Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Debate If They'd Quit A Job To Improve Their Mental Health

People Debate If They'd Quit A Job To Improve Their Mental Health
JESHOOTS.COM on Unsplash
Make us preferred on Google

*The following article contains discussion of suicide/self-harm.

Let's face it unless you get paid to do what you love, most jobs are stressful.

And as much as we'd like to walk away from jobs that take up too much of our time and take a toll on our bodies, we toil away because it pays the bills.


Most people are very lucky to have a job, even if they complain about the long hours. But is there a breaking point when a person decides it's time to walk away?

Curious to hear from strangers online, Redditor r4y4d0 asked:

"Would you quit a job for mental health? Why or why not?"

For these Redditors the decision to quit is better than the alternative.

No-Brainer

"Buddy, people quit life over mental health. Of course I’d quit a job for it."

– Catburglar1987

"I've quit jobs because of mental health twice. The second time was after a very close call on the quitting life front (close enough to involve psych emergency services)."

"2 years later I still don't feel safe returning to office work (certain personal factors and the fact that it happened in 2 out of the 2 full time jobs I've ever had make me worried I'm at too high a risk of it happening again for my comfort). Luckily I have a good remote work option now due to contacts and goodwill made at job #2. I know at one stage I'm going to have to up the therapy and bite the bullet but now ain't it."

– Aenthralled

Beware The Burnout

"You can quit to get ahead of the burnout. I've burnt out before and it sucks. I recently found myself going down the same path so I dropped a uni course and asked my boss to move me to less emotionally stressful work. It worked! So I would say it is not 'the same picture' because quitting for mental health might save you from a lot of misery."

– Cytokine_storm

Workplace anxiety raised blood pressure to dangerous levels.

But Before Quitting...

"I DID quit a job for my mental health. They replaced me with three people. My blood pressure dropped 10 points in a week."

"Find another job before you quit if you can, though."

– deagh

Diet And Excercise Can Only Do So Much

"Yep. My partner was flagged with alarmingly high blood pressure by the doc recently. We went scorched earth and cut out almost all sodium, ate 90% vegetables, worked out every day."

"Blood pressure didnt start dropping until after they got laid off and lost their stressful job 🥴"

"Take care of yourselves, guys."

– sardine7129

"It's 100% My Job"

"My doc recently tripled my BP med dose, added another BP med, and talked to me about a low sodium diet."

"I lost a kidney 22 yrs ago. The Nephrologist was VERY clear that I needed to watch my salt intake and keep it low. Which I have been since then. I've been in the hospital before because it was so low, lol."

"Just started BP meds this year. It's 100% my job. Healthcare workers are quitting left and right. We've lost 16 people in my department because they got tired of administration BS. Work is a garbage fire right now. I'm jumping this ship as soon as I find another job."

– Tiny_Teach_5466

People continued strongly advising others to put their mental and physical well-being first.

"My wife quit her job over mental health...and the job paid about CDN$160k."

"It saved our marriage, her relationship with our kids, her friendships, and herself."

"So ya...people do it."

– Marlowebabe

Damaging Consequences

"I didn’t do this and faced the consequences. Worked till the lights went out, even though I had serious anxiety and depression because of my job."

"When the lights finally went out, I’ve spent 2.5 years at home with a severe burn out and a depression."

"I urge everyone to put their mental and physical health above their work. It isn’t worth it. Don’t be like me."

– Daanvann

"Don't Be Miserable"

"F'k yes I've done it so many times in my life! The whole point of living is to find happiness and purposes that make you happy. Don't be miserable and end up like the managers of the places you've worked in. That sh*t follows you home even if you try to bury it. Everyone is affected by it especially family members they notice your tone change."

– meatusdeletus91

Triggering Trauma

"I quit the best paying job I’ve ever had for mental health reasons. I was getting paid about $600 every payday (not much, but it was decent for a part time job), but that money didn’t prevent me from having full on breakdowns in the bathroom after my bosses/managers screamed at me in front of the customers. It was so intense that it reminded me of my abusive childhood."

– Toasty825

"Best Decision Ever Made"

"I did it once. Best decision I ever made. Once I realised I was dreading going to work each day, i realised it was time to go. I had been looking around and got a different job, same role in a different company (bonus: for more money!) and put in my notice that day. My life transformed overnight. I literally thought there was something wrong with me and I just wasn’t adjusting to ‘life at work’ after uni and was depressed. Turns out, no, the company I worked for was just f'king depressing. Turns out it’s possible for companies to be nice to work for and are filled with nice people who nice to each other. Crazy!

"Since then, I would ALWAYS tell somebody to ditch a job for their mental health. Just get online and see what’s out there. Only ever leave a job for a job though, I think. Financial instability won’t help your mental state."

– Ilovecheesenwine

Redditors were pretty much unanimous in strongly suggesting people leave their stressful jobs before it's too late.

While the decision to quit is not easy one to make, it's worth looking into other jobs in the meantime that won't cause as much emotional distress.


If you or someone you know is struggling, you can contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).

To find help outside the United States, the International Association for Suicide Prevention has resources available at https://www.iasp.info/resources/Crisis_Centres/

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

DJ Fievel Crane
@fievel42/Instagram

Trans Radio DJ Quits Live On Air After 'Most Traumatic Work Experience I’ve Ever Had' In Viral Video—And We're Applauding

Earlier this month, radio DJ Fievel Crane, former host of Morning Mixtape on 106.1 FM The Corner in Charlottesville, Virginia, announced their immediate resignation live on air.

They later shared a video of the moment on their Instagram, captioned:

Keep Reading Show less
Screenshot of JD Vance
Newsmax

Vance's Latest Advice To 'Frustrated' Midterm Voters Is A Glorious Self-Own For The Ages

Vice President JD Vance's suggestion that "frustrated" midterm voters not give power to the "crazy people who started these problems" was widely mocked for giving Democrats a gold mine of material to criticize the Trump administration's failures with mere weeks to go before the midterm elections.

A Politico poll published Thursday found that Americans were more likely to hold President Donald Trump responsible for the country’s economic conditions than his predecessor Joe Biden.

Keep Reading Show less
Screenshot of Karoline Leavitt; Donald Trump
Hang Out with Sean Hannity; Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Karoline Leavitt Just Tried To Claim That Trump 'Respects' Women More Than Men—And Was Instantly Called Out

Speaking on the Hang Out with Sean Hannity podcast, former White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt made the outrageous claim that President Donald Trump "might listen to women more than men" because he has "such respect" for them."

Leavitt reflected on her tenure within the Trump administration. She recently resigned after giving birth to a child and has decided to take a step back from the round-the-clock schedule in the White House to focus on motherhood.

Keep Reading Show less
Chuck Grassley
Finn Gomez/Getty Images

93-Year-Old MAGA Senator Sparks Alarm After Refusing To Rule Out Running For Reelection In 2028

Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley has reignited calls for congressional term limits after he refused to answer a reporter's question about whether or not he'll run for reelection in 2028.

Grassley, the Senate's president pro tempore, is 93 years old and has been in the Senate since 1980; before that, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives for several years. He was first elected to political office in 1958, serving in the Iowa House of Representatives from 1959 to 1975. He will be 95 years old in 2028.

Keep Reading Show less
Donald Trump
Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

Trump Throws Bonkers Tantrum After 'Demented' Reporters Show Up To UN Despite His Media Ban

President Donald Trump lashed out at members of the press in a post on Truth Social after clashing with CNN's Kaitlan Collins and other journalists for showing up to his speech on Tuesday at the United Nations despite his White House media ban.

Criticism has rained down on the president since his decision to ban CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House, citing what he characterized as unfavorable and false coverage.

Keep Reading Show less