17 people share what happened after they quit a toxic job with nothing lined up.

Fantasizing about storming out of a Monday morning meeting, particularly torturous call, or nightmarish exchange with a 'Karen' customer on a mission is sometimes just a fun part of being employed...

While a spicy daydream or salty draft of an email is usually as far as it gets, some people are brave enough to take the bold plunge. So, when a Reddit user asked, 'Have you ever quit a job, without another lined up, for you mental health? How did it turn out?' people who rage-quit on a gig or long-term career without a safety net of any kind were ready to share what happened next.

1.

I worked for an insurance company for 6 years. Was fun at first then went through a divorce and all five years in and stopped caring. So I quit, cashed out my 401K, and drove from Indiana down to Key West and got f*cking trashed for a week. Then traveled to various states and just hung out and did what the f*ck ever.

Lasted three months and then went back to Indiana and then went to work for a different insurance company. I don’t regret it. It was healing and uplifting and met some cool people along the way. - Thatdewd57

2.

Hell yes. Quit a soul crushing job with no plan. Took two months to travel, came back and had a new job that pays twice as much AND I love within another 2 months. - GenieInaButthole

3.

Walked out of a job as a pawn broker. Woman came in with her kid and his Xbox One X, the kid is maybe about 8 or 9 and crying loudly. 'Please don't sell my Xbox mum, I love you etc.'

She wanted to pawn her kids Xbox so she can go and put a down payment on a new iPhone and I refused, got my coat, told my manager to f*ck off and left. I'm not going to play a part in that kids life getting f*cked up more so you can have a new phone. - MrLeshan

4.

I worked at Target for 14yrs. The last 4 years were very hard. I dreaded going to work and I wasn't very fun to be around. In September of last year I'd had enough and quit. I cashed out my 401k and took it easy for a while. My mood has improved greatly and I'm genuinely excited about my future now.

I know now that i don't have to suffer in situations that make me unhappy. You get one go around in this game called Life. You don't have to be miserable at a job you hate. - DespairEmbodied

5.

Yes! Super stressful job and I would often cry before going in. Got bitched out by a manager in the middle of Black Friday, and thought hellll no. My career took off after leaving there. I just needed the push. - eagleeyeview

6.

I quit my job in McDonalds after feeling bullied by management. I used to dread work every day. My parents pressured me to keep the job until I found a new one but the stress of every day was getting to be too much.

I gave my notice and left as I couldn't take it any more. I ended up going back to college and finishing my degree after being broke for about 8 months. I now have my degree and am content in my current job. - Tomwozerr

7.

Best thing I ever did. Found something better, happier, with a huge pay raise. Someone told me, 'If it compromises your happiness, it's not worth it.' Truth. - [deleted]

8.

Worked in the family construction business for about 14 years. Was running one of the main crews as a foreman. The owner was leaning heavy on me and putting stresses on me that weren't warranted with the position. Had money that I was saving for a down payment on a house.

Quit after a blowout with the boss over something so trivial its mind boggling thinking about it. Spent the next 3 months hanging out getting myself back together. Blew through all the saving for the most part. But in the end it all worked out. Got a better paying job in the same field. Pretty much zero stress. Couldn't be happier. - OneEyedWillyWanker

9.

I just did this on May 31. Never been happier though it is only 2 weeks now. Greg was a total as*hole as a boss - I was shunned and ostracized. Setup to fail. No matter what I did, I got no credit (Greg took it all) but I got all of the blame. F*ck you Greg.

Quitting was the best thing I did. I am taking the summer off and then will look for more work. I am experience IT professional but I would rather be a greeter at Walmart than work in those conditions. Did I say f*ck you Greg? Just checking. Your health (mental and physical) is way more important long term. - nancam9

10.

I was a mailman for about a year--thought I'd give it a shot since my dad did it for almost 40 and I figured it'd help me understand him better. Best money I'd ever made (starting pay was something like 16 and some change an hour), especially with OT. But I was miserable.

Just f*cking miserable. My commute was 45 minutes in clear traffic but if I didn't finish my sh*t in time and I hit rush hour, the commute could be up to 2 hours.

I'd leave when it was still dark, get home when it was just about dark again, have just enough time to eat an absolute sh*tload of food (walking 10+ miles a day is sort of a double edged blade), then go to bed and do it again. And again. And again. Sundays included (thanks, Amazon).

When I got sunburn and frostbite on the same day, my thick head finally realized the money wasn't worth it. My wallet was full but I was f*cking bankrupt when it came to emotional or creative energy. - smt503

11.

Yep, left a job I'd held for 3 years and moved towns. I've struggled to find more long term employment in my new town, but I'm happier and far healthier. I went from spending nearly 50 hours a week at my desk to having plenty of time for myself to get outdoors.

I love the sun, and I was just a really depressed, sad little mushroom at my old job. Kept in the dark and fed on sh*t. It's been just over a year, I'm 20kgs lighter, have just found another casual job and even though my employment isn't steady, I'm loving life. - asterisk_42

12.

I quit after an argument with my boss because I didn't agree with how he did things. Within two months I started my own company doing what he did but the way I thought it should be done. I am still running that business and he shut his down 3 years ago. - cyril0

13.

Quit my job at a call center without anything lined up. I used to cry in my car before a shift, used up all my sick days, and it worsened my depression so I got myself out of there when I couldn’t take it anymore. I quietly stood up from my desk and quit on the spot. I had never walked out on a job before.

Took me a month to find another job with just slightly less hours (so a little less money) but it was worth it because I’m a lot better mentally and physically, and I like the job. Sometimes you just gotta do what you gotta do. - [deleted]

14.

Left my job of 15 years with nothing lined up because it was gaining me nothing any more aside from being overused for my job knowledge with no reward. Took a month off, found another job that pays me more per hour than my last after I got promoted to supervisor after putting in 5 months. Couldn't be happier - undeleted_error_76

15.

Yeah, I had been overworked and underpaid (and underappreciated) at a small resort for months. Tempers flared and I was given an ultimatum, I chose to walk out the door in the middle of the busy season.

The next night I went to a bar and saw another resort owner (and friend) saying goodbye to his only employee (he typically had 2-3). I walked up after and the conversation went like this:

Me: that sucks, do you have anything else lined up?

Him: nope, I've got nothing

Me: do you need somebody to help?

Him: do you need a job?

Me: yup, as of yesterday.

Him: show up tomorrow whenever you want and you've got the job.

The rest of the summer I ran his cafe/shop (I had 7 years of cooking and 2 years retail management experience) and he ran the outfitter.

The first day after showing me around the kitchen he had to go attend to something, when he came back I had 20 people already eating and I was chatting them up and cleaning. He looked around and goes 'well, you're getting a raise.' The rest of the summer was great. - ThaBFGisMe

16.

Yes, last October quit being a cashier. It was killing my soul and my panic attacks were getting worse from the persistent stress. Quit work to go to college. Luckily my family has been very supportive and has helped me out a ton. Still not working, doing great in my classes. Best move I've made. - canamla

17.

I had a job that I loved. Had coworkers I loved (I'm still friends with some). Ownership changed. My job that was a M-F, 9-5, somehow turned into on call all the time. My workload was always heavy, got added onto. I would say no to additional workload. It somehow still ended up on my plate.

Somewhere around a year after the ownership change, I found myself googling heart attack, and mental breakdown symptoms because I knew something wasn't right. I finally walked into work one day and handed in my notice. No job lined up. Didn't think it through.

I wrote up my notice 5min before I left for work that day. Due to bills, I ended up taking a job I was overqualified for, and made crap for pay. But after a few months I got hired to where I am now. I do the same type of job as the one I walked away from.

Did it work out for me, I'd like to say yes. But only time will tell. I will say both myself and my family are much happier right now. And I haven't wondered if I'm having a mental breakdown or possible heart attack since I left. That's a win - working_mommy