Quitting your job because of depression (7 tips)
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The Optimistminds editorial team is made up of psychologists, psychiatrists and mental health professionals. Each article is written by a team member with exposure to and experience in the subject matter. The article then gets reviewed by a more senior editorial member. This is someone with extensive knowledge of the subject matter and highly cited published material.
In this brief guide, we will discuss quitting your job because of depression, and advice from experts about how and why you should do it, as well as other aspects related to quitting your job because of depression.
Thinking of Quitting your job because of depression?
If you are thinking of quitting your job because of depression, you are not alone, and you are not wrong, because prioritizing your mental health like you would your physical health is extremely important. The current economic climate also causes burnout and depression in the workers more often than the previous, but still, even now, about 83% of the US workers suffer from mental health problems like depression and only about 42% of them care about the work-life balance and are willing to dos something about that stress.
If you are thinking about quitting your job because of depression, you can read on for tips, reasons why you should do it, and other things you may need to know about how depression can affect your job.
How to know when it is time to quit your job because of depression?
When to quit your job because of depression is important, because waiting too long will just keep affecting your productivity and making you feel worse because of the pressure of the job, and the feeling of worthlessness that will come from your lessened productivity.
To know exactly when to quit your job because of depression, you may have to look inside yourself and assess your situation on your own.
You can also do what Jessica Goldman, a freelance graphic designer, did when she was suffering from depression and wanted to quit her job because of the depression.
She knew that it was time to quit her job because of depression when she sought the help of a therapist because she felt as if she was going through a career crisis.
She wondered why she was so miserable even though she had the career she had worked so hard for.
With the guidance of an expert, she found the way to walk away from her so-called perfect job in search of something else that would be better for her mental health and would still pay the bills.
Some times it is also possible that your office is adding to your pressures. An office culture of anxiety and fear, where everyone feels paralyzed, especially when there is a threat of being fired or a reduction in salaries, the job situation may become unsustainable.
Another person who was suffering from depression and anxiety due to their job talks about how they knew it was time to go after the boss informed them that they would have to work just as hard but salaries were going to be cut and their future was in jeopardy as one person would be let go at the end of the month, she says, “This was not a good sign, and I knew at that moment, I had to leave. They were going into panic mode, and I didn’t want to go with them.”
You may also know that it is time to quit your job because of depression after a major event happens and you realize that your job is not fulfilling you at all, but may in fact be keeping you away from what matters more.
You may suddenly wonder one day after visiting someone you love in the hospital about what you are doing with your life.
Feeling like you are going to be at a job you hate and that is not making you feel very good for too long can be an excellent motivator.
Nadine Hays Pisani, who used to be a successful chiropractor, suddenly realized that she had to leave her job because it was making her miserable, after her husband was admitted to the hospital for a minor stomach ailment, she says, “I knew deep down that I would be working there until my sixties unless we made a run for it,”
They ended up leaving both their jobs and moving to Costa Rica for a new beginning, “It was the most reckless, ridiculous, and romantic move all wrapped it one. The risk of not doing it was too heavy. The thought that if I didn’t go, in five years, I’d look back and regret it. That the moment I was brave went to waste. That’s when you know. When there is no other choice. When that brave moment has not yet slipped away.”
You may also be dealing with an unstable boss that may be adding to your pressures, and the negative feelings you have.
Having an authority figure that is constantly breathing down on you and challenging your self-worth, and involving you in things that are not helping you at all, can be another reason to quit your job because of your depression.
Another way you can know when it is time to quit your job because of depression is when you start to feel the effects of depression physically.
If you are not able to work because you are not sleeping or eating well, or if you have to call in sick often because you know you are not in a mental state to function at work, it might be time to quit your job and either take a break from your career or just get a simpler job doing something that is not so demanding.
How to quit your job because of depression?
Here are some tips on how you should start the process of quitting your job because of depression:
· Get in touch with a therapist, start talking to them about your job, and everything else that is making you feel depressed, and start sketching out some sort of game plan.
· Take note of your finances, it may be a while before you can claim disability or unemployment, which also varies from place to place, so get those things in order.
· Try to get help from family, friends, or significant others to get your stuff in order before you decide to quit your job.
· Try to have a plan in mind of what you will do after you have quit your job.
· If you find that you don’t have enough resources to sustain yourself after you quit your job, try to find something you can do from home or part-time, maybe something that involves freelancing or consulting, where you don’t have to invest so much of your time and make big decisions.
· You need to also make sure that you are taking advice from someone and communicating whatever you might be feeling the entire time, do not go through this alone.
· You can also try to make sure that you have enough stuff lined up to take the place of some of the time you were spending at your job, because a drastic freeing up of time can be jarring, especially for someone with depression.
People who quit their jobs because of depression or other mental health reasons
There are a lot of people who choose to prioritize their mental health over a job, and here are some reviews or thoughts from people who quit their jobs because of depression, anxiety or other mental health reasons.
“Through no fault of my own, all of a sudden had no ability to do the job I had worked so hard to secure. Even now – 4 years later – I feel totally incapable when it comes to the tasks I used to complete with ease. There is an entire skill set on my CV that I may as well just delete. I have the experience, but I believe I’ve lost the capacity. I’m not trying to encourage people to quit their jobs as soon as they’re diagnosed with depression. Not everyone will be affected the same way that I was. A lot of people find their job is the one constant in their lives during a depressive period, and it gives them comfort to focus on something other than their own mind. I just want to be completely honest about my experience and what I personally had to do to get better.”
This person talks about how difficult it got for them and how they tried to work through things and did not want it to go to the enxtent of quitting their job because of depression.
“I choose to hide it. And I’ve been hiding it for so long, I’ve become an expert at concealing it from others. Although officially diagnosed at 34, with hindsight I now understand that I developed the condition in childhood, experiencing my first suicidal thoughts as early as 12 years of age. That’s over 30 years of hiding, pretending and lying. It’s become a part of who I am. For the following month between that meeting and my first day in the new role, I could feel the dark clouds gathering. While I tried to fool myself and everyone else around me, I knew that I couldn’t work in an environment where people had such an obvious lack of respect and compassion for others suffering with mental health problems.”
“I resigned two weeks ago from a management position due to depression and anxiety partly caused by the role itself. I did have a new role lined up but found some pretty awful things out about the organisation prior to commencement and realised that it was likely to make my depression and anxiety worse. So I resigned from both roles and took time for Me. Which I’ve never done in my 15 years of holding corporate management roles. Both places were angry with Me. Staff were resentful and saw me as letting down the team. The impact of losing a salary was a big hit for me. As was letting go of a career I’ve worked and studied hard at for years. But I have some things to sort out and it was very liberating and freeing to walk away. The first thing I did when I left the office was head to the beach kick off my work shoes and went for a walk in the bright sunshine. After 60 hour weeks and much conflicts and abuse I finally felt I could breathe.”
While these things may have worked for the people above, they may not work for you, but even if you don’t want to go about quitting your job because of depression yet, you can start to think about it, and see if that might be something that would help you.
Tips for people in jobs suffering from depression
Here are some tips for people who are suffering from depression and have jobs:
· Try to maintain communication with someone at work as well, not necessailry about depression but just a friend you can talk to when you start to get too overwhelmed.
· Take little breaks to have some tea or coffee or something else you enjoy.
· Don’t work constantly, stretch once in a while, make sure your body moves a little occasionally, especially if you have a sedentary job.
· Save more than you usually would, so if you do decide to quit your job because of depression, you will have resources to sustain you.
· If you have a boss that is adding to your pressure, try to knock off some steam but working out right after coming back and engaging in activities like kickboxing to reduce some of the negativity that may be building up.
Conclusion
In this brief guide, we discussed quitting your job because of depression, and advice from people about how and why you should do it, as well as other aspects related to quitting your job because of depression.
Frequently asked Questions (FAQs): Quitting your job because of depression
Should you quit your job because of stress?
Yes, you should quit your job if it is causing you too much stress.
Prolonged stress has been linked to various problems like heart conditions and a weak immune system, so any job that causes too much stress is not worth it.
Too much stress can also cause serious health problems like migraines or ulcers. If your job causes you so much stress that it affects your health, then it may be time to consider quitting or perhaps getting your responsibilities reduced.
Is it okay to quit your job for mental health?
Yes, it is okay to quit your job for mental health, just like it would be okay to quit your job if you had a serious physical ailment that makes you weak. “It’s totally okay to go through what I went through. It’s totally okay to quit a job after a few months as long as you truly know it isn’t right. It’s totally okay to put yourself and your happiness first.”
How do you quit your job because you hate it?
To quit your job because you hate it you can do the following things:
– Be discreet, try not to vent to your co-workers about how much you hate your job.
– Don’t go on a rant to boss or co-workers.
– Write a resignation letter
– Give at least two weeks’ notice
– Ace your exit interview
– Find your next job before you quit your current one to ensure your finances are in order
What is a good excuse for quitting your job?
A good excuse for quitting your job is a mental or physical illness.
Personal or family illnesses are both legitimate reasons for quitting a job, and sometimes a sudden illness can be an excuse to quit a job. If you or someone in your family is seriously or chronically ill, just make sure that you have continued health insurance coverage after you leave.
Can I get unemployment if I quit my job due to anxiety?
You can get unemployment if you quit your job due to anxiety, as long as it is a medically documented problem.
The medically documented problem may include suffering a condition that is triggered by stress. A medically documented reason refers to visiting your doctor during your time of employment. You may be eligible if your doctor recommended you change or quit your job.
Citations
https://www.time-to-change.org.uk/blog/i-quit-my-job-because-mental-health-stigma
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