What happens after you quit your job?

January 10, 2023

It’s been three months (well, in a few days) since I quit my job. I have had some good and bad days. I have felt lost, angry, and tired.

Last year was a rough year for me; I lost my younger brother and I felt underappreciated at my former company. So I decided to do something about it and applied for another job during my short leave, I got the job and quit that job.

I didn’t know I was going from frying pan to fire. The only difference was that this new one paid better but every other thing about it was worse. I had a horrible supervisor that was out to see me fail. She always had issues with everything I did, since I was reporting directly to her and I was new to the company, its my words against hers or is it the other way around?

Anyways after barely five months, I tendered my resignation letter because I realize it was beginning to affect my health; physically and mentally.

Yeah, I quit without a backup plan! To so many people, it sounded crazy but after what happened with my younger brother, it made me realize life is too short to be in an environment that is unhealthy for you and no amount of money is worth it. At least in my former company, I had peace of mind (to some extent), though the money was crap and I never got credit for my work, it wasn’t a toxic environment.

Guess the grass is not always greener on the other side – I learnt the hard way. Anyways, it’s been a few months and I felt and still feeling a lot of things, Here is what happens after you quit your job.

You want to sleep for a week

The last day was a Thursday, and the next day was Friday. I got home really late that day and slept all through Friday. The first week of being unemployed was mostly sleeping, eating, and bathing. Rinse and repeat. You know that feeling where you feel like: I work hard; I deserve to sleep the days I missed.

Yeah, that is what happens to you the first week. Well, what happened to me…

You start paying attention at home

The second week, I started noticing a lot of cobwebs in the house, cleaned my closet and saw some things that I never knew I still had. I did a lot of deep cleaning; including windows, kitchen, and laundry room, and helped organize my brother’s things. I just wanted to be in control – if that made sense.

I did a lot of cooking too.

In contact with former colleagues

I don’t know if you guys did that but I did. I was still in touch with former colleagues for like a month from the day I left. I guess I did that to know how they were doing without me. If they missed me and if there is any change since I left.

Guess there was some change – the owner introduced two more people in management.

It just makes you wonder, why do I have to leave for something that I could have benefitted from to happen? Most times it is not about you.

Especially when the system is messed up and they notice some patterns, they just have to make some changes.

You reach out to people you haven’t reached out to in a while

I got to reach out to friends that lived far away whom I had not spoken to in a while and it was nice. It’s funny how a job can just take your the whole time and sense of being that all you think about is waking up early, beating the traffic and attending to other people’s needs for the next nine hours.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the industry but it can be consuming and you lose yourself for a bit.

You watch a lot of TV Shows

I watched a lot of TV shows around the second week (still doing that, trying to limit it), binged on One Tree Hill, Friends and new series that came out that period e.g. Firefly lane, The Best Man: Final chapters, Riches, The Winchesters.

Mostly Friends to make me laugh a lot and just be happy, then One Tree hill to inspire me.

Always checking your social media

Check social media a lot, especially WhatsApp status – that stuff is distracting. Watching one status, then another. Then Instagram- you scroll through so many pictures, you don’t know where the time went. I sleep late from watching YouTube videos and wake up late.

PS; That is how I discovered Andrew and Tristan Tate, Jordan Peterson, and Kevin Samuels.

Yeah, I was so wrapped up in my work bubble, I had no idea what was going on in the world.

You start thinking about your dream

I have always daydreamed about writing for a living (a novel, magazine articles or a movie) but somehow something always gets in the way. Like finances, paying bills and taking care of your loved one.

That is why I started this blog in 2012 but I have not been able to take it to where it needs to be.

After my first month at home, I started thinking about it again and telling myself this could be the opportunity for you to commit to it again -even though Google AdSense closed my account for no reason and my page views tanked.

I am not going to lie to you, it discouraged me but here I am.

You start losing contact with your colleagues you saw as friends

This started to happen after the first month, I was gradually losing my supposed colleagues turned friends. I don’t blame them though, they have a lot going on – remember how tasking I told you the job was? If I didn’t mention it already, it is a facility management job. I managed residential facilities.

You start thinking of going back to work

Honestly, I was already bored two weeks in but my health told me I needed to keep relaxing. Yes, my blood pressure was high; I had constant headaches, twitching eyes and unsteady hands during my time at work. That was the main reason why I quit and didn’t ask for a few weeks because I knew I would be going back to that horrible superior.

Anyways, I started considering going back to the workforce and I made some contacts, this was around November 2022 . Most companies were closing for the year and I knew I wasn’t going to get something right away but I was gearing them up for the new year.

You feel some kind of anxiety going back to work, especially if it was a toxic one

As you already know, the former company was toxic so you can imagine how I feel going back. A part of you wants to work again but another part of you is worried about going back to the chaos and experiencing that trauma.

I kind of feel torn, like I have to work so I can take care of myself, my bills and my loved ones but on the other hand I don’t want to make another mistake in choosing another toxic job.

Confused about what to next

Entered the third month in December, you know how that is… Everyone is feeling festive, buying stuff, getting married, collecting their 13th-month salary…Ugh, it was awful for me but I got by.

I was just thinking of how I can study how to make money online and I wouldn’t have to go back to a nine to five. They say to get money, you have to spend money and these guys are asking for a fee to learn how to make money online.

I don’t have a problem paying for knowledge, my fear is if they would deliver as they promised and won’t scam me of my last card.

Feeling pressured to get a steady-paying job

It’s January now and the pressure to get back to a steady paying job is on; especially when you see your friends and siblings going back to work and you are stuck at home still trying to figure out what to do.

Don’t give in to the pressure. Stick to the plan and keep working towards it. Do not be discouraged or care what people are saying or if they are trying to put that pressure on you. As long as they are not feeding you, they should not dictate how you live your life.

To be honest, these few months were not bad. I got to learn new things about myself. I also got to make a little cash here and there by doing some admin tasks for a client I met at my former job, so it wasn’t all bad.

At the end of the day, it’s better to be patient while you keep working on what you want to do. Keep making contacts, while pursuing your dreams and you might just get that call.

Taking this time to do things you might not be able to do when you eventually get that steady-income job again (that’s if you want to continue in that path).

Who knows, you might even realize you’re better off being your boss and don’t need the 9 to 5 anymore.

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