We all know that making time for yourself outside of work is crucial. Yet, I often wonder if work-life balance is real or just a made-up term coined by wellness gurus. As hard as I try, I can’t ever seem to stop the responsibilities from piling up, one on top of the other. Lately, I’ve been living in a perpetual state of burnout, and I’m starting to doubt I will ever escape it. The “quiet cracking” workplace trend is proof I’m not the only one feeling this way.
Obviously, we’re all under an immense amount of pressure. The work world is changing faster than the speed of light, thanks to advancements in automation and evolving workplace landscapes. And as we push ourselves to keep up, career experts warn that it could come at the cost of our mental health and, potentially, our employment.
If you’re feeling the heat of the workplace right now and all of this is sounding a little too familiar, you might be on the brink of quiet cracking, too. Ahead, I’m sharing everything you need to know about quiet cracking, including what it is and why it’s so common in the workplace right now, its potential consequences and warning signs, and what to do if you’re experiencing it yourself.
What is “quiet cracking”?
“Quiet cracking” refers to the phenomenon of employees gradually disengaging from work as they struggle with feelings of anxiety, burnout, or a loss of professional purpose. Over time, this leads to unhappiness at work. Worse, because you’re so unhappy, doing only what’s required to get through the workday becomes the benchmark standard. Unlike quiet quitting, though, this isn’t an intentional or conscious choice. Alison Campbell, the founder of burnout prevention company unBurnt®, says quiet cracking stems from deep emotional exhaustion.
Alison Campbell is the founder of unBurnt®, a company on a mission to prevent burnout by addressing the root causes of chronic stress at work. With nearly twenty years of experience, Alison built her career across finance, ecommerce and HRTech, eventually to Chief of Staff & Head of Strategy and Analytics at a $1B+ global company. But after years of accepting exhaustion and overwhelm as normal, a health scare was the catalyst to pause and reflect on how we operate inside our modern, always-on workplace.
When you’re running on empty emotionally, you automatically go into protection mode and distance yourself from whatever’s draining you. In this case, you’ll stop volunteering for assignments, interacting with co-workers less, and so forth. With time, you become totally checked out.
Why is quiet cracking happening in the workplace?
According to new research from TalentLMS, 54 percent of workers reportedly experience quiet cracking on some level. This begs the question: Why is quiet cracking so prevalent in the workforce right now? Three major culprits are behind this trend:
Employees are feeling uncertain about their careers
First, employees no longer know what their next move should be. “Clarity about the future is evaporating,” Campbell explained. Previously, climbing the career ladder was pretty straightforward. Layoffs, the economy, automation, and mass organization restructuring are making workers question what’s expected of them and if their job still offers growth, or they’re at risk of losing it to AI. According to Campbell, this lack of clarity and concrete direction is making employees fear what comes next, and this fear is hardening into disengagement at work. Instead of taking risks and putting themselves out there, they’re flying under the radar and merely doing what’s asked of them to protect their job.
Workdays are relentless
Second, Campbell says workdays are now “relentless.” Trends like the “infinite workday” have thrown the concept of work-life balance out the window. We feel compelled to be available ‘round-the-clock because we don’t want someone else to take our spot, but the kicker is that answering emails and taking meetings outside of work hours places you in a perpetual state of burnout. Over time, this exhaustion wears you down, and you begin quiet cracking as a result.
Employees feel like their options are limited
Finally—and perhaps most importantly—employees feel like their options are limited. Executive Coach and Chief People Officer at JustWorks, Jeri Doris, says most people are simply grateful to have a job right now. Therefore, they’re willing to put up with a lot more at work, regardless of how it impacts their mental health. “They’d rather be unhappy in their current job than unhappy and unemployed,” she said.
Jeri Doris is the Chief People Officer at HR technology company, Justworks, and a certified Executive Coach. She’s navigated leadership in the tech and HR space while bringing a uniquely sustainable approach to high-growth startup environments both in the US and Europe. She has previously held positions at Rakuten, Groupon, Deloitte, GE, and more.
How could quiet cracking affect your career?
What makes quiet cracking particularly lethal is that it can have long-term impacts on your career. When you feel this way, you don’t do much more than show up and go through the motions. Consequently, you become invisible in the workplace and won’t be on anyone’s radar for a promotion, big assignment, or other development opportunities.
Furthermore, the Founder of Broad Perspective Consulting, Barbara Palmer, says motivation becomes elusive with quiet cracking. After all, when you’re “cracking” under the weight of your emotions and work responsibilities, all of your energy goes into simply keeping your head above water rather than performing well. You can’t shine at work if you’re treading water and going through the motions, and it’s hard to summon the energy needed to execute tasks well when all that matters is making it through the day. No matter how you spin it, quiet cracking halts your professional progress since it forces you to work from a place of disposition.
Barbara Palmer is the Founder of and Top Broad at Broad Perspective Consulting, where she utilizes her 30+ years of executive-level experience to empower women and help them rise to their full potential. She is also a certified facilitator of the Fair Play Method, a unique training program that works 1:1 with individuals and couples worldwide seeking support with balancing the workload at home.
What are the warning signs of quiet cracking?
Although burnout is one of the driving forces behind this trend, being burnt out isn’t a warning sign of quiet cracking. Typically, burnout is a visibly acute state of exhaustion; we wear this exhaustion on our faces, are more prone to having a meltdown over something small, and so forth.
Quiet cracking, in contrast, is internalized. According to Campbell, this is why it manifests subtly initially. For example, you might continue delivering on your assignments but stop bringing new ideas to the table or contributing to team meetings. Or, you might continue finding ways to dodge additional responsibilities and create excuses to decline invites to company events.
Of course, this behavior isn’t alarming in isolation because we all need time to reset and recharge. But it’s alarming when it becomes a pattern since it signals you’re becoming more removed from work and retreating further into yourself. Likewise, consistently feeling unmotivated and disinterested in work, or steadily dreading it, are also red flags.
How to re-engage if you’re experiencing quiet cracking
If you’re experiencing quiet cracking, “the most important thing to do is make sure it doesn’t lead to resentment and impact your ability to do your job,” according to Doris. She explained that it hinders career progress once it passes the point where you’re able to remain professional, so it’s important not to let it get that far. To prevent this from happening, Doris stresses keeping your personal and professional lives separate. Avoid looking at and responding to emails or scheduling meetings and calls when you’re off duty. Filling your free time with activities you love, new hobbies, and plans will make it easier to actually log off. Plus, venting to your friends and family will help release pent-up frustrations.
Talking to your employer about your professional goals and where the opportunities, if any, lie in the company can be beneficial. It might be uncomfortable, but having this conversation will give you more clarity on the potential direction your career can move in, either in or outside of that organization. If it’s the latter, you can start making moves to secure employment elsewhere. Likewise, keeping your resume and cover letter up-to-date, staying in touch with the market, honing your personal brand, and nurturing and growing your professional network can also be helpful. This will give you a professional safety net to fall back on and, in turn, make the idea of leaving or losing your job less overwhelming.
Ultimately, quiet cracking signals that something in your professional life needs to change. Taking the steps above will allow you to get back in touch with yourself and your career and shake quiet cracking for good. When it comes down to it, being proactive and preventing burnout by making time for yourself and being transparent with your employer about your goals will keep you grounded and on track.
Arianna Reardon, Contributing Writer
Arianna is a freelance writer and journalist, and the self-proclaimed hot and dirty martini queen. At The Everygirl, Arianna uses her authenticity and relatability to empower, inspire, and motivate women everywhere. Whether she’s writing about sex and relationships, career and finance, beauty and fashion, wellness, or home and living, Arianna’s passion shines through in all her work.
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