Quitting your job might not solve your burnout. Here’s why

A lot of people chase bigger paychecks and fancier titles, convinced that their next role will finally make them happy. I know I did.

That’s why I spent years stuck in a job that, on paper, many would consider glamorous. But deep down inside, I knew it was toxic. I took on more and more responsibilities, kept a chaotic schedule, and bent over backwards to please my demanding boss. All because I thought that’s what it took to be successful.

Then I would get home and push myself more, scrolling job boards, tweaking my résumé, and submitting applications. I was working around the clock, and rest wasn’t an option. All because I was convinced that a new role would change everything.

But my job was never the real problem. And, chances are, it isn’t yours either.

Burnout is the real culprit

The real issue? You work too hard, stress too much, and rest too little. Of course you’re struggling.

As a certified health coach, I’ve learned that most people misunderstand what burnout actually is. They think they’re just tired and in need of a good sleep or a long weekend. But really, it’s chronic stress and exhaustion, and that doesn’t magically disappear after a few days off. Take Headway’s recent survey, 24% of people returned from the festive break feeling like they hadn’t rested at all.

In the early stages, burnout causes low energy and constant fatigue. Then brain fog creeps in. Your concentration drops, you become forgetful, and your brain slows. So you work harder to compensate, yet get less done, and your workload piles up. You push through anyway, because you don’t want to fail, but that only makes things worse.

And that little voice in the back of your head telling you to quit? That’s another clear sign. Burnout breeds cynicism, which fuels disillusionment and distrust towards your employer. When everything is awful, even your dream role can start to feel unbearable.

But chances are, the grass won’t be any greener if you don’t first change the way you work.

Why quitting your job won’t fix everything

Headway’s recent survey found that 24% of people are looking for a new job or considering an entirely different career path. But handing in your resignation isn’t always the fix that you hope it to be.

Starting a new role is a major life change, and 87% experience the “new job jitters.” You want to impress, and you’re terrified of failing, so you work harder than ever. You tell yourself you’ll rest once you’ve proven yourself. Then the thrill of quitting wears off, and you somehow feel just as drained (if you’re lucky). Feeling worse off, 30% end up wishing they had never left their old role.

The thing is, the job was never the issue. As human beings, we’re just not meant to juggle everything and never switch off. Many of us try to do so anyway, and that is a recipe for burnout.

If you’re thinking of jumping roles or changing careers, try going easier on yourself first. Give yourself time to recover, and you might just realize that your workplace isn’t toxic. You do, however, probably need to change how you’re working.

More effort isn’t the answer

And that doesn’t mean putting in more effort. What you really need is capacity, and you can’t magically increase your brain’s bandwidth by demanding more from yourself. That just drains your capacity further.

This means working smarter with what you have. Start by setting boundaries and building healthier working habits. Log off at 5 p.m., take your whole lunch break, and stop trying to prove your worth through overworking.

Saying “yes” to everything and taking on tasks that aren’t your responsibility doesn’t help anyone. It only wastes energy, and as a result, you don’t have as much energy for the work that you really need to do (and makes the most impact).

Prioritizing yourself and setting boundaries doesn’t mean you care any less. It means you understand that you can’t work well unless you feel well.

Research shows that burnout causes the hippocampus to shrink and damages the brain’s neuroplasticity. It literally reduces our mental capacity, harming everything from memory to focus, and impulse control to executive function. But once you stop overworking, you should feel your brain clear, and your mental capacity should grow.

Don’t leave burnout in charge of your career

Burnout has a way of convincing us that everything is awful and that only drastic measures, whether moving to Bali or changing careers, will help. But that’s just your stress response. After fighting for so long, it’s easy to see why flight feels like the only option. But you’ve been fighting the wrong thing.

To do it, it’s important to address the cause and give your mind time to recover. Only then can you decide with any real clarity whether a career change will actually solve your problems.