It is very hard for me to quit a job. I always feel awful and emotional leaving my team and the people I work with. I also feel guilty for leaving knowing that it wouldn’t be easy to find a replacement not only because I am good at what I do (vanity aside) but also because people get used to working together and develop working habits that make them better perform.

I’ve had several career shifts and a tremendous amount of guilt feeling but I’ve also learned that everyone is replaceable and that it isn’t worth staying at a job that makes you miserable and doesn’t help you become a better person.

In a country that has a shaky economy, we all need jobs to survive but that doesn’t mean that we should get stuck in awful ones just because we need to pay our bills and bring food to the table.  Life is too short to spend it in a workplace that sucks the happiness out of you.

But beyond the need for financial security, let’s be honest, it isn’t just about the guilt. Most of us are afraid of quitting. No one wants to be a quitter… It is often perceived as a sign of weakness. But it isn’t! Being able to stand up for yourself, for what you believe in and your wellbeing and walking away from a toxic job is the definition of courage! There is a difference between giving up and knowing when it is time to move on.  For me, these are 10 warning signs that I should quit my job.

1-    You get feverish every Sunday night and you dread Mondays.

2-    You wake up effortlessly at 7:00 on weekends but you snooze your alarm at least 10 times every other morning.

3-    Your office wall is dotted with motivational quotes that don’t motivate you.

4-    You gained 3 kilograms in the last past month.

5-    You use a sick day every week.

6-    You have more caffeine and nicotine in your blood than red blood cells.

7-    The best compliment you get from your colleagues on a good day is “you look like shit”.

8-    You start planning your next vacation as soon as you get back from vacation.

9-    The best part of your day is riding the elevator.

10- The best thing about your job is that your chair spins.