Are You Quiet Quitting Your Life?
Quiet quitting is a buzzword that’s gotten a lot of recent attention in the corporate world. The exact definition varies, but it centers around the notion of putting in the bare minimum on the job — though some cast it more as a defensive maneuver in response to exploitative employers.
But what happens when we start to do something similar in our personal lives? For example, have your treadmill “workouts” become a comfortable stroll while catching up on your favorite Netflix show, versus actually trying to challenge yourself? Do you and your partner just go through the motions day to day, without ever really connecting emotionally? Can you barely remember the last time you pulled out your guitar, or even a good book, and instead spend all your spare time zoned out in front of the TV channel surfing? Does most of your “friend time” consist of scrolling Facebook?
Whether due to fatigue, mild depression or pathological busyness, quiet quitting your life can lead to months and even years passing in a nondescript blur. You float through life without making any progress toward important personal goals or the kind of memories that end up in scrapbooks. And over time it can irreparably erode your health, relationships and joie de vivre.
If any of this sounds familiar, it’s time to start reengaging. Sure, you can do a complete reboot — hire a personal trainer, book a couple’s retreat, enroll in a six-week photography course or the like. But it can also be as simple as checking in and connecting with your spouse once a day when there’s no other distractions. Or pushing yourself with a HIIT workout (with your doctor’s OK) — or simply pulling out your sketchbook on a lazy Sunday afternoon and just seeing what emerges.
If you can reengage for just five minutes a day, you can build on that momentum — and even expand your efforts into other areas. Remembering how great it feels to be fully present and even experience brief bursts of joy can be a powerful catalyst to reconnect to the people and things that once gave days meaning and purpose. You can rediscover them and reawaken your passion and zest for life.
There’s a lot of debate over quiet quitting in the workaday world — whether it’s a good idea or even justified in any given circumstance. But the only one that clearly loses out when you settle for “meh” on a regular basis is you. Let 2023 be the year you stop quiet quitting your life, start leaning in and living it loud and large.
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