Quiet quitting doesn’t always entail a dramatic attitude change or an outright refusal to work.
In fact, most of the time, it happens gradually, as the name implies. You stop going the extra mile, mentally check out, or do just enough to stay under the radar. You might not even refer to it by this term, but if you’ve stopped emotionally investing in your job, you’re probably already there. Whether it’s due to burnout, frustration, or just realising that effort isn’t rewarded, here are a few subtle signs you’re quiet quitting (even if you don’t think you are).
1. You stop caring about your work beyond the bare minimum.
At some point, you realise you’re only doing what’s required—nothing more, nothing less. You still meet deadlines and complete tasks, but there’s no extra enthusiasm or drive to go beyond expectations. If an issue arises, you’ll handle it, but you don’t feel any sense of urgency or pressure to fix things that aren’t your problem.
It’s not laziness—it’s a change in mindset. Where you once took pride in exceeding expectations, now you just do what’s necessary to avoid complaints. Your work ethic hasn’t disappeared, but your willingness to push harder has. The idea of striving for excellence has been replaced by a simple desire to get through the day without unnecessary stress.
2. You no longer pursue new professional challenges.
There was a time when you’d volunteer for projects, suggest improvements, or look for opportunities to grow. Now, you avoid extra responsibilities, even if they’d make your job more interesting. You’re not necessarily doing less than expected, but you’re definitely not doing more.
You might justify it by telling yourself you’re too busy or that the extra effort isn’t worth it, but deep down, it’s because you no longer feel invested. The thought of “going above and beyond” just doesn’t appeal anymore. You’ve learned that stepping up doesn’t always lead to rewards, so why bother?
3. You mentally check out during meetings.
You show up, but you’re not really there. Instead of engaging in discussions, you sit quietly, count the minutes until it’s over, or multitask to make it feel less like a waste of time. Meetings feel like background noise rather than something that requires your full attention.
Once upon a time, you might have contributed ideas or been eager to discuss strategy. Now, you do the polite nod, keep your camera off if possible, and hope no one calls on you. You’re present in body, but your mind is elsewhere, focusing on things that actually matter to you.
4. You stop responding to messages outside work hours.
At some point, you decided that work stays at work, and your personal time is non-negotiable. You used to check emails before bed or respond to Slack messages after hours, but now, you let them wait until morning. If it’s not urgent, it can wait.
It’s not about being unprofessional; it’s about enforcing boundaries that should have existed in the first place. And honestly? It feels good. You no longer feel guilty about not being available 24/7, and you realise that nothing has actually fallen apart because of it.
5. You use every bit of your paid time off.
In the past, you might have let holidays roll over or felt guilty about taking time off. Now, you make sure you use every single one of them because why wouldn’t you? You’ve stopped feeling the need to “prove” your dedication by working through exhaustion.
There’s no hesitation about booking holidays, taking long weekends, or using mental health days when needed. You no longer feel like you owe your employer extra availability, and you don’t feel bad about it either. If you’ve earned the time off, you’re going to use it.
6. You don’t feel stressed about work anymore, just detached.
Burnout often comes with stress, but quiet quitting is different. You’re not panicking over deadlines or overwhelmed with pressure—you just don’t feel emotionally involved anymore. Work no longer feels like something to worry about because you’ve emotionally distanced yourself from it.
There’s a calmness in the detachment. If something urgent pops up, you deal with it, but you don’t lose sleep over it. You’ve accepted that work is just work, and it no longer controls your emotions. That change alone makes everything feel lighter.
7. You stop caring about company goals or long-term plans.
Once, you might have felt a sense of purpose in your company’s mission or long-term objectives. Now? You don’t really care where things are headed—you just do your job and move on. The big picture feels irrelevant when you don’t feel like a valued part of it.
You don’t keep up with big company announcements, you tune out during strategy meetings, and you don’t bother pretending you’re excited about future initiatives. It’s all just noise to you now, and you’re perfectly content focusing only on what directly affects your role.
8. You avoid unnecessary socialising with colleagues.
Happy hour? No thanks. Team bonding exercises? Hard pass. You’re polite and professional, but you no longer feel the need to invest in workplace relationships beyond what’s required. The idea of spending extra time with coworkers outside of work just doesn’t appeal anymore.
It’s not that you dislike your colleagues; you just don’t see the point in spending extra time at work if you don’t have to. You’d rather put your energy into relationships that actually matter to you. Work stays at work, and your social life remains separate.
9. You no longer tie your identity to your job.
In the past, your job may have been a big part of how you saw yourself. But now, you see it for what it is: a way to pay the bills, not something that defines you. You no longer let work dictate your sense of self-worth or personal fulfilment.
Your personal identity is tied to your hobbies, relationships, and interests outside of work. Your sense of self doesn’t rise and fall with job performance, which makes it easier to walk away from stress or unnecessary pressure. Work is just a small part of your life, not the whole thing.
10. You stop giving feedback because you know it won’t change anything.
Maybe you used to believe in helping the company improve—sharing ideas, offering constructive criticism, or trying to make processes more efficient. Now, you don’t even bother. It feels like a waste of energy when no one listens.
You’ve accepted that leadership isn’t interested in real change, so you keep your thoughts to yourself. If no one’s listening, there’s no point in speaking up. You no longer feel the urge to help “fix” things that don’t directly impact you.
11. You daydream about quitting (but don’t actually do it).
Maybe you fantasise about walking out, finding something else, or doing something completely different. You scroll job listings or think about passion projects, even if you haven’t made any real moves yet. The idea of a different career path lingers in your mind more often than it used to.
It’s not necessarily that you hate your job; you’re just mentally halfway out the door. You haven’t quit, but in many ways, you already have. The longer this feeling lasts, the closer you get to making a real decision about what’s next.
12. You stop feeling guilty about saying no.
There was a time when you’d feel obligated to take on extra work, even when it wasn’t your responsibility. Now, you’ve mastered the art of saying no—without guilt. Whether it’s turning down last-minute tasks, declining unnecessary meetings, or refusing to take on someone else’s workload, you no longer feel bad about protecting your time.
It’s not you being difficult; it’s you recognising that overextending yourself doesn’t lead to appreciation—it just leads to exhaustion. By setting clear boundaries, you prevent burnout and keep your energy for the things that actually matter to you.
13. You no longer seek validation from your job.
In the past, you might have felt a deep sense of accomplishment when receiving praise from your boss or hitting company milestones. Now? You don’t rely on external validation from work to feel good about yourself. You know your worth isn’t tied to how many projects you complete or how much recognition you get.
Instead, you find validation elsewhere—through personal achievements, creative pursuits, or relationships outside of work. You realise that no amount of approval from management will change the fact that you’re ultimately just a cog in the machine. Your confidence comes from within, not from workplace praise.
14. You’ve stopped hoping for things to change.
Perhaps one of the clearest signs you’re quiet quitting is when you’ve stopped holding onto hope that things will improve. Maybe you once believed that leadership would finally listen, that pay raises would come, or that work culture would shift. But now? You no longer expect anything different.
You’ve accepted the job for what it is—neither great nor terrible, just a pay cheque. And instead of holding out for change, you focus on getting what you need from it while emotionally distancing yourself from unrealistic expectations. When you stop expecting work to be fulfilling, you start treating it as exactly what it is: a means to an end.
