“Surprisingly good,” he said with a sigh. “I should have quit years ago.”
Many of my patients ask me to help them quit — usually it’s something unhealthy such as smoking or gambling. But a few ask me to help them quit a job or relationship or a long-term project — things that many of us value.
Many people think — and you might, too — that quitting reflects laziness, inadequacy or failure. From the time we are children, we are taught that “nobody likes a quitter.”
My work, however, has taught me that quitting, itself, isn’t the problem. And quietly quitting — doing the bare minimum like my patient had been doing — can be a form of avoidance. But knowing how and when to quit is a superpower that can benefit your mental health.
Persevering at all costs can be harmful
Quitting is a normal — and healthy — human behavior. Thirty percent of students who entered college in 2011 changed their major at least once in their first three years, according to a survey by the National Center for Education Statistics. And in 2023, more than 3 million U.S. workers quit their jobs every month.
But while people can quit one thing, they may find it difficult to quit another thing. Also, quitting prematurely can lead to a sense of regret.
Persevering at all costs, though, can inhibit our ability to adapt, grow or explore new opportunities. And sometimes,