In the wake of ‘The Great Resignation’ of 2021, a new behaviour is stepping into its place. ‘Quiet quitting’ is a mindset shift that sees you rejecting the idea work has to take over your life, and then acting in line with that new mentality.
“I recently learned about this term called ‘quiet quitting,’ where you’re not outright quitting your job, but you’re quitting the idea of going above and beyond,” TikTokker @zkchillin explains in a clip that’s racked up over 412k likes and more than 4,000 comments.
“You’re still performing your duties, but you’re no longer subscribing to the hustle culture mentality that work has to be your life – the reality is, it’s not and your worth as a person is not defined by your labour.”
@zkchillin On quiet quitting #workreform ♬ original sound – ruby
“This works best if you can tolerate your job — if you’re miserable, get outta there! Your peace of mind comes first,” ZK added in the comments.
Related: Before You Quit Your Job, Ask Yourself These 7 Questions
Related: Do I Need a New Job or Just a Break? A Career Specialist Weighs in
It’s worth noting, however, that many career experts aren’t fans of the trend, calling it ‘coasting’ and describing it as doing the bare minimum. If you are getting to the point in your career where you are feeling that you’re putting work above everything else, it can be incredibly demoralising, says LinkedIn career expert Charlotte Davies told Metro.co.uk.
“It’s very likely that you’ll start to retreat from work — ‘quiet quitting’ — in an attempt to bring back some balance,” she says.
“Of course, the best piece of advice is to avoid this happening in the first place, but we all know that’s very hard to do, particularly with the pandemic blurring the lines between career and personal lives, which still impacts how we work now.”
If you are in need of motivation at work, Kate Furey, Director of Corporate Communications & Career Insights Specialist Indeed, suggests taking some time off or negotiating your role to better suit your lifestyle, like asking your manager if you can work from home more or asking for your compensation package to be reassessed.
“Have the confidence to sit down with your manager and negotiate the changes you think will give you more fulfilment,” she says. “This might include asking to work remotely, for flexible hours, or for a pay rise.”
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