Free AI web copilot to create summaries, insights and extended knowledge, download it at here

Abstract

and the money helps you tolerate it all. Many of my single friends remained single or had significant others in multiple cities. Many of my married friends became divorcees. It’s hard to maintain a road warrior lifestyle for many years if you aren’t surrounded by people who appreciate and tolerate your lifestyle.</p><h1 id="04d0">My career on top of quarantine</h1><p id="e52f">When quarantine hit in 2020, the travel and revenue dried up. Layoffs and furloughs became commonplace. On top of work uncertainty, people were dealing with the complete overhaul of the workplace, managing child care by themselves (and while working from home), the threat of dying from coronavirus, zero social life, and grief from the many that passed. I was no different.</p><p id="0b6d">It was too much for me. So I flirted with the idea of taking a break from it all for months. And then I finally quit.</p><h1 id="4c32">My choice to leave</h1><p id="e789">I was fortunate to have at least three options available to me when I quit. I could have taken an extended vacation, most of which would be paid for through accrued personal time off. I could have taken a sabbatical, which would have been unpaid but my job would be waiting for me upon my return. Or I could quit.</p><p id="4074">I thought about my workaholic nature — how when I took a vacation I found myself checking email several times a day. How the first thing I did every morning was reach for my smartphone to check my email, while still in bed. I thought about the open door policy I had set up with my employees and how I allowed them to call me at any time. And then it was clear what I had to do.</p><p id="340f">I wanted to say goodbye and not look back. I needed a clean break or else I would never fully disconnect.</p><p id="8910">I thought about the loss of income and what

Options

it would do to my family. We had emergency savings. I could get health insurance through my partner’s company.</p><p id="d02d">I was privileged to be in this position.</p><p id="e054">All signs were pointing to Yes.</p><h1 id="c13c">The aftermath</h1><p id="1bf7">My decision to depart was a hard one for the company. I was in a prominent leadership role and managed a team of employees. I had never left a company for this reason before, and my sendoff was…amazing. My decision was met with unanimous support, reverence for putting my mental health first, and recognition of the courage it took to make this choice. It also opened up the floodgates of how others were feeling during quarantine, their struggles, and their sentiments to make a similar choice down the road. I was floored by the overwhelming support from my network.</p><p id="9bd4">It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I ended up taking 6 weeks off. The first 3 weeks were spent disconnecting completely from the industry that I had known my entire career. I knew I had reached a milestone when I woke up one morning and didn’t automatically reach for my smartphone.</p><p id="f790">The next 3 weeks were spent figuring out my next steps. In the end, I did go back into the same industry, but in a completely different role and part-time. I am a much healthier and grounded person because of it. I now exercise my creative side. I can allocate more time where I want it. I have the freedom and space to take care of my mental health.</p><p id="90ec">The tides are changing today when it comes to mental health, and yet, we still have a long way to go. Too many people are neglecting themselves in fear that they may be laughed at, talked about in a negative light, or seen as weak. We need more leaders to step up and lead by example.</p></article></body>

I Quit My Job for My Mental Health

To destroy the stigma, we need leaders to lead by example

I’ve had a great career and, at times, I’ve loved it. I’ve traveled internationally and worked with some of the largest global firms. I was compensated well for the stress that often comes with such a job, and my family and I learned to live with the trade-offs of me being a workaholic.

After multiple decades of this lifestyle, it took a toll on me. Then the global pandemic broke me.

My road warrior career history

My partner and I chose many years ago not to have children. Instead, we both wanted to focus on our careers. In my heyday, this meant I was on the road every week, often leaving Monday morning and returning Thursday night. When people asked me about travel, I mockingly said that I lived on the road and visited home. I worked long hours, usually 10–12 hours per day on top of little sleep, travel fatigue, and bad eating habits. I worked with all sorts of people, often serving as an on-the-job informal counselor. And I made the companies I worked for lots of money and received decent money in return.

This type of work-life takes a toll on you. You’re constantly eating on the road, living off fumes, and fueling your body with an IV drip of caffeine and alcohol. The work environment can be stressful, the travel environment can be even more stressful, and the money helps you tolerate it all. Many of my single friends remained single or had significant others in multiple cities. Many of my married friends became divorcees. It’s hard to maintain a road warrior lifestyle for many years if you aren’t surrounded by people who appreciate and tolerate your lifestyle.

My career on top of quarantine

When quarantine hit in 2020, the travel and revenue dried up. Layoffs and furloughs became commonplace. On top of work uncertainty, people were dealing with the complete overhaul of the workplace, managing child care by themselves (and while working from home), the threat of dying from coronavirus, zero social life, and grief from the many that passed. I was no different.

It was too much for me. So I flirted with the idea of taking a break from it all for months. And then I finally quit.

My choice to leave

I was fortunate to have at least three options available to me when I quit. I could have taken an extended vacation, most of which would be paid for through accrued personal time off. I could have taken a sabbatical, which would have been unpaid but my job would be waiting for me upon my return. Or I could quit.

I thought about my workaholic nature — how when I took a vacation I found myself checking email several times a day. How the first thing I did every morning was reach for my smartphone to check my email, while still in bed. I thought about the open door policy I had set up with my employees and how I allowed them to call me at any time. And then it was clear what I had to do.

I wanted to say goodbye and not look back. I needed a clean break or else I would never fully disconnect.

I thought about the loss of income and what it would do to my family. We had emergency savings. I could get health insurance through my partner’s company.

I was privileged to be in this position.

All signs were pointing to Yes.

The aftermath

My decision to depart was a hard one for the company. I was in a prominent leadership role and managed a team of employees. I had never left a company for this reason before, and my sendoff was…amazing. My decision was met with unanimous support, reverence for putting my mental health first, and recognition of the courage it took to make this choice. It also opened up the floodgates of how others were feeling during quarantine, their struggles, and their sentiments to make a similar choice down the road. I was floored by the overwhelming support from my network.

It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. I ended up taking 6 weeks off. The first 3 weeks were spent disconnecting completely from the industry that I had known my entire career. I knew I had reached a milestone when I woke up one morning and didn’t automatically reach for my smartphone.

The next 3 weeks were spent figuring out my next steps. In the end, I did go back into the same industry, but in a completely different role and part-time. I am a much healthier and grounded person because of it. I now exercise my creative side. I can allocate more time where I want it. I have the freedom and space to take care of my mental health.

The tides are changing today when it comes to mental health, and yet, we still have a long way to go. Too many people are neglecting themselves in fear that they may be laughed at, talked about in a negative light, or seen as weak. We need more leaders to step up and lead by example.