life balance. It can help us stabilize our eating and sleeping patterns. Improved physical health improves our ability to cope with difficult situations and emotions.
What does quiet quitting suggest about workers emotionally?
Let’s assume that quiet quitting does not involve discussing changes with a person's boss. I imagine that says quite a lot about where workers are emotionally.
Quiet quitters usually feel unsafe calling out the policies at their workplace. They often feel like they can't be themselves at work.
Quiet quitting also seems to be more of a "last resort" to make changes. Let's say a worker has tried to express their dissatisfaction with workload and pay. What if their employer ignores their requests for changes?
Quiet quitting often seems to be a sign of burnout for employees. This can be true even if they haven't tried to communicate their dissatisfaction,
Quiet quitting is considered a trend. This has negative widespread implications. The mental health crisis in America is already well-documented.
Many people are reclaiming their mental health by having stricter work boundaries. What does that say about our society’s views on work? What does it say about how companies have treated workers for the last several years, if not decades?
I believe many employees want clearer boundaries at work. Many tech companies, for example, set an expectation of workers to exceed expectations. This lack of clarity creates undue anxiety and stress on a daily basis. It can lead to coping mechanisms such as eating disorders and substance abuse.
Does quiet quitting benefit mental health?
I think it's possible for quiet quitting to have mental health benefits.
Quiet quitting may improve your work-life balance. It can give you more time to focus on hobbies or taking care of yourself at home.
I've worked with many clients who were afraid of tightening their boundaries at work. They later discovered that their employer was completely fine with such changes.
You may improve your mood through quiet quitting. Quiet quitting can possibly reduce anxiety related to work.
By having more time for yourself, you can have more space for pleasant activities. Engaging in pleasure can reduce feelings of depression. It can provide a sense of direction and purpose.
It's also possible that quiet quitting won't help your mental health very much.
It may be that work struggles are a side effect, rather than a root cause. A person suffering from family-related stress might have trouble concentrating at work. Reducing your workload might not change that.
In cases like these, quiet quitting might be avoiding the real problem.
Your depression might get worse with quiet quitting. You might not use quiet quitting as an opportunity to engage in life in other ways. If you don’t do extra work or engage in extracurriculars, you may feel bored and unfocused.
Quiet quitting can potentially increase anxiety. Sometimes changing work boundaries by yourself can make your situation even less clear. Not knowing if you’ll get in trouble could be a source of daily anxiety.
If you do get in trouble and lose your job, that could be detrimental to your mental health. Unemployment can contribute to a range of mental health issues.
In short, if you’re thinking about quiet quitting, make sure it’s right for your individual situation. A career counselor can help you determine your optimal course of action.
When is quiet quitting helpful?
You might be trying to assess the idea of quiet quitting for yourself. If so, there are several factors to consider. Below is a list of example scenarios when it might be a good idea.
Don’t take my word for it. This list is clearly short and leaves out plenty of detail. If any of these scenarios apply to you, think through any other variables I don’t mention here.
Examples of when quiet quitting could be helpful:
You're pressuring yourself to get work done more than your employer is pressuring you.
You have trouble letting go of work issues after the work day ends, which affects your eating and sleeping.
Management refuses to take your concerns seriously.
You work at a job where "there is always more to do."
You are going through a stressful period in your personal life. As a result, you need to temporarily reduce your workload.
When is quiet quitting a bad idea?
Like the list in the previous section, the following list is also finite. It also is not personalized. Even if you are in a situation like these, quiet quitting still might be the best option.
Examples of when quiet quitting could be a bad idea:
You will face negative repercussions from your employer for working less. You could even get fired.
You don't complete work tasks during standard business hours. This may be a result of anxiety from imposter syndrome.
You've never tried to communicate your concerns with anyone at work.
Your mental health issues stem from outside of work.
You use quiet quitting as an opportunity to engage in substance abuse or other harmful behavior.
Looking for a career counselor? I may be able to help. Feel free to contact me and schedule a free phone consultation to see if we’re a good fit.