Quiet quitting - another phrase that’s being used a lot recently. Whether it’s as a result of people having the freedom and flexibility of working from home, assessing their priorities after Covid or having taken time out to switch off from work while on holiday. It's a way of wanting to maintain some of the habits you picked up on holiday.

Quiet quitting is about quietly stepping back. Doing less at work or at least not doing more than is required.

I used to do the same, but it wasn’t called quiet quitting back then. Back then it was a case of working the hours I was paid for. Not putting in extra hours or taking on extra work, whether or not you get paid overtime. Sometimes overtime comes at a cost, over and above the financial reward. Yes, it might be necessary, when there’s a deadline to meet or something urgent comes up. But this should be the exception not the norm.

Exhaustion and burnout from pressure of work increases stress and leaves you feeling de-motivated. You're less engaged and less productive.

In those days before you headed off on holiday, were you particularly busy? Once you get back, is the perfect time to decide things need to change.

Perhaps:

• not working such long hours.
• planning your work days better, so you can focus on what’s important.
• spending more time with family or planning more quality social time.

You’ve been so caught up in work you’ve been neglecting your partner and your relationship is suffering.

September is a good time to reset. Back at work. Kids back to school. Quiet quitting or not, being proactive and taking control of your work environment can only be a positive thing.

We already work the longest hours in Europe yet we’re not more productive. Employers and organisations have played around with more flexible working and four day weeks. A healthier, happier, more engaged workforce is more productive and more motivated.

Sometimes you need to have the conversation with your boss, colleagues and team about what you will and won’t accept. Not just quietly quitting but being constructive and working more collaboratively.

What do you need to be able to create a clearer boundary between your work and your home/personal life?

Whether you work in an office, work from home, run your own business, create better habits around when you’re working and when you’re not. Get out of the habit of working long hours, just because. Checking your email and reacting each time your phone pings.

What’s causing you the most frustration and stress at work? Being able to push back and say ‘no’ is important if you want to balance your priorities better and feel more in control of your time and less at the beck and call of everyone else.

If you want to reset for the remainder of the year, take a look at the Build Better Time Habits digital course and rebuild the foundations to the way you work and how you use your time.

Read More:

Time to reassess (Blog post)

Staying on track after a Bank Holiday (Blog post)

Finding time for your Life Admin