Courtesy of Hannah Wilkinson
- My career used to be my identity. I had spent years prioritizing work and was feeling burned out.
- I ended up quiet quitting, but it only exacerbated my burnout.
- I ended up resigning and traveling for a few months, and reclaimed my boundaries around work.
On any given day at 8:45 a.m., I would roll out of bed and make the five-foot commute to the kitchen to brew coffee. I’d throw on loungewear, wake up my laptop, and join my first meeting of the day.
People would talk on the screen, but my attention was elsewhere: an open browser of TikTok air fryer recipes or livestreams of the latest news. My plan was always to do the bare minimum.
I was quiet quitting, my own little protest.
I’d prioritized my career for years and felt burned out
Six years before my revolt began, I was 22 and landed a graduate marketing job at a fashion house in London, earning £14,500 a year (about $18,500 at the time). Over the years, I climbed the ladder until I was making £50,000 a year and no longer had to survive on frozen pizzas or battle long commutes, having moved into my own studio in the city center.
I embraced my 20s for the chaotic rite of passage that it is, hurtling forward like an Irish thoroughbred, racking up bad dates and corporate promotions, hoping one day to snag a Forbes 30 Under 30 badge.
However, in 2020, layoffs and budget cuts left me with double the workload. Though I took on more, I wasn’t compensated, and by the time the pandemic ended, I couldn’t ignore the years I’d spent prioritizing my career over my own mental health.
Overworked and burned out, it was time to stage my rebellion.
Courtesy of Hannah Wilkinson
I entered my quiet quitting era
I chose to work from home as much as possible, even when most of my colleagues were in the office. I’d wiggle my mouse to appear active, take long midday gym breaks, and became an expert on all plotlines of The Real Housewives franchise.
At first, I felt proud of the time I was reclaiming. But it didn’t last. My mental health deteriorated when the purpose my career once gave me wasn’t replaced elsewhere. I was directionless, and waking each morning with the lethargy of someone who’d just finished an Ironman, despite sleeping 10 hours a night. Having previously been diagnosed with depression, I recognized the signs that I was heading there again.
After a year of quiet quitting, my breaking point arrived during a work call where colleagues argued over fonts used in a recent presentation. I thought, “Is this really what life is all about?”
Courtesy of Hannah Wilkinson
My ‘quiet quit’ turned into a ‘loud quit,’ and I resigned
In December 2022, I handed in my resignation and bought a one-way ticket to Australia with no planned date for my return. I spent three months traveling there and across New Zealand before returning to London, trying to reclaim my zest for life.
I spent hours in nature, hiking mountains and sailing with dolphins at sunrise. I slowly remembered what it was to have fun and not take life so seriously. I shared my story with friends and strangers and realized how common burnout was, and that I wasn’t alone.
Of course, hindsight is a wonderful thing. I could have done all this in London — spending more time in the city’s beautiful parks, or asking my boss for better support. Escaping wasn’t the only option; what I really needed were boundaries and the courage to advocate for myself sooner.
Courtesy of Hannah Wilkinson
Traveling helped me reclaim my identity and set boundaries when I returned to work
The real problem was that my career had become my identity, and I didn’t know who I was without it. It took traveling 10,000 miles and spending a large chunk of my savings to dismantle that. And while I’m grateful for the perspective and memories my travels gave me, I wish I’d found ways to make those changes sooner, without losing a year of my life to quiet quitting.
When I returned home, I restarted my career as a freelancer and finally established clear boundaries around my work. My job no longer defines me; now, I enjoy it alongside the passions I’ve invested in for myself. Some days I’m a social media manager. Other days, I’m a rock-climbing yogi or a home cook pretending I’m a chef from The Bear.
Prioritizing balance, well-being, and passions outside work has helped me find purpose in my whole life — and that’s something I’ll never want to quiet quit.
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